Home
News
In Focus
Business
Metro
Nation
World
Sports
Feature
Opinion
View more »Opinion Columns
Wan LixinOpinion deputy editor of Shanghai Daily
Restaurants get off to a quick start thanks to game-changing policies
High service charges on event ticket refunds call for further regulation
Sunday
- Subscribe
Related News
Health bills not so scary: US poll
Source: Agencies |
September 1, 2009, Tuesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
FEWER Americans are afraid they will be unable to pay for healthcare services and fewer expect to postpone medical treatments due to costs, according to a Thomson Reuters survey published yesterday.
Researchers found a steady increase in people's confidence about their ability to pay for healthcare services - it rose 12 percent between March and July this year.
The survey of 3,000 households showed, unsurprisingly, that people who made more money were more confident they could pay for medical care, and people who had insurance were far more confident about paying than those who lacked insurance.
"These findings are consistent with data we've been seeing for everything from hospital discharge trends to opinions about healthcare reform," said Gary Pickens, chief research officer for the Healthcare & Science business of Thomson Reuters.
"There is growing optimism among many healthcare consumers, but (there) also is a clear disparity in outlook between those with higher income levels who have insurance coverage and those who are uninsured. This gap needs to be an area of focus for healthcare professionals and policymakers," Pickens added in a statement.
Healthcare reform is the signature policy goal of US President Barack Obama, and Congress is working on several bills, most concentrating on changes in the health insurance industry.
Thomson Reuters telephoned 3,000 people to ask whether they expected to have difficulty paying for healthcare services, delay or cancel a routine doctor's visit, diagnostic test, elective surgery, a visit for a minor illness or injury or therapy over the next three months.
"Consumers in the lowest income groups are approximately 20 percent less confident than average, while those in the highest income group are approximately 40 percent more confident than average," according to the report, published online.
"In July 2009 those consumers with college degrees or more education had confidence levels 25 percent greater than average, while those with high school education or less were approximately 10 percent less confident than average at the same point in time.
"Those with insurance have overall confidence levels approximately 10 percent higher than average, while those with no insurance have overall confidence levels more than 80 percent lower than average.
"Improvements in confidence occurred in both groups."
Researchers found a steady increase in people's confidence about their ability to pay for healthcare services - it rose 12 percent between March and July this year.
The survey of 3,000 households showed, unsurprisingly, that people who made more money were more confident they could pay for medical care, and people who had insurance were far more confident about paying than those who lacked insurance.
"These findings are consistent with data we've been seeing for everything from hospital discharge trends to opinions about healthcare reform," said Gary Pickens, chief research officer for the Healthcare & Science business of Thomson Reuters.
"There is growing optimism among many healthcare consumers, but (there) also is a clear disparity in outlook between those with higher income levels who have insurance coverage and those who are uninsured. This gap needs to be an area of focus for healthcare professionals and policymakers," Pickens added in a statement.
Healthcare reform is the signature policy goal of US President Barack Obama, and Congress is working on several bills, most concentrating on changes in the health insurance industry.
Thomson Reuters telephoned 3,000 people to ask whether they expected to have difficulty paying for healthcare services, delay or cancel a routine doctor's visit, diagnostic test, elective surgery, a visit for a minor illness or injury or therapy over the next three months.
"Consumers in the lowest income groups are approximately 20 percent less confident than average, while those in the highest income group are approximately 40 percent more confident than average," according to the report, published online.
"In July 2009 those consumers with college degrees or more education had confidence levels 25 percent greater than average, while those with high school education or less were approximately 10 percent less confident than average at the same point in time.
"Those with insurance have overall confidence levels approximately 10 percent higher than average, while those with no insurance have overall confidence levels more than 80 percent lower than average.
"Improvements in confidence occurred in both groups."
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
