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Rising costs stopping physician visits

Case Management Weekly, October 30, 2007

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Rising out-of-pocket healthcare costs are forcing Americans to delay doctor visits, with many admitting that they are also skipping prescribed medications, according to the 2007 Health Confidence Survey.

The tenth annual survey, conducted by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI), found that 63% of those with health insurance are paying more for their plan than in the past year. Among those who saw increases, two-thirds were only seeking medical advice for more serious conditions. According to the EBRI, a Washington, DC-based research and education group, any savings from a fall in unnecessary healthcare visits may be offset by potentially avoidable future treatment costs.

"[These] methods of controlling expenses may be positive if they cause patients to delay seeking care for minor complaints or not fill noncritical medications," write the EBRI's Paul Fronsitn and Ruth Helman of market researchers Mathew Greenwald & Associates in their report notes. "However, those taking these steps may be simply trading small, immediate savings for much larger expenses later on if they delay the diagnosis or impede the treatment of more serious conditions."

Encouragingly, more than half felt confident about their ability to question healthcare professionals about their treatment options.

Source: 2007 Health Confidence Survey: Rising Health Care Costs Are Changing the Ways Americans Use the Health Care System, Employee Benefit Research Institute.

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