U.S. Residents Using Fewer Medical Services, Data Show
Insured U.S. residents are using fewer medical services, according to recent data from doctor-billing and lab-testing companies, hospitals and insurers, prompting experts to question if patients are decreasing health care usage because their share of costs is increasing. Insurers Aetna and WellPoint noted that the trend is new as of this year and is something they have not experienced before, even when the economy was at its worst.
- "Americans Cut Back on Visits to Doctor" (Johnson et al., Wall Street Journal, 7/29).