Reuters:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Fewer Americans are afraid that they will be unable to pay for healthcare services and fewer expect to postpone medical treatments due to costs, according to a Thomson Reuters survey published on Monday. Researchers found a steady increase in people’s confidence about their ability to pay for healthcare services — it rose 12 percent between March and July this year. The survey of 3,000 households showed, unsurprisingly, that people who made more money were more confident they could pay for medical care, and people who had insurance were far more confident about paying than those who lacked insurance. “These findings are consistent with data we’ve been seeing for everything from hospital discharge trends to opinions about healthcare reform,” said Gary Pickens, chief research officer for the Healthcare & Science business of Thomson Reuters. “There is growing optimism among many healthcare consumers, but (there) also is a clear disparity in outlook between those with higher income levels who have insurance coverage and those who are uninsured. This gap needs to be an area of focus for healthcare professionals and policymakers,” Pickens added in a statement.