LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Feb. 22, 2017) — The latest Kentucky Health Issues Poll (KHIP) shows that the cost of health care remains a barrier for some Kentucky adults. According to the poll, two in 10 adults (22 percent) reported that a person in their household delayed or missed getting needed medical care due to cost, nearly the same percentage as 2015 (20 percent) and 2014 (22 percent).
KHIP is an annual poll of Kentucky adults about health issues and is funded jointly by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky and Interact for Health.
Kentucky adults who remained uninsured, those who had household incomes below 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, and adults who reported fair or poor health status were more likely to report forgoing care due to cost. Additionally, adults between the ages of 18 and 64 were more likely to delay care due to cost than those 65 and older, as the majority of the latter are covered by Medicare.
“Delaying care is not only dangerous for our residents, it is costly to the state,” said Ben Chandler, president and CEO of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky. “Kentuckians who delay care, for whatever reason, are more likely to end up in the emergency room for treatment that costs far more and could be less effective than treatment at an earlier stage.”
The poll also showed that one in three adults with fair or poor health (33 percent) reported a member of their household had delayed or missed needed medical care in the past 12 months.
A copy of the poll is available here.
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