U.S. Consumer Confidence Declines Over Concern of Health Care

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By Adriel Bettelheim

U.S. consumers' confidence in access to health care and their future well-being declined last month, as debate over President Obama's proposed overhaul of the health system intensified, a new telephone survey found.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's monthly health care consumer confidence index found the largest drop in confidence to be among individuals age 65 and older, who registered a 10.4 point decline in their confidence level during the month.

Individuals in the age group 50-64 had the lowest confidence level overall. Last month the confidence level for the cohort fell 4.4 points from 95.1 points in June to 90.7 in July.

The overall score in July was 97.2, down from the June confidence level of 102.3. The measurement is based on a scale of 0 to 200 and was culled from telephone interviews with 500 respondents.

The survey found widespread anxiety among individuals about being priced out of the health care marketplace. Nearly 52 percent of respondents said they were worried they will not be able to pay for their future health care needs in the event of a serious illness.

Forty-seven percent are worried they will not be able to afford all of the routine health care services they need. And 36 percent are concerned they will not be able to afford future prescriptions.

The survey didn't ask whether respondents support Obama's principles for overhauling the health system, or any legislation in Congress. Experts said conflicting reports about what an overhaul would accomplish is ratcheting up public anxiety.

"Over the past few months, Americans have been increasingly bombarded with conflicting information about their health care, and some of it has probably been misinformation about health reform," said Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. "It is no surprise that consumer confidence in health care is erratic right now. People are confused about all of the different information they are hearing and not sure whom to trust."

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