33% of Consumers Have Opted out of Needed Medical Care Over Cost

Most consumers typically access healthcare at their primary physician or doctor. In fact, 61% of consumers saw their primary physician or doctor in the last 12 months, in person or online, according to Wellness And Affordability, a PYMNTS report with research sponsored by CareCredit.

Get the report: Wellness And Affordability: How Payments Practices Create Positive Patient Experiences

Other healthcare providers most likely to have been seen by consumers in the last 12 months are dentists (cited by 45%), COVID-19 vaccination clinics (39%), specialist physicians or doctors (30%), ophthalmologists or optometrists (25%) and pharmacies that provide basic healthcare services (25%).

At the same time, 33% of consumers have opted out of seeking needed medical care, either by not making necessary healthcare appointments or abandoning needed treatment. Another 5% of consumers do not know or are not sure if they have opted out of seeking medical care.

Affordability and cost are the top reasons behind this. Among the consumers who did not make necessary healthcare appointments or abandoned needed treatment, 22% said the most important reason was that they could not afford the care or treatment, and 21% said it was that they were concerned about cost.

Another 22% of the consumers who opted not to seek medical care said cost was important but not most important, and another 18% said that about affordability.

Other top reasons behind opting out were that insurance would not cover the appointment or treatment and that they were too busy to obtain care or treatment. Each of these reasons was cited by 11% of the consumers as their most important reason for opting not to seek medical care.

Another 15% of the consumers who went without medical care said their concern about insurance was important but not most important, and another 14% cited being too busy.