One-in-three workers skip medical care because of the cost, a nationwide survey of more than 26,000 people carried out by the AFL-CIO union organisation has shown.
America’s health care system is failing even those who have insurance, an unprecedented 26,419-person survey sponsored by the AFL-CIO and Working America confirmed last week.
One in three say their families had to skip medical care because of cost, a quarter had serious problems paying for the care they needed and a huge majority – 79 per cent – says health care is a top voting issue.
The survey results, one of the largest opinion polls available on health care, includes 7,500 personal stories.
Conducted between January 14 and March 3, 2008, it is available at www.healthcaresurvey.aflcio.org.
Of the more than 26,000 people who took the survey, most are insured and employed.
Most are college graduates and more than half are union members.
‘These are the people you would expect to have positive experiences with America’s health care system. . . the lucky ones — except they’re not,’ said John Sweeney, president of the 10 million member AFL-CIO.
‘They’re hurting. . . struggling to pay medical bills, skipping doctor visits and prescriptions because of costs. . . and they are extremely pessimistic about the future of our country.
‘They think health care is one of today’s most important issues – and they are ready to vote about it,’ Sweeney said.
Health care concerns voters of all ages.
Seventy-four per cent of the 18-29 year olds who took the survey count health care a very important voting issue, as do 80 per cent of 50- to 64-year olds.
Ninety-five per cent of respondents overall – including 94 per cent of the insured – say health care in America needs fundamental change or to be completely rebuilt.
More than half of people in insured families say their insurance does not cover all the care they need at a price they can afford.
Despite having insurance, they report not being able to afford prescription drugs, follow-up care and even preventive care, which are either not covered or covered insufficiently.
People who buy their own insurance in the private market are more likely than those with employer-provided health care to report that critical needs are not covered or not affordable.
One-third of college graduates report they or a family member skipped medical care because of cost.
Forty-six per cent of respondents report having to spend between $1,000-$5,000 out of pocket for health care in the last year, and another 17 per cent spent more than $5,000.
Problems are also reported by Medicare recipients, 53 per cent of whom say their prescriptions are not covered or are unaffordable, despite the much-hyped PART D legislation that was supposed to change that.
People who lack insurance – and those who have children younger than 18 who are not covered – report particularly troubling problems getting the care they need because of cost.
In the past year, 76 per cent of people who lack insurance themselves and 71 per cent of people with uninsured children say someone in their family did not visit a doctor when sick because of cost.
Fifty-seven per cent of the uninsured and 61 per cent of people with uninsured children had to choose between paying for medical care or prescriptions and other essential needs (such as the rent or mortgage and utilities).
The failures of America’s health care system, the survey reveals, are a significant factor in the pervasive economic distress facing working families today:
• Eighty-three per cent of respondents say their families ‘have just enough to get by’ or are ‘falling behind’.
• 84 per cent predict the standard of living will be even worse for the next generation.
• Nearly half of the respondents (48 per cent) and 60 per cent of Latinos say they or a family member has stayed in a job just to hold on to health care benefits.
Families are also worried about the future – and with good reason:
• 95 per cent are ‘somewhat’ or ‘very’ concerned about being able to afford health insurance in the coming years.
• Almost two-thirds (61 per cent) of respondents with employer-provided coverage say their costs have gotten worse in the past couple of years.
‘What would you do if you had to choose between food or medicine?’ wrote Marie, from Madison, Wisconsin.
‘I work full time and have health care through my employer, but only a percentage is paid by them. . . I recently needed medication, but did not get the medicine. I couldn’t. . . What would I choose? I choose my children and what they need . . .’
Health care quality is also a big concern.
People of colour, including 75 per cent of African Americans and 76 per cent of Latinos, are especially likely to voice dissatisfaction with health care quality, as are 64 per cent overall.
Health care is one of the top issues for the AFL-CIO, the umbrella federation of 56 national unions, which is also working to win good jobs, a strong economy, fair trade and the freedom of workers to organise together for better lives – all part of a broad election year campaign to ‘turn around America’.
The AFL-CIO and its community affiliate, Working America, launched the seven-week survey in January to better understand the landscape of the health care crisis in America and provide that information to candidates running for public office in 2008. The survey, promoted by more than 35 organisations online, was open to anyone.
Respondents to the health care survey say they are ready to put their dissatisfaction to work.
Ninety per cent say they are ready to take some action to improve health care, such as signing petitions, writing to elected officials or attending rallies.
Pledging to send the results of the survey to candidates for office in 2008 at all levels, Sweeney said, ‘The AFL-CIO will make sure that voters understand which candidates are committed to real health care reform and which ones are just paying lip service.’