Out-of-pocket payments and use of care for serious and minor symptoms. Results of a national survey.
To assess the effect of out-of-pocket payments on use of care for symptoms that physicians consider serious and meriting care, and for minor symptoms, we evaluated data from a 1986 national survey. Among 5412 adults reporting one or more medical visits in the last year, 18.8% had experienced serious symptoms within the previous 30 days, among whom 63.0% sought care, while 31.3% had experienced minor symptoms, among whom 42.8% sought care. Subjects who had paid $15 or less out of pocket for their last medical visit were more likely to seek care for a serious symptom (67.1% vs 52.6%) or for a minor symptom (47.1% vs 32.2%) than were those who paid $30 or more. Large out-of-pocket payments are associated with significant reductions in use of care for both serious and minor symptoms.
Shapiro
M F
MF
Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles 90024-1685.
Hayward
R A
RA
Freeman
H E
HE
Sudman
S
S
Corey
C R
CR
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003669:Deductibles and Coinsurance; D006296:Health Services / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D014481:United States