Here are some amazing 2012 stats on the use and non-use of health care, from Deloitte. (Wonk alert!)
Who stayed overnight in a hospital: 8 percent of Americans. Who took part in a wellness program in the last 12 months: 10 percent of Americans. Only 8 percent switched doctors; 76 percent are satisfied with their primary care provider.
Dig deeper, though, and the picture’s a little less sunny. People who decided not to use a doc when sick or injured? The total was 27 percent. And of those, 46 percent said “no” to treatment because of cost.
Another stat: those who admitted delaying treatment totaled 12 percent. The reason? For 58 percent, it was cost.
This survey is interesting partly because it’s a 5-year study, meaning it tracks metrics over time.
The number of people declining treatment because of money — it is rising. The number of people using hospitals — is declining. The number of people using wellness programs — is declining.
Take a look. It’s interesting. Maybe not completely surprising, but still interesting.
