Parents with lower family incomes were more likely than parents with higher incomes to report that their children delayed or missed out on multiple types of health care. (Photo: Shutterstock)
Visits to primary care physicians, emergency rooms and other health-care providers dropped significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the number of visits has started to rebound, delayed care is having a significant impact on the health of many Americans, including children.
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The Urban Institute's September 2020 Coronavirus Tracking Survey, a nationally representative study of adults ages 18 to 64, found the following:
- Nearly 30% of parents reported delaying or forgoing one or more types of health care for their children because of virus exposure concerns or provider service limits. Roughly equal shares delayed or did not get care for each reason.
- About 16% of parents reported delaying or forgoing multiple types of care for their children.
- Dental care, routine checkups and screenings, general doctor and specialist visits and immunizations were most commonly delayed or forgone.
- 12% of parents reported only delaying their children's care, while 16% did not get care for their children.
- Parents with lower family incomes (below 250% of the federal poverty level) were more likely than parents with higher incomes to report that their children delayed or missed out on multiple types of health care (20% vs. 11%). Lower-income parents also were more likely to report their children delayed or missed checkups and other preventive screenings; a general doctor or specialist visit; immunizations; and treatment or follow-up care.
The survey also found significant consequences for some older Americans.
"Though some missed care may have been of low value or unnecessary, physicians report concern over unmet needs for care, particularly for people with chronic health conditions, whose health can deteriorate rapidly without careful monitoring and treatment," the survey report said. "Mortality data suggest the pandemic has caused a surge in excess deaths form conditions such as diabetes, dementia, hypertension, heart disease and stroke, and a record number of drug overdose deaths occurred in the 12 months ending in May 2020."
The results for children point to a need for a collaborative effort to catch up.
"These estimates parallel those for nonelderly adults overall, indicate the pandemic has caused children to miss out on a range of health-care needs and show parents in lower-income families are delaying or forgoing care for their children at higher rates than those in higher-income families," researchers concluded. "Such gaps threaten children's health, development and well-being, and impair their abilities to participate fully in school and reach their potential. Targeted efforts to help children make up for missed checkups, immunizations, screenings, counseling, therapies and other care could help mitigate such damage and avoid exacerbating socioeconomic inequities in children's health and well-being."
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Alan Goforth
Alan Goforth is a freelance writer in suburban Kansas City. In addition to freelancing for several publications, he has written a dozen books about sports and other topics.
