From February 28th – March 13th, 2024, the Oregon Values and Beliefs Center conducted a statewide survey of Oregonians’ values and beliefs on the topic of health and healthcare. This memorandum summarizes key findings regarding questions related to health insurance, access, and quality. Another memo has been prepared for preventative care, healthcare system change, healthcare actions, and sources of information.
The question numbers in this document correspond with the accompanying annotated questionnaire and tabs. Due to rounding, the percentages reported below may not add up to 100% or compare exactly to the percentages for the same question in the annotated questionnaire or tabs.
Included below for selected questions are some noteworthy subgroup variations for age, gender, area of the state, BIPOC/white, etc. The accompanying set of tabs notes subgroup variations for all the questions.
For survey full question wording, all statistically significant subgroup findings, and respondent quotes, readers are encouraged to refer to the accompanying documents located at the bottom of this post under “For More Information”: (1) annotated questionnaire, (2) crosstabulations, and (3) verbatim written responses spreadsheet (upon request).
Summation Quotes
Amaury Vogel, Executive Director:
Health Insurance
“Medicare, employer provided plans, or Medicaid are Oregonians’ major health insurance plans.”
“While majorities of Oregonians feel OK about their insurance, 13% are very worried about themselves or someone in their family going without healthcare coverage over the next year and 10% have no confidence in their ability to maintain their present level of coverage over the next five years.”
“When asked to comment on health insurance, Oregonians most often mention coverage limitations, high deductibles, and the uncertainties that come with insurance being tied to employment.”
Healthcare Accessibility
“For the most part, Oregonians feel healthcare facilities, medical providers, and alternative healthcare providers are at least somewhat accessible.”
“A plurality of Oregonians reports not having experience delays related to receiving healthcare. Mentioned most frequently is experience with postponed medical or dental health care appointments and postponements in acquiring new mental health, dental health, or general health care.”
“The primary reasons Oregonians have experienced postponements to healthcare are the high cost of living, affordability of care, and insurance policies with high deductibles or co-pays.”
Healthcare Quality
“A majority of Oregonians consider their medical providers, healthcare facilities, as well as diagnostic services to be good at meeting their needs.”
“Some Oregonians report unfair treatment while seeking healthcare for either themselves or a family member. Similar numbers, about 20%, report the unfair treatment was based on age, disability, or weight. Mentioned less frequently were experiences arising from religion or sexuality.”
“Oregonians have a high level of trust in various healthcare service providers to provide quality advice and services with their highest ratings going to medical providers such as physicians, dentists, and therapists, followed by diagnostic services like laboratory services”
Health Insurance
Kind of Insurance
- Most Oregonians have access to health insurance through Medicare (32%), employer-provided plans (21%), or Medicaid (16%). Around 3% of Oregonians report not having health insurance, while another 3% are unsure of their insurance status (Q18).
Feelings about Insurance
- Oregonians are not too concerned about themselves or a family member going without healthcare coverage over the next year (62%). However, a little over one in ten (13%) are very worried (Q20).
- Women, younger respondents, those with lower household incomes, and Oregonians living outside the Tri-County area are the most likely to be very worried.
- A little over a third of Oregonians (39%) are at least somewhat confident they will be able to maintain their present level of healthcare coverage over the next five years. Notably, 21 % of respondents are very confident about maintaining their coverage. 10% have no confidence in their ability to maintain coverage (Q19).
- Men are more likely to report greater coverage confidence than women and non-binary respondents.
- Respondents aged 65-75+ are more likely to report being very confident than younger age groups.
- College graduates are about twice as likely to report being very confident than those without a degree.
- Most Oregonians desire a reform action in which people with no insurance pay no more than the amount insurance companies pay for identical procedures (Q16).
- When asked to comment freely on health insurance, Oregonians often express concerns about high deductibles and the uncertainties that come with insurance being tied to employment. While many are satisfied with their current healthcare coverage, others feel it doesn’t cover all their medical needs well enough (Q23).
“I have insurance with a very high deductible, so it’s like having no insurance because you have to choose between medical debt and living essentials.”
Woman, age 55-64, Marion County, White
“My healthcare is adequate enough for my lack of income, but I need better insurance to get better medication and treatment.”
Woman, age 30-44, Douglas County, Hispanic or Latino/a/x and White
“I do not have health insurance and I have my healthcare by paying out of my own pocket.”
Man, age 75+, Multnomah County, Asian
“My health insurance is worth it. I have to pay about $420 a month.”
