Survey: High-Income Patients Most Likely to Delay Care

Patients of all income levels need flexible payment options for their healthcare bills.

Higher-income patients are most likely to delay care and worry about paying their medical expenses, finds a new AccessOne survey.

According to the survey authors, this means that patients of all income levels need flexible payment options for their healthcare bills, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic continues to reveal and exacerbate people's income woes and medical expense struggles.

The survey shows that 67% of consumers expect a loss of income due to the pandemic, and those worries extend to higher-income people too. It found that 75% of consumers who make $100,000 or more per year saying they are very or somewhat concerned that they'll lose their jobs because of the pandemic.

Surprisingly, high-income earners are more worried about their ability to cover medical expenses this year. They're also most likely to delay medical care for up to six months, with 46% planning to delay non-emergency but medically necessary surgery by up to six months, and 43% planning to delay diagnostic procedures by up to six months.

In addition, 64% of families are very or somewhat concerned they will be unable to pay their medical expenses, and 51% of consumers are very or somewhat concerned about how they will pay for medical care of any type this year.

Consumers are also wary of relying on government help if they lost their jobs: 43% of consumers don't expect unemployment benefits or government aid to be enough to cover their living expenses.

COVID-19 has resulted in other fears among consumers of all income levels. The survey showed that:

• 51% of respondents worry they will lose their health insurance due to the pandemic.
   
• 68% are concerned about their ability to pay for general medical expenses for the year.
   
• 64% of families with children are very or somewhat concerned about their ability to pay for medical care this year.

Finally, worries vary depending on age: 62% of Gen Xers and millennials and 53% of Gen Zers say they are very or somewhat concerned about their ability to pay for medical expenses this year, compared with 33% of baby boomers.