Poll finds many with insurance still struggle with medical bills

A new national poll has found that one in four privately insured adults say they doubt they could pay for a major unexpected illness or injury (Source: “Poll: Many insured struggle with medical bills,” Associated Press via Washington Post, Oct. 13, 2014).

The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research  survey found the biggest financial worries among people with high-deductible plans that require patients to pay a big chunk of their medical bills each year before insurance kicks in.

Among the findings in the poll, 19 percent of all privately insured adults said they did not go to the doctor when they were sick or injured, because of costs. Among those with high-deductible plans, the figure was 29 percent. Eighteen percent of all adults went without a physical exam or other preventive care, 24 percent among those with high-deductible plans.