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Cost, waiting, transportation problems, and negative interactions are the main reasons U.S. women are delaying medical care, or avoiding it altogether, a Deloitte survey found in 2024.
The survey found that half of women had foregone care in the last 12 months, compared to just 37% of men, according to Modern Healthcare. “Women were 50% more likely than men to say they would forgo care due to long wait times, and twice as likely to say they’d miss appointments due to transportation issues,” the outlet wrote in its analysis.
“Relatedly, women said they often sought virtual care because of the convenience and access factors,” so maybe this is something the medical industry really needs to invest in? (TAKE A POLL: Do You Believe Your Vote Can Make a Difference in Local Elections?)
Women Not Taken Seriously
“Women patients are also more likely to avoid medical services because of negative histories with medical providers. In past studies, some women told Deloitte researchers that clinicians had misdiagnosed their conditions or not taken symptoms seriously,” the outlet continued. (TAKE A POLL: Are You Satisfied With Your Work Life Balance?)
“While women and men both pointed to out-of-pocket costs as a top reason for skipping or delaying care, women are 31% more likely to do so. Last year, a separate Deloitte analysis based on health insurance data found employed women in the U.S. spend about $15 billion more in annual out-of-pocket expenses than employed men do,” it said earlier in the analysis. Perhaps there is a correlation between not being taken seriously, misdiagnoses, and women lining the pockets of the healthcare industry professionals instead of being healed?
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