Findings show women avoid care at much higher rate than men,
potentially impacting their long-term health and
wealth
NEW
YORK, Sept. 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ --
Key takeaways
- Fifty percent of women surveyed report skipping or
delaying medical care; women are 35% more likely to skip care
than men.
- Women surveyed are 50% more likely than men to
skip care due to long wait times, and 31% more
likely than men to skip care due to cost.
- The top three types of care women skip due to cost are
acute illness (e.g., cold or flu), preventive care,
and care for women's health issues.
- Women surveyed are twice as likely as men to
miss medical appointments due to transportation
issues.
Why this matters
The U.S. health care system has
historically fallen short in addressing women's health needs, and
findings from the "2024 Deloitte Health Care Consumer Survey"
indicate affordability, access and negative experiences impede the
U.S. health care system's progress in helping women lead longer,
healthier lives. Deloitte's nationally representative survey found
these three specific barriers are causing women to avoid medical
care at a much higher rate than men, with half of women saying they
have skipped or delayed any kind of health care service in the past
year compared to 37% of men.
Health care costs driving women away from seeking
care
Cost is a significant factor for women when
making decisions about their health care. Deloitte's survey found
women are 31% more likely than men to skip care due to cost. This
may not be too surprising since a previous Deloitte analysis
revealed that women pay $15.4 billion
more in out-of-pocket medical expenses a year than men. The prior
analysis found that women, even when excluding maternity-related
health care expenses, require an average of 9.9% more health care
services than men. This difference could be due to a variety of
biological differences between women and men or disease prevalence.
In this recent consumer survey, Deloitte also found that women are
more likely than men to avoid or delay mental health services due
to cost, thus reinforcing that costs are a barrier to women seeking
the care they need.
Key quote
"These findings are a stark reminder of how
women's health and wealth are inextricably intertwined. By
dismantling the barriers women have identified, together we can
create a future where women don't have to make the difficult choice
between maintaining their health or maintaining their financial
wellbeing."
— Kulleni Gebreyes, M.D., U.S. chief
health equity officer and managing principal, life sciences and
health care, Deloitte Consulting LLP
Women face triple threat in health care system:
affordability, access challenges and negative
experiences
Based on the survey findings, Deloitte
identified three barriers that can lead to women to defer or skip
care:
- Affordability: Women are 31% more likely than men to
skip medical care due to cost. Additionally, women are less
financially prepared for unforeseen medical expenses, with 44%
reporting they are "not prepared" or "slightly prepared" to pay
$500 for an unexpected medical
emergency, up from 37% two years ago. In comparison, only 25% of
men report being unprepared for such emergencies in the next
year.
- Access: Women are 50% more likely than men to skip care
due to long wait times and twice as likely to miss medical
appointments due to transportation issues. Access is a top priority
for women — 80% of those who have used virtual health visits cited
convenience and accessibility as their top reasons for using
virtual.
- Prior Experiences: Women's health care issues often get
misdiagnosed or overlooked, especially when their symptoms don't
match the established and typically male-based data. For example,
middle-aged women who have symptoms of heart disease are twice as
likely as men to be misdiagnosed. In a focus group from a previous
Deloitte study, 40% of women participating said they had skipped or
avoided care because of how a provider or staff member treated
them. These negative experiences can cause distrust and lead women
to avoid necessary care.
Key quote
"These research findings elevate key
opportunities to address the barriers holding women back from
accessing the care they not only need but deserve. It's imperative
that stakeholders across the ecosystem understand and prioritize
women's health to close the gap and help ensure everyone has
equitable access to health services so that women can thrive and
continue to fulfill their critical role in both the paid and unpaid
workforce in the U.S."
— Jen Radin, risk and financial advisory health
care practice leader and principal, Deloitte Consulting LLP
Bridging the gender gap
Stakeholders across
industries — including employers, health plans, hospitals and
innovators — can play a pivotal role in developing strategies
prioritizing women's health. By adopting an equitable-centered
design, these groups can tackle structural flaws in the health care
system and help bridge the gender equity gap. Deloitte's full
recommendations for how stakeholders can contribute are found in
the full report, "What's causing US women to skip or delay medical
care more frequently than men?"
About the survey
In February/March 2024, the Deloitte Center for Health
Solutions surveyed a nationally representative sample of more than
2,000 U.S. consumers on how the U.S. could achieve high-quality
health care for everyone. The "2024 Deloitte Health Care Consumer
Survey" is the research center's 12th nationally representative
consumer survey since 2008.
About Deloitte
Deloitte provides industry-leading audit, consulting, tax and
advisory services to many of the world's most admired brands,
including nearly 90% of the Fortune 500® and more than 8,500
U.S.-based private companies. At Deloitte, we strive to live our
purpose of making an impact that matters by creating trust and
confidence in a more equitable society. We leverage our unique
blend of business acumen, command of technology, and strategic
technology alliances to advise our clients across industries as
they build their future. Deloitte is proud to be part of the
largest global professional services network serving our clients in
the markets that are most important to them. Bringing more than 175
years of service, our network of member firms spans more than 150
countries and territories. Learn how Deloitte's approximately
457,000 people worldwide connect for impact at
www.deloitte.com.
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SOURCE Deloitte