No job, no insurance - Atlanta Journal Constitution
07.01.09
“In a choice between your health and your finances, when times are bad, you choose your finances,” he said. “When times are good, your health comes first.”
Even as many people resolve this year to take better care of their health and schedule routine doctor’s appointments, more people will forgo such visits because they can’t afford the co-payments and out-of-pocket costs. An increasing number of people such as Desai will take health matters into their own hands.
Forty-seven percent of Americans report a family member has sacrificed medical care because of the cost, according to a recent poll by the Kaiser Foundation. More than a third say a family member delayed care, and 30 percent say someone skipped a recommended test or treatment.
“People have less money, and health insurance is not any cheaper; it’s the perfect storm,” said Robert Gresham, an insurance agent who operates www.georgiahealthplans.net, a Web site that helps Georgians shop for health insurance.
Source: Atlanta Journal Constitution, USA