The percentage of Americans who reported difficulties affording prescription medications remained stable from 2007 to 2010, according to a report from the Center for Studying Health System Change.

According to the report, 13% of respondents said they were unable to meet their prescription drug needs because of cost concerns in 2010, compared with 13.1% in 2007. "This translates to approximately 39 million Americans going without needed prescriptions because of cost concerns in 2010," authors of the report wrote.

Notes: The sample size for the 2010 survey was 17,000, with response rates of 46% for the landline sample and 29% for the cell phone sample. Previous surveys used only a landline sample. The sample size for the 2007 survey was 18,000, with a 43% response rate. The sample size for 2003 was 47,000, with a 57% response rate.

Source: Center for Studying Health System Change – 2003 Community Tracking Study Household Survey and 2007 and 2010 Health Tracking Household Surveys

02/06/12