Nearly Half Of Americans Delayed Medical Care Due To Pandemic
05/27/2020
As the coronavirus threat ramped up in March, hospitals, health systems and private practices dramatically reduced inpatient, nonemergency services to prepare for an influx of COVID-19 patients, according to a Kaiser Health News report.
A poll released Wednesday reveals that the emptiness of medical care centers may also reflect the choices patients made to delay care. The Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that 48% of Americans said they or a family member has skipped or delayed medical care because of the pandemic, and 11% of them said the person’s condition worsened as a result of the delayed care. (KHN is an editorially independent program of the foundation.)