Many Americans over age 50 are at risk of having to temporarily forgo their medications as mail delays continue, according to a Michigan Medicine-sponsored survey.
The Ann Arbor-based University of Michigan Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation in 2017 conducted a poll on 2,131 adults ages 50 to 80 that found nearly 1 in 4 of them receive at least one medication in the mail. Thirty-five percent of them said their insurance provider requires them to do so.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought upon various delivery delays, but delays associated with the U.S. Postal Service have gained salience in recent weeks as Congress holds hearings on the topic. The survey did not specify if the respondents received their medications through the U.S. Postal Service or a private delivery service.
The survey reveals the growing number of older Americans whose medication supply is tied to mail delivery, an issue garnering attention as the pandemic continues to slow down delivery processes.