Nearly four in ten Americans reported that they or a family member delayed health care last year because of the cost. That’s an all-time high and a huge increase from the year before. Even with Medicare, many more older adults also report delaying care.
The Gallup poll shows a 12 percent increase in Americans skipping health care in 2022 from 2021. There was no change in people’s response to the question of whether they or a family skipped care between 2020 and 2021. But, 2022 was a year of tremendous inflation, which has made life even more difficulty for most adults.
Even more troubling is that Americans reported that they or their family members often delayed treatment for serious conditions in 2022. Of the 38 percent who reported delays in care, 27 percent said that the delays were for very serious or somewhat serious treatments.
Not surprisingly, people with annual incomes under $40,000 were more likely to say that they or a family member had delayed care for a serious health condition (34 percent) than people with incomes above $100,000 (18 percent). And, 12 percent more people with lower incomes delayed care for serious conditions in 2022 than in 2021. People with incomes between $40,000 and $100,000 delayed care almost as much as people with incomes under $40,000 (29 percent).
Women and younger adults also were more likely to report delays in getting medical treatments for serious conditions for themselves and family members. Almost one in three women (32 percent) reported delaying care in sharp contrast to one in five men. That’s an increase of 12 percentage points for women in just one year.
About one in eight (13 percent) people with Medicare reported delaying care in 2022. That’s nearly double– a six percent increase–those reporting delays in care just a year earlier. Still, people with Medicare were less likely to report delaying care because of cost than working people and young adults.
Here’s more from Just Care:
- Sen. Bernie Sanders will focus on high health care costs as head of the HELP committee
- Six tips for keeping your drug costs down if you have Medicare
- What are your Medicare premium and other costs in 2023?
- The high costs of Medicare Advantage and how to address them
- Expect high out-of-pocket costs if you’re hospitalized and fight them
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