Ann Arbor, MI December 13, 2011 - Americans' confidence in their ability to access and pay for healthcare improved in November, according to a consumer sentiment index produced by Thomson Reuters.
Respondents reported positive news when asked if they had experienced a reduction in or loss of insurance coverage in November. Overall, the Thomson Reuters Consumer Healthcare Sentiment Index moved upward two points from 96 to 98.
"After experiencing a dip in sentiment in October, it's encouraging to see higher spirits across the Index this month," said Gary Pickens, chief research officer at the Thomson Reuters Center for Healthcare Analytics.
The index, which is based on the Thomson Reuters PULSE(TM) Healthcare Survey, has two parts:
- A retrospective component gauges respondents' experiences during the past three months. It tracks whether they postponed, delayed or cancelled healthcare services and whether they had difficulty paying for medical care or health insurance. In November, retrospective consumer sentiment rose two points from 97 to 99.
- A prospective component gauges respondents' expectations for the next three months. In November, prospective consumer sentiment increased from 95 to 96.
The Thomson Reuters Consumer Healthcare Sentiment Index is updated monthly. A full report on the November results is available here: http://healthcare.thomsonreuters.com/Indexes/assets/HPAYHP111210564CHSINovemberIndex_WEB.pdf
The Thomson Reuters PULSE Healthcare Survey collects information about healthcare behaviors, attitudes and utilization from more than 100,000 U.S. households annually. It is representative of all U.S. adults and households. The Consumer Healthcare Sentiment Index is based on responses from a survey subset of 3,000 respondents each month. Its baseline measurement of 100 was set in December 2009.
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