CHICAGO, May 08 (Reuters) - People without health insurance are far less likely to seek medical help when confronted with symptoms of potentially serious illness, US researchers reported on Sunday. They said the finding was particularly disturbing since the number of people without health insurance in the United States--now 44 million--is likely to grow by another million in the next five years.

"Our findings suggest that lack of health insurance is a major barrier to obtaining health care for important symptomatic conditions," said the report from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. The authors said it has been generally known that the uninsured get less care but not much was known about what happens when serious symptoms crop up.

The study--published in this week's issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine--was based on data from 574 people that was collected in 1994 by the National Center for Health Statistics.

In the study, people were asked about their response to 15 potentially serious health problems, such as blurred vision or the discovery of a breast lump during the previous three months.

Of the group, 499 had health insurance and 75 did not. Among the insured, 45 percent of all new symptoms prompted medical treatment compared to 24 percent for the uninsured.

There was also a big difference between the two groups when it came to simply thinking about getting care but not following through. Nearly a third of all symptoms prompted that response among the uninsured compared to 13 percent among those with insurance.

"The results of this study are particularly disturbing in light of projected increases in the number of uninsured and anticipated decreases in the ability of providers to deliver uncompensated care," the report said. "Pressures from managed care will probably reduce delivery of uncompensated care, and 'safety net providers' that serve as a critical source of care for the uninsured are likely to face increasing financial pressure as well," it added. "It is ironic that at a time when our country is establishing a 'Patient's Bill of Rights' we still have not established the right to be a patient. The ability of the uninsured to obtain medical care for even the most serious and disabling conditions is likely to worsen in the coming years," the report concluded.

http://www.doctorbob.com/ - 05/10/2000