Medical Care Too Expensive for Employed, Insured: Union Survey

Uninsured and unemployed Americans aren’t the only people forgoing medical care or struggling with their medical bills. A recent survey by the AFL-CIO and Working America revealed that one-third of those surveyed skipped medical care in the past year over concerns about cost. Another 25 percent said they had serious problems paying for the medical care or prescriptions they needed. Ninety-five percent of those who took the survey said they are somewhat or very concerned about being able to afford health insurance in the coming years.

Nearly 26,500 people took the online survey conducted between January 14 and March 2. Seventy-seven percent of the participants are insured and 70 percent are employed, said Heather Booth, director of the AFL-CIO Healthcare Campaign, which supports healthcare reform. Another 57 percent are union members and 18 percent live in a household with a union member, she said.

“Although these people are insured and employed, many are union and many are college educated, they still have extraordinary problems with health care and are going to make it a voting issue,” Booth said.

Booth said the survey results indicate that the health care situation is getting worse among union members who typically enjoy more comprehensive health care coverage than non-union members. Booth said unionized workplaces have retained health benefits at better rates than non-unionized workplaces. But union workers often sacrifice wages to keep those health benefits.

“They’re often forced to negotiate away wages in order to retain their health benefits,” she said “And even then they often have additional co-pays and increases in premiums.”

The survey also revealed that 96 percent of people with insurance are somewhat or very concerned about affording coverage in the next few years.

• Seventy-one percent of the insured said they worry about losing coverage because they may lose or change jobs.

• Sixty-one percent of those with employer-provided coverage say their health care costs have gotten worse.

• Ninety-five percent of people with insurance are dissatisfied with health care costs; 62 percent of them are dissatisfied with health care quality.

• Twenty two percent ran up credit card or other debt they are still paying off due to medical costs.