Material
Survey
COVID-19 and the Future of the Health Care System
The Physicians Foundation’s 2020 Survey of America’s Physicians: COVID-19 And The Future Of The Health Care System finds physicians ranked a two-tiered system featuring a single payer option plus private pay as the best direction.
Part 3
Key Findings
Part Three of The Physicians Foundation’s Survey of America’s Physicians: COVID-19 Edition reflects the direction physicians believe the health system should take or will take. The survey was conducted from September 14 – 28, 2020. Data is based on 1,270 responses. Complete methodology is available on page 22 of the full report.
Key findings of the survey include:
- A majority of physicians (67%), rate a two-tiered system featuring a single payer option plus private pay insurance as the best or next-best direction for the U.S. health care system.
- 49% of physicians rate maintaining/improving the current Affordable Care Act (ACA) influenced system as the best or next-best direction for the U.S. health care system.
- 45% of physicians rate a market-driven system featuring Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and catastrophic plans as the best or next-best direction for the U.S. health care system.
- 40% of physicians rate a single payer/“Medicare for All” system as the best or next-best direction for the U.S. health care system.
- Of various future policy steps that should be taken to ensure access to high-quality, cost-efficient care for all, physicians rate providing affordable health insurance as the most important.
- 89% of physicians agree this is an important or very important step.
- 84% of physicians rate increasing the number of physician leaders in key decision-making roles as the second most important future step to ensuring high-quality, cost-efficient care to all.
- Of various immediate policy steps that should be taken to ensure access to highquality, cost-efficient care to all, physicians rate streamlining/simplifying prior authorizations as the most important.
- 89% of physicians agree this is an important or very important step.
- Physicians rate simplifying access to mental health services as the second most important immediate policy step that should be taken.
- 86% of physicians agree this is an important or very important step.
- 94% of physicians indicate that chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease will place the strongest demand on the health care system in 2021, followed by conditions made worse by pandemic-induced treatment delays (86%).
- 73% of physicians indicate that social determinants of health (SDOH) such as access to healthy food and safe housing will drive demand for health care services in 2021
- 67% of physicians indicate that 11% or more of their patients delay or decline treatment due to costs.
- 44% indicate that 26% or more of their patients delay or decline care due to costs.
