The survey also found that more than 40 percent of respondents said high costs prevented them from receiving care they needed. The number is up from 29 percent in 2001.
The survey queried more than 3,000 working age adults. Nearly 25 percent of respondents said they or their spouse had lost a job in the past two years; among those who lost benefits with their jobs, 57 percent said they could not get new insurance.
The survey’s findings reflect the spike in unemployment levels, rising treatment costs and unaffordable insurance coverage, all driven in part by the recession. The results are worrisome for healthcare facilities as well as consumers; when medical bills go unpaid, hospitals and ASCs are often forced to absorb the loss.
Read the Kaiser Health News report on medical bills.
