At a health-screening event in Sarasota, Florida, people gathered in a parking lot and waited their turn for blood pressure or diabetes checks. The event was held in Sarasota\u2019s Newtown neighborhood, a historically Black community. Local Tracy Green, 54, joined the line outside a pink-and-white bus that offered free mammograms.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a blessing because some people, like me, are not fortunate, and so this is what I needed,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Green wanted the exam because cancer runs in her family. And she shared another health worry: Her large breasts cause her severe back pain. A doctor once recommended she get reduction surgery, but she\u2019s uninsured and said she can\u2019t afford the procedure.<\/p>\n
In a 2022 Gallup Poll<\/a>, 38% of American adults surveyed said they had put off medical treatment within the previous year due to cost, up from 26% in 2021. The new figure is the highest since Gallup started tracking the issue in 2001. In a survey by KFF released last summer, 43% of respondents said they or a family member delayed or put off health care because of costs. It found people were most likely to delay dental care, followed by vision services and doctor\u2019s office visits. Many didn\u2019t take medications as prescribed.<\/p>\n The Newtown screening event \u2014 organized by the nonprofit Multicultural Health Institute<\/a> in partnership with a local hospital and other health care providers \u2014 is part of an effort to fill the coverage gap for low-income people.<\/p>\n Green explained that her teeth are in bad shape but dental care will also have to wait. She lacks health insurance and a stable job. When she can, she finds occasional work as a day laborer through a local temp office.<\/p>\n \u201cI only make like $60 or $70-something a day. You know that ain\u2019t making no money,\u201d said Green. \u201cAnd some days you go in and they don\u2019t have work.\u201d<\/p>\n If she lived in another state, Green might be able to enroll in Medicaid. But Florida is one of 10 states<\/a> that haven\u2019t expanded the federal-state health insurance program to cover more working-age adults. With rent and other bills to pay, Green said, her health is taking a back seat.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t have money to go to the dentist, nothing,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s so expensive. Now, to get one extraction, one tooth pulled, it\u2019s like $200-$300 that you don\u2019t have. So I don\u2019t know what to do. It\u2019s like fighting a losing battle right now.\u201d<\/p>\n In the KFF poll, 85% of uninsured adults under age 65 said they found it difficult to pay for health care. Nearly half of their insured counterparts said they struggled with affordability as well.<\/p>\n The U.S. inflation rate hit a four-decade peak last year, and parts of Florida, including the Tampa metro area, often fared even worse<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe see an increasing desperation,\u201d said Dr. Lisa Merritt<\/a>, executive director of the Multicultural Health Institute.<\/p>\n The nonprofit, which helps people access low-cost care, is based in Newtown, where, inland from Sarasota\u2019s lavish beach communities, many residents live below the poverty line, lack insurance, and face other barriers to consistent and affordable care.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s very difficult for people to be concerned about abstract things like getting screenings, getting regular health maintenance, when they\u2019re contending with the challenges of basic survival: food, shelter, transportation often,\u201d Merritt said.<\/p>\n Merritt and her team of volunteers work to build trust with residents who may not be aware that support is available. They help people apply for low-cost insurance coverage, free medication programs, and other resources that can reduce treatment costs. Volunteer Bonnie Hardy said the people she serves have many financial worries, but one thing tops the list.<\/p>\n \u201cRight now? A place to stay,\u201d said Hardy. \u201cHousing is horrible.\u201d<\/p>\n High housing costs have started to ease in recent months, but data shows<\/a> rent in Sarasota has risen nearly 47% since the pandemic began in 2020. Hardy helps people find housing and connects them with programs that cover costs like utilities and security deposits. The goal is to stabilize their lives, and she said that can improve health.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause they\u2019re more comfortable now,\u201d she said. \u201cThey feel like, hey, the rent is paid, I can let my guard down, maybe I can go get the medical attention I need.\u201d<\/p>\n Research shows putting off health care<\/a> can lead to bigger problems. The Gallup Poll found 27% of respondents delayed treatment due to costs even for \u201cvery or somewhat serious\u201d conditions.<\/p>\n Some people may be holding off on treating medical issues because of health care debt. An investigation from NPR and KHN<\/a> found about 100 million people in America had medical debt. About 1 in 8 of them owe more than $10,000, according to a KFF poll.<\/p>\n Treating cancer or chronic conditions like diabetes early can save lives and be less expensive<\/a> than treating advanced-stage illnesses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.<\/p>\n Doctors at the health screening event in Newtown said it\u2019s critical to help residents obtain preventive care. At the health fair, substitute teacher Crystal Clyburn, 51, got a mammogram on the mammography bus and had her blood pressure checked.<\/p>\n Clyburn doesn\u2019t have health insurance and said she relies on free events to stay on top of her health.<\/p>\n \u201cI just try to take advantage of whatever that\u2019s out there, whatever that\u2019s free,\u201d she said. \u201cYou have to take care of yourself because you can look healthy and not even know you\u2019re sick.\u201d<\/p>\n After the cuff came off, a doctor told Clyburn her blood pressure was a little high but not high enough that she needed to take medication. Clyburn smiled, thanked him, and left relieved to know that the cost of prescription drugs was one expense she wouldn\u2019t have to worry about.<\/p>\n This article is from a partnership that includes <\/em>WUSF<\/em><\/a>, <\/em>NPR<\/em><\/a>, and <\/em>KHN<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n![](\"https:\/\/khn.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/04\/FL-Health-Costs02.jpg\")
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