Long-term unemployed Americans are almost twice as likely as are fully employed workers to skip or delay needed health care, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation/NPR News survey released Dec. 12.
Among 713 respondents aged 18-64 years who were unemployed or underemployed for a year or more, 56% said that they had put off or postponed needed health care in the last 12 months, compared with 29% of the 757 respondents with full-time jobs. Unemployed people also were more likely to skip a recommended test or treatment and to not get a prescription filled, the survey said.
When they did seek health care, only 34% of the unemployed or underemployed went to a private physician’s office, compared with 63% of respondents who were full-time workers. Those with long-term unemployment or underemployment were at least three times as likely to be uninsured as were those who were employed full time: 53% for the unemployed, 48% for the underemployed, and 15% for the fully employed, according to the Kaiser/NPR survey.
Note: Based on a national survey conducted Oct. 17-Nov. 16, 2011.
Source: Kaiser Family Foundation, NPR