Harris: Neglect Rates Change Little

By Staff Writer

March 09, 2009 at 08:00 PM

Share & Print

The percentage of U.S. adults who blame finances for skipped health care may not have changed much this year.

Researchers at Harris Interactive Inc., Rochester, N.Y., have published figures hinting at that possibility in a summary of results from a Web-based survey of 2,078 U.S. adults ages 18 and older conducted in February.

Some participants said they are failing to get dental care or failing to take prescriptions because of financial concerns – but the same was true in 2007 and 2008, the Harris Interactive researchers report.

About 22% said they have failed to fill a prescription this year because of cost, but that percentage is little changed from 21% in 2007 and unchanged from 22% in 2008, the researchers report.

About 18% of survey participants said they are taking medication less often than directed because of financial concerns. That percentage is up slighly from 17% in 2008 but down from 19% in 2007, the researchers report.

The percentage who said they had a specific medical problem but did not visit a doctor was 28%, up from 27% in 2008 but down from 32% in 2007.

NOT FOR REPRINT