Nearly Half Of Americans Delayed Care Due to Pandemic

A Kaiser Family Foundation poll released on May 27 found that 48 percent of Americans said they or a family member has skipped or delayed medical care because of the pandemic, and 11 percent of them said the person’s condition worsened as a result of the delayed care. Since March, hospitals, health systems, and private practices dramatically reduced inpatient nonemergency services to prepare for an influx of COVID-19 patients. The poll also found that about 3 in 10 adults have had trouble paying household expenses.

According to the poll, nearly 7 in 10 of those who had skipped seeing a medical professional expect to get care in the next three months. Despite a significant number of adults saying they delayed care, 86 percent of adults said their physical health has “stayed about the same” since the onset of the outbreak in the United States. Nearly 40 percent of Americans, however, said stress related to the coronavirus has negatively affected their mental health.

Nearly 1 in 4 adults said they or a family member in the next year will likely turn to Medicaid, the federal-state health insurance program for low-income residents.