Half of Americans skimp on healthcare

MENLO PARK, Calif., Feb. 27 (UPI) -- U.S. adults have postponed or skipped treatments due to cost, as economic conditions worsened during the past year, a survey indicates.

Kaiser Family Foundation's healthcare tracking poll found 53 percent of Americans say their household cut back on healthcare due to cost concerns in the past 12 months.

Thirty-five percent say they rely on home remedies and over-the-counter drugs rather than visiting a doctor, while 34 percent report skipping on dental care.

Twenty-seven percent report putting off healthcare they needed, 21 percent say they have not filled a prescription and 15 percent say they cut pills in half or skipped doses to make a prescription last longer.

Sixteen percent report putting off care for a more serious problem, either postponing a doctor's visit related to a chronic illness such as diabetes or delaying major or minor surgery.

Not all medical care can be postponed, however, and the survey indicates that roughly 19 percent experienced serious financial problems recently due to family medical bills. Thirty-four percent say they are worried they will lose their health insurance.

The survey of 1,204 U.S. adults was conducted Feb. 3-12 in English and Spanish and has a margin of error of plus/minus 3 percentage points.