Twenty-one percent of U.S. residents reported difficulty paying for needed medical care or medications in December 2008, up from 18 percent that January, according to the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index.
"The biggest problem that the country has is actually the cost of healthcare," said Gallup CEO Jim Clifton. "It's a lot bigger problem than war and a bigger problem than the current (economic) meltdown because there are no fixes to it on the horizon right now.”
The poll found that:
- 52 percent of the uninsured reported problems paying for healthcare or medications at some point in 2008.
- Fewer U.S. residents reported getting health insurance through their employer as the year progressed, with 59 percent of people enrolled in employer-sponsored coverage in the first quarter of the year and 58 percent in the last quarter;
- Hawaii had the smallest percentage of residents reporting problems paying for medical care or medication, at 12 percent, while Mississippi had the highest percentage at 29 percent;
- Income levels influenced how people felt about their physical well-being – 40 percent of those with monthly incomes between $500 and $1,000 reported dissatisfaction with their health, compared with 10 percent of those making at least $10,000 a month.
- 15 percent of married people reported having trouble paying medical bills, compared to 19 percent of divorced people, 24 percent of single people, 32 percent of people in domestic partnerships and 16 percent of those who are widowed;
- 22 percent of females reported difficulty, compared with 17 percent of men; and
- 39 percent of people with an income of less than $2,000 per month reported problems paying for medical care or medications, compared with 24 percent of those with monthly incomes between $2,000 and $3,999, 12 percent of those with monthly incomes between $4,000 and $7,499 and 7 percent of those with monthly incomes of $7,500 or more.
The poll also found that 34 percent of U.S. residents did not visit a dentist in 2008, and nearly half of the residents in nine states did not visit a dentist during the year, despite the American Dental Association’s recommendation for semiannual cleanings and checkups.
The poll, conducted by Gallup and disease management company Healthways, surveyed an estimated 1,000 U.S. residents each day during 2008 about their physical, emotional and economic well-being, for a total of 355,334 respondents. According to Jim Harter, Gallup's chief scientist for well-being and workplace management, each percentage point represents about 2.2 million U.S. residents.