Uninsured More Likely To Skip Medical Care, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Study Finds

Main Category: Health Insurance / Medical Insurance
Article Date: 03 May 2006 - 11:00 PDT

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Forty-one percent of uninsured adults skipped medical care because of cost in the past year, compared with 9% of insured adults, according to a study released on Wednesday by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Newport News Daily Press reports. The study examines Census data and a CDC telephone survey of adults in each state. It finds that uninsured adults are four times more likely than insured adults to avoid seeing a doctor for medical care, including recommended cancer screenings and monitoring of chronic conditions. Nationwide, nearly 46 million U.S. residents are uninsured, according to RWJF. The study was released in advance of national Cover the Uninsured Week, which is organized by RWJF and other groups. Additional findings of the survey include that:

• 57% of uninsured adults do not have a primary care physician, compared with 16% of insured adults;
  
  
• 23% of uninsured adults report their health as "fair" or "poor," compared with 12% of insured adults;
  
  
• Uninsured West Virginia residents are the most likely to forgo needed medical care, with 57% of uninsured state residents skipping care in the last year;
  
  
• Uninsured North Dakota residents are the least likely to forgo needed medical care, with 24% of uninsured state residents skipping care in the last year (Freehling, Newport News Daily Press, 4/26); and
  
  
• Uninsured women ages 40 to 65 in Missouri are the least likely to receive recommended annual mammograms, with 33% undergoing the screening.
  

Comments
David Morse, vice president of communications for RWJF, said, "What I think this data shows is that across the board, across the country, people without health insurance are sicker and less likely to get the care they need. And when they do get care, their condition is much worse" (McGrath, Idaho Statesman, 4/26). Elaine Arkin, director of Cover the Uninsured Week for RWJF, said, "We think it's a widespread myth that people who don't have health insurance get care anyway." She said, "You will get [acute] care in the emergency department, but you have to pay for it," adding, "If you are uninsured you are not getting those negotiated group rates, so you are paying top dollar. People without insurance are really gambling that they will stay healthy" (Porter, Rutland Herald, 4/27).

The report is available online. Note: you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access the report.

Related Broadcast Coverage
APM's "Marketplace" on Wednesday reported on the recent study finding an increase in the percentage of moderate-income U.S. adults who do not have health insurance during any part of the year. The segment includes comments from Karen Davis, president of the Commonwealth Fund, and Diane Rowland, executive vice president of the Kaiser Family Foundation and executive director of the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured (Palmer, "Marketplace," APM, 4/26). A transcript and audio of the segment in RealPlayer are available online.

In addition, NPR's "Day to Day" on Wednesday reported on the study. The segment includes comments from Bob Moon, New York bureau chief for "Marketplace" (Chadwick, "Day to Day," NPR, 4/26). The complete segment is available online in RealPlayer.

"Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

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