Americans Anxious About Their Health Security

WASHINGTON, May 9 /PRNewswire/ — High costs, fear of losing their health coverage, and concern about managing chronic disease drive Americans’ insecurity about their health and healthcare, according to a national survey by Catholic Healthcare West (CHW), the nation’s eighth largest hospital system. The survey findings were tabulated into the first Health Security Index, which ranks Americans’ health security at 66 out of 100, and were announced today at a press conference at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

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“The Health Security Index measures Americans’ sentiments about their health and healthcare,” said Lloyd H. Dean, president/chief executive officer of CHW. “At CHW, we believe healthcare is a fundamental human right. The health security of our nation’s people is a critical measure of our society’s strength and should be a key consideration as the nation considers reform.”

According to the survey, more than one-third (34 percent) of U.S. adults indicate they are not secure about their healthcare and only one-quarter say they are extremely secure. The rest of the nation hovers in the middle, secure for now because they are relatively healthy and have employer-sponsored health insurance.

The Health Security Index is calculated from responses to a 20-minute, nationwide telephone survey. A subset of 17 questions were used to construct the Index, which measures respondents’ attitudes and perceptions about subjects including affordability, quality, and access to healthcare in their communities. It also explored their feelings about health insurance coverage and the state of the nation’s healthcare system. A score of 75 or higher would be considered relatively high; more than 59, but less than 75, is considered medium; and 59 or lower is considered low.

Income, health status, and insurance coverage separate those who are secure and those who are not secure in their health. Individuals with incomes in excess of $75K score an average of 74 on the Index, while those earning less than $35K score an average of 60.

“The results of the Health Security Index paint a mixed and troubling portrait of health security in the United States,” said Steve Bodhaine, president of The Segmentation Company, the division of Yankelovich, Inc. that conducted the survey. “The level of insecurity varies across the different economic and ethnic sectors of our society, and a potentially dangerous economic divide separates those who are secure and those who are not secure in their health.”

In addition to the overall Index ranking, the national survey provides key insights into the perceptions Americans have about their health and the healthcare system.

   —  The number one concern regarding health security is affordability.       Sixty percent worry about their ability to afford the healthcare       services they need.   —  Almost three-quarters (72 percent) believe the time has come for       universal healthcare and nearly two-thirds (63 percent) support       universal healthcare coverage even if it means increasing taxes.   —  Eighty-three percent feel Congress should make affordable healthcare a       top priority for the coming year.   —  One-fourth (26 percent) perceive the U.S. healthcare system as worse       than that of other developed countries; almost half (46 percent) think       it is getting worse.   —  Nearly two-thirds (65 percent) are concerned about their ability to       manage a chronic disease.   —  In the past year, one in five (20 percent) Americans did not get a       recommended health test because they could not afford it. In the       uninsured population, the number more than doubles to 44 percent.    

“The Health Security Index raises significant concern about our ability to prevent or manage chronic disease,” said Dr. Lori Mosca, director of preventive cardiology at New York-Presbyterian Hospital and associate professor of medicine at Columbia University. “Our best efforts in health promotion and disease prevention are futile if Americans do not have the ability or resources to access the programs and services they need.”

CHW will update the Index annually to track the status of the nation’s health security over time.

Survey Methodology

CHW commissioned The Segmentation Company (TSC), a division of Yankelovich, Inc. to administer the survey. TSC conducted a total of 1,771 interviews by phone in the first quarter of 2007, among a random, nationwide sample of American adults age 18 and older. The general sample was statistically weighted based on sex, age and ethnicity to ensure proper representation of the U.S. population. Respondents were asked about their current health, their feelings on the state of healthcare in the nation, and their thoughts on current proposals for healthcare reform. In addition, the Index included questions involving attitudes about healthcare affordability, quality, and access. For more information about the Health Security Index please visit healthsecurityindex.org.

About Catholic Healthcare West

Catholic Healthcare West (CHW) is the eighth largest hospital system in the nation and the largest not-for-profit hospital provider in the West. Founded in 1986, the CHW network of more than 8,500 physicians and approximately 50,000 employees serve a population spanning 22 million people at 42 hospitals across California, Arizona, and Nevada.

CHW is committed to delivering compassionate, high-quality, affordable healthcare services with special attention to the poor and underserved. In 2006, CHW provided $803 million in charity care, community benefits, and unreimbursed patient care. For more information, please visit our website at chwHEALTH.org.

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Catholic Healthcare West

CONTACT: Tricia Griffin, +1-415-438-5524, or Barbara Correll,+1-773-410-2851, both for Catholic Healthcare West

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