Though one of Obamacare's main goals is to make care more widely available and affordable, it hasn't stopped people from avoiding the doctor because of cost.
In fact, the percentage of people who say they've put off medical care because they can't afford it is among the highest measured by Gallup in the last 14 years. Gallup found that 33 percent said they've done so in the last year.
That could be because of high deductibles or copays, Gallup researchers said. According to data, deductibles have skyrocketed in the past few years: Analysis from the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research & Educational Trust finds that deductibles are up nearly 50 percent since 2009.
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In PPACA plans, too, already high deductibles are climbing higher this year, according to HealthPocket analysis.
"Last year, many hoped that the opening of the government health care exchanges and the resulting increase in the number of Americans with health insurance would enable more people to seek medical treatment," Gallup said. "But, despite a drop in the uninsured rate, a slightly higher percentage of Americans than in previous years report having put off medical treatment, suggesting that the Affordable Care Act has not immediately affected this measure."
Not surprisingly, according to the poll of 828 people, uninsured Americans are still the most likely to report having put off medical treatment because of cost. More than half of the uninsured — 57 percent — have put off treatment, compared with 34 percent with private insurance and 22 percent with Medicare or Medicaid.
But significantly, the percentage of Americans with private health insurance who report putting off medical treatment because of cost has increased from 25 percent in 2013 to 34 percent in 2014.
Asked to rate the seriousness of their medical condition of illness, 22 percent of Americans who delayed treatment due to cost said they had "very" or "somewhat serious" conditions. That's slightly more than last year, and double the 11 percent who say they have put off treatment for a non-serious condition.
"Variation in the pricing for medical treatments, not to mention differences in how much insurance plans cover, could be confusing Americans or making them fear a needed treatment is too expensive," Gallup pollsters said. "And while the costs of medical procedures aren't rising as rapidly as they once were, it is still too early to tell if that is an effect of the Affordable Care Act and how prices may change in the future."
Also read: Is the doctor shortage real?
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