NEW YORK, March 14 (UPI) -- U.S. doctors say the dismal economy is forcing some patients to defer crucial treatments while others try to hasten non-urgent procedures.
Many who have lost their jobs and health insurance are delaying procedures such as a colonoscopy, which can result in an undetected polyp developing into a tumor, doctors told The New York Times in a story published Saturday.
Others are pressing for elective surgery, such as hip and knee replacements, before they really need it, the Times reported.
"They're trying to get things done next week because they know they're going to be losing their insurance or going to COBRA," said Dr. Jeffrie L. Kamean of Atlanta, referring to the federal law that lets laid-off workers continue employer-sponsored insurance, though at costs that are often prohibitive, the Times reported.
As the economy worsens, more insured people likely will begin deferring care because they can't afford the high deductibles common among insurance policies, said David Dranove, a professor of health-industry management at Northwestern University.
"Now it's $2,000 for the surgery versus making the mortgage payments, and suddenly the surgery can wait," Dranove said.
