The Texas Medical Center's Health Policy Institute has released national survey findings highlighting consumer and physician feelings regarding healthcare costs and various other topics.
The Texas Medical Center's Consumer & Physician Survey, conducted in August 2017, involved more than 9,000 consumers across 15 states and more than 450 physicians nationwide. Consumers came from Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and Washington.
Here are six findings from the survey.
1. Nearly all consumers (98 percent) view health insurance as important to them and their families, the survey found.
2. Consumers spend less in other areas to cover healthcare expenses. Nearly half of consumers (49 percent) must cut back on other expenses to pay for healthcare.
3. Most consumers reported they can only afford to spend about 2 percent of their income on healthcare, according to the survey. The Texas Medical Center's Health Policy Institute notes this is in contrast to the ACA, under which coverage is considered "affordable" if it is not more than 8.2 percent of income.
4. Forty-seven percent of physicians and 28 percent of consumers said they believe insurance companies are most to blame for rising healthcare costs. Thirty percent of consumers and 19 percent of physicians said drug and device manufacturers are most to blame.
5. The survey found only 1 in 3 physicians are paid 100 percent salary, while the rest are paid, in part, through fee-for-service.
6. A majority of physicians (69 percent) want to be paid through a straight salary, or a salary with relatively small incentives, according to the survey.
Read the full survey findings here.