In a newly released Thomson Reuters survey, one in five respondents say they have delayed medical care, and one in four of those who did listed financial cost as the primary reason, reports Maggie Fox of Reuters. The survey also predicted that in the next three months, one in every five adults in America will have difficulty paying for health insurance or health care.
The data show a significantly higher number of Americans putting off healthcare than in 2006, when the same question was asked in a survey. Leaders of the study associate this increase with growing number of Americans losing employer-sponsored health insurance.
The study leader Gary Pickens predicted that America’s “collective well-being” will be hurt if people continue to delay necessary treatments.
If you find yourself unable to afford healthcare or health insurance, check with your state and local agencies to see if you are eligible for Medicaid or other forms of financial assistance. Pharmaceutical companies often have programs for uninsured patients. Additional resources may be available: Walgreens, for example, recently announced that its Take Care program will offer free routine clinic services for the uninsured and unemployed.