Health Care Costs Not a Difficult Problem for Most Americans
March 09 2004 - 2:52PM
PR Newswire (US)
Health Care Costs Not a Difficult Problem for Most Americans
ROCHESTER, N.Y., March 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Majorities of the U.S.
public say they know what their health care premiums, doctor
visits, prescription drugs and deductibles cost while far fewersay
they do not, according to the results of a recent new Harris
Interactive(R) poll conducted for The Wall Street Journal Online's
Health Industry Edition. People who say they "know exactly" how
much they pay for their health insurance premiums include those who
purchase their own health insurance (61%), have employer-provided
insurance (45%) or are insured through Medicare (56%). Twelve
percent of all insured adults say they "have no idea" what their
premiums cost. Overall, few found paying for health care difficult
except for those on Medicare whose percentages were higher than for
other groups. "The good news is that most people do not find it
difficult to pay their insurance premiums or out-of-pocket costs.
The bad news is that those who find it very difficult -- up to 20
million adults -- include many sick, low-income people who really
need the care," says Humphrey Taylor, chairman of The Harris
Poll(R) at Harris Interactive. TABLE 1 HOW MUCH PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT
WHAT THEY PAY IN HEALTH INSURANCE PREMIUMS "Do you know exactly how
much you pay for . . . Your monthly health insurance premium?"
Base: Have Health Insurance All Insured Adults with: Adults
Employer- Individually Medicare Provided Purchased % % % % Know
exactly 46 45 61 56 Know, but not exactly 24 27 16 24 Have no idea
12 13 13 4 Don't pay 19 15 9 16 Note: Percentages may not add up
exactly due to rounding. TABLE 2 HOW MUCH PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT WHAT
THEY PAY FOR DOCTORS' VISITS "Do you know exactly how much you pay
for . . . the amount you pay each time to see a doctor?" Base: Have
Health Insurance All Insured Adults with: Adults Employer-
Individually Medicare Provided Purchased % % % % Know exactly 60 72
52 45 Know, but not exactly 18 16 22 27 Have no idea 8 7 17 7 Don't
pay 13 5 9 21 Note: Percentages may not add up exactly due to
rounding. TABLE 3 HOW MUCH PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT WHAT THEY PAY FOR
PRESCRIPTION DRUGS "Do you know exactly how much you pay for . .
.the amount you pay each time you buy a drug with a doctor's
prescription?" Base: Have Health Insurance All Insured Adults with:
Adults Employer- Individually Medicare Provided Purchased % % % %
Know exactly 56 62 43 62 Know, but not exactly 26 27 30 25 Have no
idea 10 1018 6 Don't pay 8 2 9 8 Note: Percentages may not add up
exactly due to rounding. TABLE 4 HOW MUCH PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT WHAT
THEY PAY IN DEDUCTIBLES "Do you know exactly how much you pay for .
. .your deductibles?" Base: Have Health Insurance All Insured
Adults with: Adults Employer- Individually Medicare Provided
Purchased % % % % Know exactly 50 54 52 57 Know, but not exactly 20
21 19 21 Have no idea 12 12 17 9 Don't pay 17 13 12 12 Note:
Percentages may not add up exactly dueto rounding. TABLE 5 HOW
DIFFICULT IT IS TO PAY HEALTH INSURANCE PREMIUMS "How difficult is
it for you to pay each of the following -- your monthly health
insurance premium?" Base: Have Health Insurance All Insured Adults
with: Adults Employer- Individually Medicare Provided Purchased % %
% % Very difficult 5 3 17 9 Somewhat difficult 14 12 25 22 Not very
difficult 19 21 24 18 Not at all difficult 38 46 17 31 Don't pay 24
19 17 19 Note: Percentages may not add up exactly due to rounding.
