Infographic: Healthcare Access & Utilization

The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly affected global healthcare systems, causing service disruptions, practitioner shortages, and persistent challenges in healthcare access. Financial strain is a critical factor influencing healthcare avoidance or delay, affecting preventive and non-preventive care. Individuals who lack knowledge about health insurance and preventive care coverage are more likely to defer or avoid necessary medical attention. Even among the insured, cost remains a decisive factor hindering healthcare access.  

Highlights from IBI's analysis:

- The percentage of people who did not get medical care due to cost remained the same from 2021 to 2023.
- The percentage of people who did not get needed mental health care due to cost increased significantly, from 4.0% in 2021 to 5.4% in 2023.
- The percentage of people who did not get prescribed medication due to cost increased significantly, from 7.3% in 2021 to 7.7% in 2023..
- The percentage of adults who missed 6 or more workdays due to illness, injury, or disabilty significantly increased by 6.4%.
- There is an estimated $26 million cost to US employers due to high absenteeism (6+ days missed) according to data from the National Health Interview Survey and the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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