• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Substantial Numbers of Insured Pay, and Would Be Willing to Pay, for Doctors Who Don't Accept Their Health Insurance, According to New Wall Street Journal Online/Harris Interactive Health-Care Poll

Posted on: Wednesday, 31 August 2005, 18:00 CDT

ROCHESTER, N.Y., Aug. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- A new Wall Street Journal Online/Harris Interactive Health-Care Poll shows that approximately one out of every six (15%) U.S. adults with health insurance say they sometimes go to doctors who do not accept their health insurance. Many more (up to 53%) would be willing to use, and pay for, doctors who do not accept their insurance, particularly to have access to doctors who provide specialized treatments or services, or those who will see them on nights and weekends.

Below are the results of the online survey of 2,300 U.S. adults conducted by Harris Interactive(R) between Aug. 19 and 23, 2005 for The Wall Street Journal Online's Health Industry Edition.

Income and circumstances affect willingness

Income appears to be a variable that affects an insured patient's willingness to visit a doctor who does not accept their health insurance. Overall, more than half (53%) of insured adults are somewhat or very willing to go to a doctor who doesn't accept their insurance if he or she was highly recommended by a source they trust. Interestingly, this percentage drops to 39% for those with incomes less than $35,000 and increases to 63% for those with incomes of $75,000 or less.

The degree to which insured adults are willing to visit and pay for a doctor who does not accept their insurance is also dependent on the services they may be able to receive from the doctor. Substantial numbers, albeit not majorities, would be very or somewhat willing to pay the full price for a doctor's services if they were able to:

-- Get specialized treatment or service from the doctor (42%) -- See the doctor on nights or weekends if they needed medical care (33%) -- Spend more time with their doctor (23%) -- Get top priority for setting up appointments (21%). TABLE 1 WHETHER INSURED PATIENTS GO TO DOCTORS WHO DON'T ACCEPT THEIR INSURANCE "Which one of these statements best describes you?" Base: Adults with health insurance (n=2,028) Total % I only go to doctors that accept my health insurance 85 I sometimes go to doctors who don't accept my health insurance 15 TABLE 2 WILLINGNESS TO GO TO DOCTOR WHO DOESN'T ACCEPT INSURANCE - IF HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

"Whether or not you have done so in the past, how willing would you be to go

to a doctor who doesn't take your health insurance if he or she was highly recommended by a source that you trust?" Base: Adults with health insurance Income Total Less $15K- $25K- $35K- $50K- $75K+ (n=2,028) than $24.9K $34.9K $49.9K $74.9K (n=630) $15K (n=135) (n=165) (n=307) (n=439) (n=79) % % % % % % % Very/Somewhat Willing (Net) 53 39 39 39 43 55 63 Very willing 14 16 10 9 12 11 18 Somewhat willing 39 23 29 30 32 44 45 Not Very/At All Willing (Net) 47 61 61 61 57 45 37 Not very willing 26 35 26 34 35 26 22 Not at all willing 21 26 34 28 21 20 15 Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding. TABLE 3 WILLINGNESS TO PAY FULL COST OF DOCTOR'S VISIT UNDER VARIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES

"How willing would you be to pay the full cost of a doctor's visit - rather

than use your health insurance -- if you ... ?" Base: Adults with health insurance (n=2,028) Very/ Somewhat Not Willing Very Somewhat Very/At Not Not At (Net) Willing Willing All Very All Willing Willing Willing (Net) Got to spend more time with the doctor % 23 6 17 77 30 47 Got specialized treatment or service from the doctor % 42 11 30 58 23 36 Got top priority for setting appointments % 21 4 17 79 29 50 Could see the doctor on nights or weekends if you needed medical care % 33 9 24 67 25 42 Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding.