TABLE 6 HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO PAY FOR DOCTORS' VISITS "How
difficult is it for you to pay each of the following -- the amount
you pay each time you see a doctor?" Base: Have HealthInsurance All
Insured Adults with: Adults Employer- Individually Medicare
Provided Purchased % % % % Very difficult 4 2 8 11 Somewhat
difficult 12 11 18 14 Not very difficult 27 31 31 21 Not at all
difficult 41 50 27 32 Don't pay 16 6 16 22 Note: Percentages may
not add up exactly due to rounding. TABLE 7 HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO
PAY FOR PRESCRIPTION DRUGS "How difficult is it for you to pay each
of the following -- the amount you pay each time you buy a drug
with a doctor's prescription?" Base: Have Health Insurance All
Insured Adults with: Adults Employer- Individually Medicare
Provided Purchased % % % % Very difficult 7 5 11 17 Somewhat
difficult 18 16 25 24 Not very difficult 27 31 25 23 Not at all
difficult 37 44 21 27 Don't pay 11 4 18 9 Note: Percentages may not
add up exactly due to rounding. TABLE 8 HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO PAY
DEDUCTIBLES "How difficult is it for you to pay each of the
following -- your deductible?" Base: Have Health Insurance All
Insured Adults with: Adults Employer- Individually Medicare
Provided Purchased % % % % Very difficult 9 8 14 14 Somewhat
difficult 18 19 22 19 Not very difficult 22 23 26 21 Not at all
difficult 28 33 13 27 Don't pay 23 17 25 19 Note: Percentages may
not add up exactly due to rounding. Q022304 Downloadable PDFs of
Wall Street Journal Online/Harris Interactive Health-Care Polls are
posted at
http://www.harrisinteractive.com/news/newsletters_wsj.asp. Harris
Interactive(R) Methodology This study was conducted online within
the United States between February 23 and 25, 2004 among a
nationwide cross section of 2,183 adults, ages 18 years and over.
Figures for age, gender, race/ethnicity, education, income and
region were weighted where necessary to align with population
proportions. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for
respondents' propensity to be online. Harris Interactive estimates
the results have a statistical precision of plus/minus 3.0
percentage points of what they would be if the entire U.S. adult
population had been polled with complete accuracy. Unfortunately,
thereare several other possible sources of error in all polls or
surveys that are probably more serious than theoretical
calculations of sampling error. They include refusals to be
interviewed (nonresponse), question wording and question order,
interviewerbias, weighting by demographic control data and
screening (e.g., for likely voters). It is impossible to quantify
the errors that may result from these factors. This online sample
was not a probability sample. These statements conform to the
principles of disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.
About the Survey The Wall Street Journal Online/Harris Interactive
Health-Care Poll is an exclusive poll that is published in the
award-winning Health Industry Edition of The Wall Street Journal
Online at http://www.wsj.com/health. About The Wall Street Journal
Online The Wall Street Journal Online at WSJ.com, published by Dow
Jones & Company (NYSE: DJ; http://www.dowjones.com/), offers
authoritative analysis, breaking news and commentary from top
industry journalists. Launched in 1996, the Online Journal is the
largest paid subscription news site on the Web, with more than
689,000 subscribers world-wide. The Online Journal provides in-
depth business news and financial information 24 hours a day, seven
days a week, with insight and analysis, including breaking business
and technology news and analysis from around the world. It draws on
the Dow Jones network of more than 1,500 reporters and editors --
the largest staff of business and financial journalists in the
world. For the second consecutive year in 2003, the Online Journal
received a WebAward for the "Best Newspaper Web Site" and was also
cited by Yahoo! Internet Life magazine as the "Best Business News"
site (2002 & 2001). About Dow Jones & Company In addition
to The Wall Street Journal and its international and online
editions, Dow Jones & Company (NYSE: DJ; dowjones.com) also
publishes Barron's and the Far Eastern Economic Review, Dow Jones
Newswires, Dow Jones Indexes and the Ottaway group of community
newspapers. Dow Jones is co-owner with Reuters Group of Factiva,
with Hearst of SmartMoney and with NBC of the CNBC television
operations in Asia and Europe. Dow Jones also provides news content
to CNBC and radio stations in the U.S. About Harris Interactive(R)
Harris Interactive (http://www.harrisinteractive.com/) is a
worldwide market research and consulting firm best known for The
Harris Poll(R), and for pioneering the Internet method to conduct
scientifically accurate market research. Headquartered in
Rochester, New York, U.S.A., Harris Interactive combines
proprietary methodologies and technology with expertise in
predictive, custom and strategic research. The Company conducts
international research through wholly owned
subsidiaries-London-based HI Europe (http://www.hieurope.com/) and
Tokyo-based Harris Interactive Japan-as well as through the Harris
Interactive Global Network of local market- and opinion-research
firms, and various U.S. offices. EOE M/F/D/V To become a member of
the Harris Poll Online(SM) and be invited to participate in future
online surveys, visit http://www.harrispollonline.com/. Press
Contacts: Nicole C. Pyhel The Wall Street Journal Online
609-520-4057 Bonnie Hughes Harris Interactive 585-214-7541 Nancy
Wong Harris Interactive 585-214-7316 DATASOURCE: Harris
Interactive, Inc. CONTACT: Nicole C. Pyhel of Wall Street Journal
Online, +1-609-520-4057, ; or Bonnie Hughes, +1-585-214-7541, , or
Nancy Wong, +1-585-214-7316, , both of Harris Interactive, Inc. Web
site: http://www.harrisinteractive.com/
http://www.harrispollonline.com/ http://www.wsj.com/health
Copyright