Rising Costs Are Changing People’s Health Care Habits

Good and Bad News: Rising health care costs are changing the health care habits of Americans, for better and for worse, according to a report released by the Employee Benefit Research Institute. In its annual health confidence survey, 81 percent of Americans reported taking better care of themselves than they did in 2005, when 71 percent said they were trying to take better care of themselves. Sixty-six percent of Americans say they are more likely to talk to their doctors about treatment options and costs, compared with 57 percent in 2005.

But rising costs may also prompt people to skip necessary medicine or delay visits to their doctors. The research offered conflicting perspectives on the state of the health care system. Though 29 percent of respondents rated the health care system fair and 30 percent called it poor, employees said they would prefer health insurance from their employer to a raise. Asked whether employees with employment-based health insurance would prefer $7,500 in additional taxable income, 76 percent they would prefer health benefits. Of those, 15 percent said no amount of money would be enough for them to give up their health benefits.