A national study has found 60% of Americans have postponed their medical appointments during the Covid-19 pandemic due to fears of contracting the virus.
The study from ValuePenguin.com, which polled 1,028 adults, also found 26% of respondents put off their annual wellness visit with a physician during this time while 24% postponed a dental cleaning. Furthermore, 9% of respondents stated they skipped a major medical procedure out of fears of Covid-19 infection and 6% said that they missed a mental health appointment.
Men were more likely than women to skip preventative health appointments, with one-third of men and one-fifth of women postponing their annual wellness visit.
The study also determined that 50% of respondents experienced delays in receiving their medications during the ongoing pandemic, with 30% saying their medications were out of stock and 21% stating the delay was due to slow mail delivery.
Pricing concerns were also a major concern, with 9% of respondents admitting they were unable to afford to their medications because of financial problems created by the pandemic and 29% saying they could not afford their health care insurance coverage.
“A common thread throughout this survey was that Americans are feeling the economic strain of the coronavirus pandemic, and this is making them put off getting the critical medical care that they need,” said Sterling Price, a research analyst at ValuePenguin.com. “While doing this once or twice may not be harmful, breaking habits and not focusing on your health can lead to more serious health complications.”
