Studies on avoidance of medical care and insurance have revealed
numerous factors that influence behaviors in the U.S. One of the top
reasons reported is a lack of time to seek medical care or apply for
insurance (Taber et al., 2015). The second most reported reason is
the financial burden of medical care and insurance premiums; most
individuals who believe they are healthy have difficulty paying for
medical services they will rarely utilize (Kannan & Veazie, 2014).
Additional reasons reported for avoidance are the inconvenience in
making appointments, lack of appointment availability, lack of
transportation, and language barriers (Taber et al., 2015). Some
personality and emotional factors have also been mentioned. Some
individuals report a dislike or uncomfortableness with how doctors
behave, communicate, or empathize (Taber et al., 2015). Others
avoid the doctor because they fear getting bad news or having to be
subjected to medical treatments (Kannan & Veazie, 2014). As a
result, a significant population in the U.S. goes uninsured and goes
through life believing they are healthy. This makes me question
whether universal healthcare would be effective knowing that so
many individuals would not sign up. Without a mandate for coverage,
our country would still suffer from a population that chooses to go
uninsured.
Several benefits to being uninsured could be identified. First, this
population tends not to seek or utilize medical care, which reduces
the cost to the medical system. Second, uninsured individuals avoid
the financial burden of paying rather high insurance premiums. Third,
employers pay less for insurance when they have individuals who
choose to waive coverage. However, the uninsured population
actually creates a burden on the health care system. Delays in
disease diagnosis can worsen prognosis, require more extensive
treatments, and reduce the effectiveness of treatments for
cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer, and infectious disease (Kannan
& Veazie, 2014). In addition, the delays result in more frequent and
longer hospital stays or emergency room visits that stress the health
care system and increase costs (Kannan & Veazie, 2014). The
problem lies with an assumption that someone is in “good health”,
since many illnesses and chronic diseases can show no symptoms in
the early stages and are often considered silent killers. Many cancers
are usually first detected by a routine blood test before a patient
even exhibits symptoms. This is why regular doctor visits are critical,
especially when preventive medicine is the goal.
Kannan, V. D., & Veazie, P. J. (2014). Predictors of avoiding medical
care and reasons for avoidance behavior. Medical care, 336-345.
Taber, J. M., Leyva, B., & Persoskie, A. (2015). Why do people avoid
medical care? A qualitative study using national data. Journal of
general internal medicine, 30(3), 290-297.
