By Cheryl Russell
The Doctor Will See You Now Americans are avoiding the doctor’s office
n a normal year, 8 out of 10 Americans visit a
variation by state in the percentage of Americans avoid-
doctor, and most do so at least twice. Among
ing medical care. In New York, hardest hit by the virus,
people aged 65 or older, the majority visit a
44 percent had delayed getting medical care in the past
doctor four or five times a year, according
four weeks, in Texas 38 percent, in California 41 percent, in
to the National Center for Health Statistics.
Montana 46 percent.
This year might be different.
Because they are afraid, parents are keeping their children
Americans are skipping doctor visits because they are
away from the doctor’s office even for well-child visits. The
afraid. Forty-two percent of Americans say they are very
number of vaccine doses given to children fell sharply in
concerned about going to a doctor because of coronavirus,
April, the New York Times reports. The pediatric electronic
according to a Gallup survey fielded in April. Another 41
health records company PCC reports a 50 percent decline
percent are moderately concerned. Young adults are just
in measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine doses.
as afraid as older adults, college graduates are as fearful as the less educated, and rural folk as much as city residents.
All this delayed medical care has created a problem for healthcare businesses. In the middle of a pandemic, the
Perhaps this fear explains a stunning finding: 41 percent of
healthcare industry is reeling because so many Americans
Americans have delayed getting medical care in the past
are afraid to go to the doctor. Sixty-three percent of health-
four weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to
care businesses report that COVID-19 has had a large neg-
the Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey fielded in
ative effect on them, according to the Census Bureau’s
the middle of May. It is probably no coincidence that this
Small Business Pulse Survey. In mid-May, 69 percent of
figure is almost identical to the 42 percent who expressed
healthcare businesses reported a decline in their operating
great concern about potentially exposing themselves to
revenues in the past week, and 26 percent had to cut staff.
coronavirus at a doctor’s office, as reported by Gallup. Just
Will things improve in the future? Many aren’t so sure. Only
as Gallup found few demographic differences in the fear
about one in four healthcare businesses think operations
factor, so too the Census Bureau finds surprisingly little
will return to normal within three months. There’s another wrench being thrown in the works. Health insurance. In the US today, health insurance determines doctor visits. Among people under age 65, fully 46 percent of those without health insurance did not go to a doctor in the past 12 months versus only 17 percent of those with insurance. As people lose their jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic, the number of Americans without health insurance could climb by as much as 34 percent, according to projections by the Urban Institute. The economic pain inflicted on the healthcare industry by the coronavirus pandemic may be felt for years to come. AMERICANDEMOGRAPHICS.COM I JULY / AUGUST 2020
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