The number of Americans reporting that they or a family member were forced to put off medical treatment in 2022 due to rising costs has surged to a record high, according to a new Gallup poll.
That represents an increase of 12 percentage points compared to 2021 and is the highest in the 22 years that Gallup has been tracking the trend.
Gallup’s annual Health and Healthcare poll surveyed 1,020 U.S. adults aged 18 and older living in all 50 states and the District of Columbia between Nov. 9 to Dec. 2 and has a margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points.
It found that Americans were more than twice as likely to report the delayed treatment in their family was for a serious rather than a nonserious condition in 2022.
Overall, 27 percent of those surveyed said the treatment they put off was for a “very” or “somewhat” serious condition or illness, while 11 percent said it was for a “not very” or “not at all” serious condition.
Americans Delaying Care for Serious Conditions
“Since 2004, more U.S. adults have said the medical care needed was for a serious than nonserious condition, but the 16-point gap in the perceived seriousness of forgone treatment in 2022 is the second largest on record to a 17-point gap in 2019,” Gallup' noted.In addition, the survey found that those with an annual household income under $40,000 were nearly twice as likely to put off medical care for a serious condition in 2022 compared to those with an annual household income of $100,000 or more.
Overall, lower-income adults, younger adults, and women were more likely to delay medical treatment due to soaring costs.
Doctor Warns Americans Not to Delay Treatment
Biden has credited the act for lowering the costs for tens of millions of Americans covered by the Medicare health program, although the decline in costs is largely due to a decision to severely limit coverage of the controversial and pricey Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm.While the average price increase for these drugs came in at 31.6 percent, some rose by more than 500 percent, according to the department.
“It might need to be dealt with, unfortunately, in the emergency room, or in a scenario where you can no longer work and you can’t provide for your family or take care of those kids and you’re going to be forced to take care of your own health concern,” Dr. Hills added.