New data are showing that an economic sector once thought secure from recessionary pressures is beginning to feel the pinch of the nation’s economic woes. Data from market research firm IMS Health show that people are beginning to cut back on basic health care needs as a result of economic pressures.

The long-term consequences are substantial, especially for rural people who already are more subject to most chronic diseases and who already receive less health care services than their health status would indicate.

IMS Health found that the number of prescriptions filled in the United States declined in the first two quarters of 2008 compared with the same periods in 2007, the first negative quarters in nearly a decade. Further, the number of physician office visits also declined during the same period.

Supporting these findings is an August 2008 survey of consumers by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. That survey found that 22 percent of consumers said economy-related issues were causing them to visit a doctor less often, and that 11 percent are scaling back their prescriptions to save money.

Reductions in health care services seem most acute for preventive services, particularly for the uninsured or underinsured. For example, the number of blood tests for the uninsured declined by 900 percent in the second quarter of 2008 from the average quarter. The number of obstetrician visits declined by six percent in the first quarter of 2008. A study of claims from several dozen mid-Atlantic employer health plans conducted for the Wall Street Journal found that the number of preventive or nonacute services declined from the first quarter of 2007 to the first quarter of 2008.

Reductions in health care services and procedures in the short-term have potential serious long-term consequences, including more serious health problems at greater cost. And they may have significant impact for rural people.

As we said in Health Care in Rural America, the Center on an Aging Society at Georgetown University in Washington, DC summarizes the health status of the nation as this: “The rural population is consistently less well-off than the urban population with respect to health.”

More rural people have conditions such as arthritis, asthma, heart disease, diabetes, hypertension and mental disorders than urban residents. Because of the general health situation in rural areas and an older rural population, rural areas should require higher health care needs. But rural people actually receive comparable or less care in many measures, suggesting rural residents may not be receiving adequate care. For example, rural residents receive fewer regular preventive tests and check-ups than they medically and statistically should – exactly the type of services that are now being cut back because of economic pressures. It is logical to suspect that these health disparities will continue or widen in an economic downturn.

Ultimately, the long-term health of people should not be dependent on the short-term vagaries of the economy. The connection between this economic slowdown and health care received is further evidence of the need for a health care system that is affordable and is there when it is most needed.

Sign our health care petition to stand up for health care reform that works for everyone -- including rural people, family farmers and small business owners. We will share your signatures and your comments with the new administration.

Contact: Jon Bailey, jonb@cfra.org or 402.687.2103 x 1013 for more information.