Rising healthcare costs are increasingly changing the way Americans use the healthcare system. Many of these changes are positive, but others, such as delaying seeing a physician and skipping or not filling doses of prescribed medications, could have a negative impact on patients’ health, according to the 2007 Health Confidence Survey. The survey, released Oct. 24 by the Employee Benefit Research Institute, is the group’s 10th annual assessment of the American public regarding the U.S. healthcare system.
More than six in 10 Americans with health insurance coverage (63 percent) reported an increase in the costs they are responsible for paying under their plan in the past year, the survey found. Of these, a sizeable and increasing percentage said the increase caused them to try to take better care of themselves (81 percent in 2007; 71 percent in 2005) and talk to their physician more carefully about treatment options and costs (66 percent in 2007; 57 percent in 2005).
Among other results, three-quarters of those with employer-provided health coverage (76 percent) said they would prefer $7,500 in employer-based health benefits to an additional $7,500 in taxable income. When those preferring to keep their coverage were asked how much they would need in additional taxable income to willingly give it up, the median response was $12,000. Access the report.
