Nearly half of Californians don't have 'much trust' in health care system: poll
Nearly half of Californians don't have 'much trust' in health care system: poll
A new study commissioned by the nonprofit California Health Care Foundation reveals that nearly half of Californians—46%—reported they do not have "much trust" in the health care system.
OAKLAND, Calif. - Millions of Californians lack confidence in the state’s health care system, citing a lack of price transparency and long wait times as primary drivers of their skepticism.
Trust in health care
By the numbers:
A new study commissioned by the nonprofit California Health Care Foundation and conducted by the University of Chicago reveals that nearly half of Californians—46%—reported they do not have "much trust" in the health care system.
Part of these results are not surprising.
"Whether it's surprising or not, I think these results are a wake-up call," said Kristoff Stremikis, director of market analysis and insight at the California Healthcare Foundation. "In health care, the health of any one of us, affects all of us."
Who hasn't been confused by one of those explanation benefits forms from their health insurer, or complained about an unexpected charge from their health insurer, or complained about an unexpected charge from the doctor's office?
According to the poll of approximately 1,000 residents, the source of this distrust is rooted largely in the business and administrative side of medicine rather than clinical care.
Stremikis said many Californians who responded to the survey have had what are described as "cost-related access challenges."
"We actually ask people, have you had some sort of cost-related access challenge in the last year? Do you have medical debt? Was there some kind of issue with cost in the healthcare system for you or your family in the past year? And among those people, those were the people most likely to lack trust in the system," Stremikis said.
Stremikis says that more than half of the people in California have had one of those challenges in the last year.
"That is shocking, quite frankly," she said.
Only 33% of respondents said they trust health insurance companies, while just 30% expressed trust in pharmaceutical companies.
However, trust in frontline medical professionals remains high, with 84% of Californians reporting they trust their doctors and 90% stating they trust nurses.
"I think over the next couple of months, you now, certainly we will continue this conversation with those different groups as well as with patients, understand what those challenges are and try to work through ways that we might address them," Stremikis said.
Financial landscape
Big picture view:
The findings arrive as residents grapple with a volatile financial landscape for medical care.
Health care costs have surged across the country, but Californians have been hit particularly hard. Earlier this year, some participants in the state’s Covered California program saw their premiums rise between 20% and 40%.
These spikes followed moves by Republicans in Congress to cut health care subsidies and the expiration of enhanced federal financial assistance.
When researchers asked participants what changes would help restore their trust in the system, the answers centered on financial clarity.
Respondents identified transparency in pricing and knowing the exact out-of-pocket costs before undergoing a medical procedure as the top two solutions for repairing the relationship between patients and the industry.