As budgets tighten, more people decide medical care can wait

The global economic crunch is forcing a growing number of Americans to scale back on medical care. Consumers are pushing off seemingly less-urgent services in the hope that their financial health will improve. But the danger is that the short-term savings may translate into more severe long-term health implications, physicians say. Hospitals report that unpaid medical bills are on the rise, pharmacists are seeing a spike in cheaper generics, and demand for low-cost care is climbing.