A new survey by Pennsylvania Health Access Network and Altarum Healthcare Value Hub found half of Pennsylvania residents struggled with health-care costs in the last year and nearly two-thirds were worried about how they will pay for care in the future, writes The Philadelphia Inquirer.
About half of the 1,150 Pennsylvania residents surveyed between Oct. 30 and Dec. 10 said they had experienced at least one health-care burden in the last year, leading to significant — and potentially dangerous — health implications:
- A quarter of respondents delayed going to the doctor or having a needed procedure.
- About 20% skipped the doctor, a procedure, or a recommended test entirely.
- 22% skipped doses of a medication, cut pills in half, or did not fill a prescription.
People who got the care they needed often struggled to pay the bills. A quarter of survey respondents said they had taken drastic measures to pay off medical debt, such as borrowing money, getting a loan or second mortgage, using their savings, or racking up credit card debt. About 7% said they had to forego food, heat, housing, or other basic necessities to pay for needed medical care.
Read more:
- The Philadelphia Inquirer: https://www.inquirer.com/health/coronavirus/coroanvirus-covid-19-health-care-insurance-cost-20210210.html
- Altarum Healthcare Value Hub Data Brief: Pennsylvania Residents Struggle to Afford High Healthcare Costs. February 2021.