A third in US skip medical care over costs, survey says. Can we afford coronavirus?

Left untreated, coronavirus can be deadly even to those not considered most at risk, but Americans by the millions have a tendency to steer clear of medical help for fear of the bills to follow.

Half of all U.S. adults said they or a family member put off needed care due to costs in 2019, and 27% outright skipped medical tests or treatments they’d been advised to take, according to a survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Another recent survey found a third of Americans opted not to get medical care because of the expense, according to Bankrate.

For those uninsured, poorly covered, or financially strained, the choice between sweating out the virus alone and hoping for the best, or dipping into shallow savings or going into debt to pay for help, can be tough to make.

Following reports of people racking up thousands of dollars in charges over coronavirus tests, including a Miami man who received a notice from his insurance for $3,275, the Trump administration announced Tuesday that some of the country’s largest insurers would be waiving copayments for testing.

However, the cost for treatment for COVID-19 is still on the individual to cover, with the help of whatever insurance they do, or don’t, have. Over 27 million Americans fall into that second category and would be footing the bill alone, according to 2018 Census data.

Insured or not, out-of-pocket costs for a simple visit to a doctor’s office or hospital would be minuscule compared to hospitalization, Gerard Anderson, a Johns Hopkins University professor of public health told CNBC — which could run between $75,000-$100,000 for a 10 day stay.

Another more immediate cost of contracting the coronavirus is time away from work. While most of the nation’s workforce is able to focus on getting well when they’ve come down with something, a quarter doesn’t have paid sick leave, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Combine millions of Americans on an economic high-wire act, with a highly contagious illness that can wreck a body as soon as a bank account, and it creates a solid means of spreading disease.

“I think the major thing is, essentially being out of work for 14 days for most Americans is a very strong financial hit that many people can’t absorb,” Anderson told CNBC.

“If people, for financial reasons, are reluctant to go to the hospital or doctor, the epidemic can spread much faster.”

This story was originally published March 12, 2020 at 5:05 PM.