Forty percent of Americans are giving the U.S. healthcare system a failing grade, according to a new study.
According to the 2009 Deloitte Survey of Healthcare Consumers, nearly 40 percent of consumers are giving the U.S. healthcare system a grade of either D or F. And two of every five consumers have skipped care because they could not afford it, were not covered by insurance or thought the costs were too high.
In addition to skipping or delaying care, the high cost of healthcare is prompting consumers to switch physicians, prescriptions or health plans to save money. Of the 16 percent who switched physicians in the last year, one in four switched due to cost. Of the three in 10 who switched medications in the past year, 38 percent switched to save money. And of the 17 percent of enrollees changed health plans in the past year, 29 percent were seeking a lower cost plan.
“The current economic climate is taking a toll on American consumers prompting them to increasingly make decisions about healthcare that are married to their pocketbooks,” said Paul H. Keckley, Ph.D., executive director of the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions. “Consumers want a bigger say in their healthcare decisions. More than half believe that 50 percent or more of the dollars spent on healthcare in the United States are wasted. The time for healthcare reform could not be more pressing.”
Consumers looking at alternative sources for care are often driven by lower costs. For example, 13 percent of consumers surveyed have visited a retail clinic this year and 30 percent said they would do so if it cost 50 percent or less than seeing a doctor in a doctor’s office. Eight percent of consumers have traveled for care outside of their local community as “medical tourists,” and 43 percent said they would be likely to do so if it would cost 50 percent or less than staying in their local area. However, only 1 percent said they have traveled offshore to receive care, and one in 10 say they would consider doing so if they could save money.
“The results of our survey are conclusive – consumers want better performance from their health system,” said John T. Bigalke, Deloitte's vice chairman and U.S. Health Sciences & Government industry leader. “They want better value for the dollars they spend and believe fundamental changes are necessary to achieve these goals.”
Despite the nation's economic woes, 53 percent of insured consumers did say they are satisfied with their plan, an increase from 44 percent fin last year’s survey. Those who are most satisfied include Medicare (70 percent) and military health (67 percent) enrollees, compared with only 45 percent of individual policy holders.
More than 4,000 U.S. consumers 18 and older were surveyed as part of Deloitte’s second annual study examining healthcare consumers’ attitudes, behaviors and unmet needs, conducted by the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions.