More Americans report problems paying medical bills and delaying and skipping care due to costs

According to a survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation, more people are reporting problems with health care bills, and paying for health care retains a solid hold on the public’s list of their top economic concerns. The survey found that:

• Almost one in five (18%) of Americans report household problems with medical bills amounting to more than $1,000 in the past year;
• Nearly half (47%) of the public reports someone in their family skipping pills, postponing or cutting back on medical care they said they needed in the past year due to the cost of care. For example, just over one-third say they or a family member put off or postponed needed care and three in ten say they skipped a recommended test or treatment--increases of seven percentage points from last April’s tracking poll which asks the same question; and
• Nearly twice as many voters say that in the face of the economic challenges “it is more important than ever to take on health reform” (62%) than say “we cannot take on health reform right now” (34%).

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