By Amanda Gardner HealthDay Reporter
A new poll from the National Council on Aging revealed that Americans who suffer from at least one chronic illness are putting off receiving health care and are not taking medications they need to treat their conditions. By not doing either of these, they are feeling isolated and depressed.
Carol Pryor, policy director of the Access Project in Boston, said of this poll:
“This report presents a distressing picture of the barriers facing those most in need of ongoing care and support, whether or not they have insurance. As we look toward reforming our health care system, we need to ensure that these barriers are reduced or eliminated. In some countries, for example, co-pays are waived for people with chronic conditions to ensure that they can get timely care without having to worry about the cost. This can reduce barriers to care and also lower costs in the long run.”
Another poll found that even those who have health insurance fear going to the doctor because of medical expenses they may incur that the insurance won’t cover. More than 50% of those polled were extremely concerned about the rise in cost for health care and medication issues.
To read more, visit the link below.
US News & World Report On Health Care
6 comments:
I am amazed at the medical costs we incure revery year WITH health insurance. I too thought about NOT going to the doctor and suffered awhile with this neck issue before I went because of the idea of more medical bills!
I, too, am dumbfounded at the cost of medical care. Seems every day brings a bill of one kind or another that we struggle to keep up with. Between my chronic challenges and my husband's cancer treatments (Praise God! He is in remission!!), our social life seems to be that of going to various doctor's and our paycheck goes towards meds, tests, and bills. I can easily see how folks would stop going to the doctor at all. Tis so sad a comment on our country.
Michele,
We have an HSA acct and it still amazes me the amount of $$ that we have to pay out of pocket for medical/dental/vision, etc. I feel so bad for those who have no insurance.
It has to be so compounded for a chronically ill person, as well. Thanks for bringing this issue to light.
Blessings to you!
PS...I took that picture last year in TN
I think one of the reasons chronically ill people put off going to the doctor is that they fear they will be treated as someone with a psychological disorder. It's a hard thing to get some doctors to take things like fibromyalgia, for instance, seriously, because the outward manifestations of it are not there. If we sported bruising or swelling in every place we hurt, different story. Same for symptoms like IBS. "It's all in your head" doesn't work for me. I happen to have an excellent GI doctor who did some great testing and once things were ruled out he put me on a great medication that keeps it under control, but when I'm having flare-ups it's like, "oh, just take more of your medication that you take to prevent it." It's not treated seriously. It's a big fear to overcome. I pray that more do and that somehow, if finances is an issue, that something could be done.
I saw a movie this weekend where a guy went in to get stitches or something. Anyway, after treating the patient he asked what the charge was. She asked if he had health insurance and he said no. She said, "How about $25?" He said that was more than fair. I realize a great deal of overhead is involved but can medical treatment really cost as much as it's made out to? I mean seriously. When doctors are in it only for the money and not for actually helping people, the patients suffer big time.
Just stopping in to say thank you for your visit and comment to LACED WITH GRACE today. As always I have been blessed by visiting your page and once again I am reminded that my safety net is in Christ who is my provider, my healer and my everything! -Blessings, Laurie
This is a terrible problem, and very sad.
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