Lack of Insurance Linked To Delayed Care for Heart Attack

The uninsured and people who had health insurance but were concerned about their finances were more likely than others to delay seeking treatment at a hospital when experiencing heart attack symptoms, a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association says. The researchers said that delaying care likely contributed to the death of many heart attack patients and also added to health costs, as such patients are more likely to be rehospitalized.

• "Insurance Concerns May Delay Heart Attack Patients From Seeking Treatment" (Healy, Los Angeles Times, 4/14).