NU Online News Service, March 29, 2004, 2:12 p.m. EST – Consumers who have health coverage say they are having a harder time getting and paying for health care.[@@]
Researchers with The Commonwealth Fund, New York, have published data supporting that conclusion in a report on their 2003-2004 health insurance survey.
A survey firm interviewed 4,052 U.S. residents age 19 and over between September 2003 and January 2004 for The Commonwealth Fund. Researchers at The Commonwealth Fund, a health policy think tank, then compared the results with results from a similar survey conducted in 2001.
One set of questions dealt with access. Researchers asked participants whether they had failed to fill a prescription, avoided seeking care for a medical problem, skipped doctor-recommended tests or treatments, or skipped doctor-recommended visits to specialists because of concerns about cost.