New poll shows majority of Texans have skipped or postponed some form of medical care due to costs

From The Texas Newsroom:

A majority of Texans said they skipped or put off some form of medical treatment in 2023 because they couldn’t afford it, according to a survey published this week by the Houston-based Episcopal Health Foundation.

The poll also shows that nearly half of those surveyed, 47%, said affording health care was either somewhat or very difficult, with that percentage increasing to 53% when narrowed to adults ages 18 through 64.

The survey was conducted in late 2023 for the Episcopal Health Foundation by SSRS, a national polling firm. It was conducted online and by telephone with a sample of about 1,960 Texas adults and has a margin of error of +/- 3 percentage points.

The percentage of people who skipped treatment, 64%, is actually a slight improvement from 2022’s 68%, but still reflect that most Texans are increasing their chances of facing more medical issues or higher health care costs in the future, said Dr. Ann Barnes, the president and CEO of Episcopal Health Foundation.

“Skipping preventive tests and checkups is like ignoring warning signs on a road — it may be ok now, but you won’t know when life-changing obstacles are coming,” Barnes said in a statement. “Missing treatments usually ends with existing medical conditions getting worse, not better. And the costs for future care only gets higher.”

Of those asked, almost half said they put off getting treatment they needed and more than a third said they passed on a test or treatment that was recommended. One in five said they had difficulties getting mental health care and nearly one in five said they had either skipped a dose of medicine or took only half of what was prescribed.

The survey also shows many who did opt for treatment still had trouble paying for it. Some 37% of respondents said they had problems covering healthcare costs. That percentage is an improvement from 43% who said the same in 2022’s survey. But the results still show younger adults and Black and Hispanic Texans are more likely to have issues paying their medical bills.

The report also noted that the survey’s results show a return to more normal pattern of healthcare access – or lack of access, in some cases – that existed before the COVID-19 pandemic gripped the world in 2020.

“With the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, fewer were seeking medical care at all as residents avoided medical offices under stay-at-home orders,” the analysis states. “This may explain the lower levels of difficulty with medical bills in 2020 and 2021. But with most COVID-19 restrictions lifted in 2022, the number of Texans struggling to afford their medical bills increased back to pre-pandemic levels and have stayed relatively consistent.”

Additionally, an alarming number of survey respondents said they don’t have a regular healthcare provider. About 14% of respondents across all demographics said they don’t have a primary care provider or a usual place to seek medical treatment. That number more than doubles, to 35%, among adults between 18 and 64 who don’t have health insurance.

The survey also reflects that most Texans think the state government can step up and do more to expand access to healthcare — but hasn’t done so.

More than two-thirds, or 68%, think Texas leadership isn’t doing enough to expand access to low-income adults. A majority, 57%, said the state is not doing enough for children, with 50% and 48%, respectively, saying Texas can do more to ensure pregnant women and immigrants have access to healthcare.

“Texas is one of only 10 states that has not expanded Medicaid coverage to include more low-income adults under the 2010 Affordable Care Act. However, residents have relatively favorable views of the program and its ability to help low-income people,” the survey notes.

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