Lacking insurance has serious consequences for the uninsured. Without insurance, the cost of care becomes a barrier preventing the uninsured from obtaining recommended health care services and treatment. Nearly half (47%) of the uninsured reported in 2003 that they postponed seeking care because of costs, and about a third did not fill a prescription (37%) or skipped recommended treatment (35%) because of cost. The uninsured were 3-4 times more likely than the insured to say they had experienced these problems.

Notes: Insured includes those covered by public or private health insurance. *Experienced by the respondent or a member of their family.

Source: Kaiser Family Foundation, Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, Access to Care for the Uninsured: An Update, September 2003, Chart 2, p. 3, at http://www.kff.org/uninsured/4142.cfm, using unpublished data from the Kaiser 2003 Health Insurance Survey.