Survey: More Southwest Ohioans neglecting health care

The number of adults in the Cincinnati region who missed a doctor’s appointment in order to pay routine living expenses jumped more than 2.5 times from 2005 to 2010, according to data from the Greater Cincinnati Community Health Survey (Source: “Survey: More neglecting health care,” Cincinnati Enquirer, March 27, 2011).

In 2010, 16 percent of respondents said they had to forgo medical care to pay for basic necessities, compared with 6 percent who said they had to make the same choice in 2005.

"We're talking about paying for things like food and clothing and housing," said Jennifer Chubinski, director of health data improvement for the Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati.

The survey of residents in 22 counties in Southwest Ohio, Northern Kentucky and Southeast Indiana, was conducted by the foundation and the University of Cincinnati's Institute for Policy Research.

(Full disclosure: The Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati provides financial support and Board of Directors representation to the Health Policy Institute of Ohio.)