Downloadable PDFs of Wall Street Journal Online/Harris Interactive Health-Care

Polls are posted at http://www.harrisinteractive.com/news/newsletters_wsj.asp . Methodology

Harris Interactive conducted this online survey within the United States between Aug. 19 and 23, 2005 among a nationwide cross section of 2,300 adults, ages 18 years and over, of whom 2,028 have health insurance. Figures for age, gender, race/ethnicity, education, income and region were weighted where necessary to align with population proportions. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents' propensity to be online.

In theory, with probability samples of this size, one can say with 95% certainty that the overall results have a sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points of what they would be if the entire U.S. adult population had been polled with complete accuracy. Sampling error for the sub-samples shown in the tables above is higher and varies. Unfortunately, there are several other possible sources of error in polls or surveys that are probably more serious than theoretical calculations of sampling error. This includes refusals to be interviewed (nonresponse), question wording and question order, and weighting. It is impossible to quantify the errors that may result from these factors. This online sample is not a probability sample.

These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

About the Survey

The Wall Street Journal Online/Harris Interactive Health-Care Poll is an exclusive poll that is published in the award-winning Health Industry Edition of The Wall Street Journal Online at http://www.wsj.com/health .

About The Wall Street Journal Online

The Wall Street Journal Online at WSJ.com, published by Dow Jones & Company (NYSE: DJ; http://www.dowjones.com/), is the largest paid subscription news site on the Web. Launched in 1996, the Online Journal continues to attract quality subscribers that are at the top of their industries, with 744,000 subscribers world-wide as of Q2, 2005.

The Online Journal provides in-depth business news and financial information 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with insight and analysis, including breaking business and technology news and analysis from around the world. It draws on the Dow Jones network of nearly 1,800 businesses and financial news staff-the largest network of business and financial journalists in the world. The Online Journal also features exclusive content, including interactive graphics on business and world news, and online-only columns about the automotive industry, technology, personal finance and more.

The Online Journal offers two industry-specific editions: the award-winning Health Industry Edition and the Media & Marketing Edition.

The Health Industry Edition offers authoritative analysis, breaking news and commentary from top industry journalists. The Media & Marketing Edition is designed for professionals in the advertising, marketing, entertainment and media industries. Subscribers to both online editions also get access to the full content of the Online Journal.

In 2005, the Online Journal was awarded a Codie Award for Best Online News Service for the second consecutive year, and its Health Industry Edition was awarded Best Online Science or Technology Service for the third consecutive year. In 2004, the Online Journal received an EPpy Award for Best Internet Business Service over 1 million monthly visitors.

The Wall Street Journal Online network includes CareerJournal.com, OpinionJournal.com, StartupJournal.com, RealEstateJournal.com and CollegeJournal.com.

About Harris Interactive(R)

Harris Interactive Inc. (http://www.harrisinteractive.com/), the 13th largest market research firm in the world, is a Rochester, NY-based global research company that blends premier strategic consulting with innovative and efficient methods of investigation, analysis and application. Known for The Harris Poll(R) and for pioneering Internet-based research methods, Harris Interactive conducts proprietary and public research to help its clients achieve clear, material and enduring results.

Harris Interactive combines its intellectual capital, databases and technology to advance market leadership through its U.S. offices and wholly owned subsidiaries, HI Europe in London (http://www.hieurope.com/), Novatris in Paris (http://www.novatris.com/), and through an independent global network of affiliate market research companies. EOE M/F/D/V.

To become a member of the Harris Poll Online(SM) and be invited to participate in future online surveys, http://www.harrispollonline.com/ .

Press Contacts: Robert Christie Dow Jones & Company 212-416-2636 Nancy Wong Harris Interactive 585-214-7316 Kelly Gullo Harris Interactive 585-214-7172

Harris Interactive

CONTACT: Robert Christie of Dow Jones & Company, +1-212-416-2636; NancyWong, +1-585-214-7316, or Kelly Gullo, +1-585-214-7172, both of HarrisInteractive

Web site: http://www.harrispollonline.com/http://www.hieurope.com/http://www.novatris.com/http://www.wsj.com/healthhttp://www.dowjones.com/

Source: PRNewswire

More News in this Category