The same proportion of respondents as in the previous two surveys, 24 percent (26 percent in Ulster County this year), reported that one or more members of their household had experienced a gap in their health insurance in the past year. About 11 percent of all households had at least one member without health insurance. On the plus side, the proportion of uninsured children has dropped from 15 percent five years ago to 10 percent this year.
High cost the culprit
The high cost of medical care has caused many Mid-Hudson residents to sacrifice at the expense of their health, the Marist-Dyson study found. “Fifteen percent of residents have skipped a doctor’s visit in the past year because of the cost,” the study said. “This is an increase from 2007 when 11 percent went without medical treatment. When it comes to purchasing needed medication, 14 percent have foregone this care because it was not in their budget. The proportion was 10 percent in 2007.”
National data released this week by the Census Bureau confirms the trend. The decline in usage was widespread regardless of health status. “In 2010, working-age adults made an average of 3.9 visits to doctors, nurses or other medical providers, down from 4.8 in 2001,” the 2010 census found. “Among those with at least one visit, the average number of visits also declined, from 6.4 to 5.4 over the period.”
For hospitals, the trends were ominous. Only 1 percent of the population spent eight or more nights in a hospital during the year, and 92 percent did not spend a night there all year. The chances of spending no night in the hospital ranged from 96 percent for children and 83 percent for people 65 or older.
Finally, it’s probably fair to say that Mid-Hudson residents assess the quality of their health care in lukewarm but not negative terms. According to the poll, 5 percent rate it as excellent, 12 percent as very good, 42 percent as good, 27 percent as fair and 11 percent as poor. The results don’t vary much from county to county.
