A third of Americans have been forced to avoid necessary medical treatments due to the dire economic situation in the country, according to a new survey.<\/strong><\/p>\n
The latest survey showed that 30 percent of participants said they had ruled out medical treatment due to the high costs of health care in the United States, The Hill reported on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
The survey conducted by the West Health Policy Center and Gallup found that one-fifth of respondents said they or a household member saw their health problem worsen after delaying care because of the costs.<\/p>\n
One of 20 respondents even reported knowing a friend or relative who died over the past year after not getting needed care due to the costs.<\/p>\n
Tim Lash, president of the West Health Policy Center, said the data indicated that Americans \u201chave a real problem\u201d in regard to their health care.<\/p>\n
Lash said the survey proved how fragile the US health care system was, “and how fragile families can be when they’re trying to access it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt tells me that we’re at a breaking point and that it’s not just \u2026 those that are desperate are not just low-income individuals but even those that are more affluent,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd we\u2019re gonna have to find a way out of that.\u201d<\/p>\n
The West Health-Gallup poll surveyed 6,663 American adults from across the nation between Sept. 27 and 30 and Oct. 18 and 21. The margin of error amounted to 1.5 percentage points.<\/p>\n
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