Most give healthcare bad report in survey

A few months ago, James Chu had excruciating pain in his stomach area and had to seek emergency care around 3 am.

His wife drove him to an ER in Houston. The visit lasted less than two hours during which he underwent a CT scan that discovered the source of pain－a kidney stone. Chu was discharged after being given some pain medication and was advised to see a doctor as soon as possible.

A few weeks later, he got a bill of more than $13,000 for his first-ever ER visit. His insurance paid more than $11,000, and the ER demanded the remaining balance from him.

"I was shocked to see the dollar amount," Chu, a mechanic from Houston, told China Daily. "I just don't see how it could be so expensive to be there for less than two hours."

When asked if he was satisfied with the healthcare system in the United States, Chu gave a grim response.

"No, I am not. The system is simply insane to charge such a large amount for a short visit in which the real cost is a CT scan and some pain medicine," Chu said.

Chu is not the only one when it comes to expressing his dim view about US healthcare. A recent poll by The Associated Press and the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago showed that 56 percent of surveyed adults said healthcare in general is not handled well.

The results are based on a survey of about 1,500 US adults between July 28 and Aug 1.

Unsatisfied patients

Only 12 percent of respondents said US healthcare in general is handled very well. The public's view on some specific areas of healthcare is even worse. Only 11 percent of respondents said there are very well-established community support and resources for older people.

Only 6 percent of those surveyed said the quality of care at nursing homes and the costs of prescription drugs are handled very well. The mental health treatment satisfaction score was even lower at 5 percent.

Prescription drug costs were viewed by most respondents－74 percent－as not being handled well. About 70 percent of respondents said mental healthcare is bad.

Racial differences exist in people's views of the healthcare system. About 60 percent of black and Hispanic adults were very or extremely concerned about getting good care. For white adults, 44 percent expressed the same level of worry.

Differences also manifested in gender, with 53 percent of women saying they are extremely or very concerned about obtaining quality care, while only 42 percent of men have similar worry.

More and more people－two-thirds of respondents－said the federal government should take responsibility in ensuring all people in the US have healthcare coverage, up from 57 percent in 2019.