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A record number of patients delayed medical care because of high costs last year, according to survey results Gallup published Tuesday.
Gallup found that 38% of respondents or a family member delayed treatment over costs in 2022, a 12 percentage point increase compared to 2020 and 2021. The upswing coincided with economywide inflation reaching a 40-year high.
Last year’s spike in delayed care was the largest over one year since Gallup first began tracking these data more than two decades ago. The previous high was 33% in 2014 and 2019, while an average of 29% of patients reported delayed care over costs from 2001 to 2021.
More than one-quarter of those who participated in the 2022 survey said the care they forewent was for “very” or “somewhat” serious conditions, while 11% went without care for non-serious conditions. Lower-income people, younger adults and women were among the groups more likely to delay care.
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