Americans' confidence in their ability to obtain and afford healthcare continued its decline in November, according to a consumer sentiment index by Thomson Reuters.
The healthcare services composite also hit its lowest point this year as more consumers predicted they would likely cancel doctor visits, diagnostic tests and therapies and postpone filling prescriptions in the next three months. The overall retrospective sentiment composite fell to 96 last month – slightly below October levels and significantly below the December 2009 baseline.
In November, prospective consumer sentiment fell to 96, down from 98 in October and 100 in September.
The index, which is based on the Thomson Reuters PULSE Healthcare Survey, is composed of two parts:
- One component gauges respondents' experiences during the past three months. It tracks whether they postponed, delayed or cancelled healthcare services and whether they had difficulty paying for medical care or health insurance.
- Another component gauges respondents' expectations for the next three months. It assesses whether respondents believe they will be more or less likely to delay, cancel or be unable to pay for healthcare services or insurance in the next three months.
The Thomson Reuters Consumer Healthcare Sentiment Index was launched in December 2009 with its baseline measurement set at 100.
A full report can be found here.