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Ways patients are cutting health care costs
■ An occasional snapshot of current facts and trends in medicine.
Quick View. Posted June 29, 2009
Three-quarters of patients in a recent survey say they are reducing what they spend on medical care.
New York-based Opinion Research Corp. surveyed 1,001 adults about how the economy had affected their health care decisions in the past year. Though 85% reported seeing a doctor in the last year, nearly 75% had taken steps to cut medical costs.
| What have you done to help reduce your medical costs? | |
|---|---|
| Switched to generic prescriptions | 50% |
| Not gone to a doctor when you should have | 25% |
| Asked doctor about lower-cost treatment options | 23% |
| Delayed recommended treatment | 18% |
| Decided against recommended treatment | 17% |
| Took medications less often than prescribed | 17% |
| Delayed elective procedures | 16% |
| Not filled prescriptions | 16% |
| Switched to a health plan with higher deductibles or co-pays | 13% |
| Dropped health coverage entirely | 7% |
| Done something else | 3% |
| None of the above | 29% |
Note: Respondents could choose more than one option. Source: Opinion Research Corporation
Copyright © 2009 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.
