One-fifth of the population has been put off seeking simple healthcare checks due to cost, according...
One-fifth of the population has been put off seeking simple healthcare checks due to cost, according to a survey carried out by healthcare cash plan provider HSA. This included 12% who said they had not sought dental treatment and 7% who had avoided optical care, where the early symptoms of glaucoma and diabetes are often first detected.
Of those interviewed, around half said they had spent no money on themselves or their family on dental or optical care in the last 12 months. Surprisingly, men paid out more than women ' spending an average of £204 at the optician and £133 at the dentist each year. This contrasts with the average female spend of £159 and £131 respectively.
Commenting on the survey, Sue Richmond, HSA media relations executive, said: 'We were trying to establish people's attitudes to the cost of basic health checks. What struck me was that we were not talking about expensive private medical insurance, not having any or not being able to afford expensive treatment would be understandable. We were looking at relatively simple and inexpensive healthcare checks, such as the dentist or optician. These are primary healthcare checks people are not having solely due to cost.'
She added: 'Healthcare cash plans remove the cost factor and make the decision to attend or not purely medical. Clients will have paid premiums, but will know the money is there when the big bills come in. Cash plans are an inexpensive solution that many people may not be aware of, and should consider.'
