STORY HIGHLIGHTS

  • Cost would discourage millions from seeking care for suspected COVID-19
  • Misunderstanding of primary symptoms likely playing a role
  • About 15 million have been denied care for themselves or a spouse

This is the first article in a special two-part series, conducted in partnership with West Health, a family of nonprofit and nonpartisan organizations focused on lowering healthcare costs for seniors, on the rising cost of healthcare in the U.S. The second article examines public perceptions of rising prescription drug costs and the progress that the Trump Administration has made to curtail them.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — One out of every seven (14%) U.S. adults report that they would avoid seeking healthcare for a fever and a dry cough for themselves or a member of their household due to concerns about their ability to pay for it. When framed explicitly as believing to have been infected by the novel coronavirus, 9% still report that they would avoid seeking care. Adults under 30, non-whites, those with a high school education or less and those in households with incomes under $40,000 per year are the groups most likely […]

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