With a persistently anemic economy, many physicians are seeing patients who would rather endure pain than choose elective surgery like hip or knee replacement for fear of both the cost and time off from work.
“We have many people who are anxious about losing their jobs if they have elective surgery. They are anxious about returning to work,” orthopedic surgeon Dr. John Tongue told Yahoo! News.
Along with the fear of being expendable at work if they are out for long periods of time, people are increasingly balking at the cost of various procedures.
“They are concerned about higher deductibles and costs. They want more information about what their total bill will be if they have the procedure,” Tongue said. “We’re seeing people trying to put things off until they get to Medicare, with the impression that they will have a lower cost.”