The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Care Consumer Confidence Index: May 2009 A monthly survey of Americans' attitudes about health care.
Publication Date: June 2009
Publisher: SHADAC/Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Author(s): Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; State Health Access Data Assistance Center (SHADAC)
Research Area: Health
Type: Report
Abstract:
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Care Consumer Confidence Index (RWJF Index) is a monthly survey that evaluates consumer confidence in American health care. The RWJF Index is created from data collected by the Surveys of Consumers, a monthly survey of 500 households conducted by the Survey Research Center at the University of Michigan. Analysis of the data is provided by the University of Minnesota’s State Health Access Data Assistance Center (SHADAC).
The RWJF Index in May 2009 ranges from 0 to 200. Baseline was established at 100 in spring 2009. Highlights show:
* Dramatic differences in confidence among insured and uninsured people. Insured people have health care confidence index of 104.1 points, compared with 57.3 points for the uninsured. There is virtually no difference in the indices for people who are privately insured (105.6 points), versus those insured through government insurance programs, such as Medicaid and Medicare (103.5 points).
* People are afraid of losing their insurance in coming year. Nearly one in four people (23.6%) fear losing their health insurance at some point in the next 12 months.
* Americans are worried about being able to afford future care. Nearly half of all Americans (46.0%) are worried that they will not be able to pay for their future health care needs.
* People are skipping needed medical care. Nearly a quarter (22.4%) report that they or a family member delayed seeing a doctor when it was necessary because of concerns about cost over the past year.
* Americans are having trouble paying their medical bills. One in four people (22.7%) report having had trouble paying medical bills during the past year.