Depressed Economy Taking
`Major Toll' On Health, AARP Survey Finds
Healthcare Finance News
12/30/08
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CHICAGO - One in five adults ages 45 and older are
suffering from health problems due to financial stress, according to a recent
AARP survey.
"Right now people are
increasingly concerned about their jobs, retirement savings and simply being
able to provide for their families and it's taking a major toll on their
health," said Bob Gallo, senior state director for the AARP's Illinois
chapter.
"It's a harsh irony that worrying about being able
to afford healthcare is actually causing health problems."
The AARP telephone survey of 820 Americans was conducted in October
by International Communications
Research, Inc. Key findings include:
about one-fifth of those surveyed, or 22 percent, delayed
seeing a doctor due to cost;
16 percent had to use retirement
savings or other savings to pay for medical care;
21 percent have cut back on other
expenses in order to afford their medical care;
and one in six, or
16 percent, aren't confident they will be able to afford healthcare in the
coming year.
The survey found that health problems due to
financial stress are having a greater effect on
individuals ages 45-64 than on those ages 65 and older.
According to the AARP, over the last five
years health insurance premiums for families have increased by 65 percent. The
average cost of health insurance for an American family now exceeds the yearly
income of a minimum wage worker.
The Kaiser Family Foundation has
found that insurance premiums have increased 119 percent from 1999 to 2008,
while workers' earnings have risen just 29 percent.
"Clearly, rising healthcare costs
during difficult financial times is a major cause for concern for many
people," Gallo said. "In Illinois,
AARP will work side by side with state lawmakers to address the growing
healthcare crisis."
According to Gallo, the Illinois
chapter of the AARP is supporting healthcare quality measures to establish
reforms in the insurance industry, thus helping to ensure that people are not
denied coverage because of pre-existing health conditions, their age or other
factors. The AARP will also press for the expansion of health insurance through
Medicaid to cover people between the ages of 50-64.
At the national level, AARP is working on
several measures to ensure healthcare is affordable and accessible.
