Estimated Percentage* of Persons Who Delayed or Did Not Receive Medical Care During t

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5621a5.htm?s_cid=mm5621a5_e

In 2005, approximately 7% of persons (21.7 million) delayed medical care during the preceding year because of worry about the cost, and another 5% (15.2 million) did not receive needed medical care because they could not afford it. Persons whose health was assessed as fair or poor were four to five times as likely as persons whose health was assessed as excellent or very good to delay or not receive needed medical care because of cost.

My husband just had a friend who died of prostate cancer at age 60. I assure you this person had the best health insurance avaliable in US today. There is a very good chance that if he had seen a doctor for regular screenings that he would be alive. I agree that people delay treatment and even go without treatment due to lack of health insurance. There is however a group that delays treatment due to a fear of doctors and medical things in general. My husbands friend was one of those. His symptoms had tobecome very alarming before he finally got himself into a doctor. Then it was to late. One thing that came out of this is that frightened my husband and he got himself in for a checkup. His friend died a very difficult death and it was a very terrrble thing for his family also.

Some people delay treatment because of high insurance deductables also.

Oh the high deductibles! My DH during one year of cancer treatment had over $15,000 in copays and deductibles. I had to get a PT job in addition to my FT job to help cover those costs plus be there for him. It was really tough for us all. I wanted to cry when I had to leave him for job #2. But it taught me to save, save, save as not to be in that predicament again.