Roughly one-third of the respondents to a recent AFL-CIO story say they've skipped medical care due to the cost.
The labor organization released the results of the online survey this week as part of its "Turn Around America Health Care" initiative. The survey was filled out by 26,419 people over a seven-week span from January 14 to March 3.
Respondents reported concerns about paying for medical care and insurance coverage. About a quarter of those taking the survey said they have serious concerns about paying for the care they need, and 95 percent say they are somewhat or very concerned about being able to afford health insurance in the coming years.
Those with insurance through employers report having to make decisions about their jobs based on benefits. For example, 71 percent said they worry about losing coverage because they may lose or change jobs. And 61 percent with employer-based coverage say their costs have risen significantly.
Some 79 percent of the survey respondents said healthcare is a very important voting issue, and 97 percent report they plan to vote in November. Large majorities in all age groups, ranging from 74 percent to 80 percent, consider healthcare a very important voting issue for the 2008 elections.
"The survey exposes a healthcare system that costs too much, covers too little, leaves too many behind and is getting worse," said an AFL-CIO analyst. "The results deliver a mandate for healthcare reform to everyone who wants the support of working families in this year's elections."
Healthcare reform is surprisingly high on respondents' list of concerns. Some 94 percent said America's healthcare system needs fundamental change or must be completely rebuilt.
Survey respondents who don't have health insurance reported a wide range of problems getting care. For example, in the past year, 76 percent of those without insurance said someone in their family did not visit a doctor to treat an illness because of cost, and 67 percent of the uninsured reported skipping medical treatment or followup care recommended by a physician.
Private insurance, while an option for some respondents, was viewed negatively in several areas. For example, some 52 percent of people who buy private coverage say prescription drugs are not covered or are unaffordable, compared with 44 percent of those who have employer-provided coverage. And 41 percent of those who buy private insurance say preventive care and checkups are not covered or affordable vs. 36 percent overall.