Economic woes force people to put off health care needs

'HEARTBREAKING' | Sick economy forces Americans to put off needed health care

When two of his six children came down with fevers and sore throats several weeks ago, Donald Hendricks of west suburban Lombard didn't take them to the doctor because he couldn't afford gas money to drive them there.

Hendricks, who lost his job over the summer, gave his kids soup and soda instead, and they got better. But Hendricks said he's worried what will happen the next time someone in his family gets sick.

"I never felt the crunch like this before," he said.

Hendricks isn't alone.

The ailing economy is leading many Americans to skip doctor visits, skimp on their medicine and put off elective surgeries and outpatient procedures. And physicians worry the result will be sicker patients who need more expensive treatment later.

"It's really hard to get around the fact that people do have to choose between a $300 gas bill and coming to the doctor, which might cost them $50 or $100 for preventive care," said Dr. Tamarah Duperval, a family physician who works at a clinic near the United Center. "Even that $3 co-pay is too much for some people."

Duperval said she's already seeing a growing number of patients coming in with advanced illnesses that could have been treated earlier. And many aren't taking their medication as often as prescribed.

"It's heartbreaking," she said.

The numbers show Americans are increasingly putting their health at risk:

• Thirty-six percent of people surveyed this month by the Kaiser Family Foundation said they or a family member have put off needed care, compared with 29 percent in April. Almost one-third had skipped a recommended test or treatment, up from 24 percent. And about one-fifth said their condition got worse as a result.

• The number of prescriptions filled dropped 0.4 percent for the quarter ending in June -- the first time it hasn't risen, according to IMS Health, which has been tracking such data for 12 years.

• A July survey by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners found that 11 percent of Americans had either reduced the number of prescription medicines they take or cut the dosage by such means as splitting pills in half.

• Elective surgeries like hip and knee replacements, diagnostic tests and outpatient procedures fell roughly 1 percent to 2 percent in recent months at many hospitals, said Dick Clarke, president of the Healthcare Financial Management Association. While the decline seems small, the numbers typically climb 2 percent to 4 percent a year as the population ages.

• U.S. hospitals are reporting an uptick in emergency room patients, according to the American Hospital Association. Clarke said that includes a rise in uninsured patients with conditions that could have been treated elsewhere, and he expects that number to increase.

The U.S. unemployment rate has climbed from 4.7 percent to 6.1 percent over the past year, costing many newly jobless people their health insurance. But the uninsured are not the only patients feeling the economy's sting.

At Sutcliffe Pharmacy in Lake View, owner Kevin Winston said he's seen a 10 percent drop in sales over the last four months, primarily because customers aren't filling prescriptions as often.

"I've never seen it this bad before," he said. "People should be due for a refill, but they're sort of letting it go."

Winston tries to work out payment arrangements with cash-strapped customers, so they don't have to go without their medication. But he said, "It's a very, very difficult position to be in."

Meanwhile, Walgreen Co. pharmacies have been calling customers, making emotional arguments for why they should be getting prescriptions refilled.

"For example, do they want to be around when their kids grow up, or their grandkids?" Jeff Rein, Walgreen's chief executive, told analysts last month.

At Ohio State Medical Center in Columbus, Dr. Andrew Thomas said one of his patients put off having an MRI done for severe back pain "because literally she didn't have the gas money to drive across town."

Patients are often too embarrassed to admit they are struggling financially, he said. He offered them this advice: "If you're on a bunch of different medications, ask your doctor, 'Which one of these could I get by on for six months without taking?' "

"Your doctor might say, 'Some of these are imperative, but if you really need to save money, these are the ones I could cut out or change the dosage.' "

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