Man, age 18-29, Washington County, Black or African America and White
“I haven’t always had insurance. Changing employers or being unemployed for a period with paperwork, changing coverage, changing costs, etc. is very stressful.”
Woman, age 55-64, Crook County , White
Healthcare Accessibility
Accessibility Ratings
- When asked about the accessibility of various healthcare services, Oregonians perceive healthcare facilities as most accessible (85% of respondents perceive them as at least somewhat accessible). Oregonians are also very likely to consider medical providers as accessible (80% of respondents deem them at least somewhat accessible). Although alternative healthcare providers are perceived as less accessible than other healthcare practitioners listed in the question, 56% of Oregonians still regard them as at least somewhat accessible (Q14).
Healthcare Postponement
- When discussing delays related to receiving healthcare, Oregonians most frequently mention their experience with postponed medical or dental health care appointments (40% of respondents experienced such postponement in the last 12 months). Oregonians also frequently mention postponements in acquiring new mental health, dental health, or general health care (27%). Most respondents have not experienced any of the listed postponements in the last 12 months (45% of respondents) (Q21).
- Primary reasons why Oregonians have experienced postponements related to medical, dental, or mental health in the past 12 months include (Q22):
- The high cost of living (32%), affordability of care (31%), insurance policies with high deductibles or co-pays (30%), difficulty finding a provider with availability (29%), and difficulty finding time in life—too busy (28%)
- Less commonly cited reasons for experiencing postponements in the past 12 months among Oregonians include not wanting care (7%), unemployment or loss of health benefits (8%), lack of knowledge or resources (9%), and limited access to healthcare (13%).
- Women are more likely than men to postpone care due to insurance issues, difficulty reaching providers, and bad experiences with doctors.
- Non-binary respondents are more likely than men and women to postpone care due to lack of access to healthcare. They are also more likely than men to list difficulty in finding available providers as a reason for experiencing postponement.
- Respondents younger than 55 are more likely to postpone care due to busy schedules, lack of trust in the healthcare system, lack of access to healthcare, lack of knowledge or resources, and unemployment or loss of health benefits.
- Respondents with a high school or some college education are more likely than those with college diplomas to cite the high cost of living, the difficulty in reaching healthcare providers due to distance, bad experience with doctors, lack of trust in the healthcare system, and unemployment or loss of health benefits as reasons for experiencing postponement.
- Women are more likely than men to postpone care due to insurance issues, difficulty reaching providers, and bad experiences with doctors.
Healthcare Quality
Accessibility Ratings
- Oregonians say medical providers are adequate at meeting patient needs (60% of respondents consider their services to be excellent or good). Respondents are also likely to consider healthcare facilities and diagnostic services as adequate (56% of respondents consider both healthcare facilities and diagnostic services as excellent or good at meeting patient needs) (Q13).
- Oregonians are less likely to rate pharmaceutical and healthcare companies, alternative medicine providers, and allied health professionals as excellent or good at meeting patient needs.
Unfair Treatment
- When asked to identify lived experiences (for either the respondents themselves or their family members) of unfair treatment while seeking healthcare, Oregonians are most likely to mention unfair treatment based on age (19% of respondents either experienced or had family members experience unfair treatment due to age), disability (19%), and weight (19%). Oregonians are least likely to mention unfair experiences arising from religion (8%) and sexuality (8%) (Q24).
- Women are more likely than men to report facing unfair treatment while seeking healthcare due to gender and weight. Nonbinary respondents are more likely than women and men to report unfair treatment based on their gender, weight, and sexuality.
- Respondents younger than 44 are more likely to report experiencing unfair treatment based on their age, gender, and weight.
- Respondents with some college or a high school education are more likely than those with college degrees to report facing unfair treatment concerning their disability or weight.
- 64% of respondents who experienced unfair treatment (Q24), stated that future decisions about where and how to seek healthcare were informed by their experience (31% said the unfair treatment informed their decisions a great deal, and 33% said the treatment informed their decisions a little bit) (Q25).
- When asked to comment freely on experiences of unfair treatment, Oregonians frequently discuss age, weight, disability, and insurance status-related experiences. Many respondents often feel that healthcare providers overly emphasize weight reduction, or that their needs often go unmet because other patients’ needs are prioritized (Q26).
“I use a wheelchair, and the majority of clinics do not have accessible exam tables. I believe doctors often do not value my life because of my disabilities and age as much as they value the lives of non-disabled, younger patients. They only look at a limited number of options for treatment.”
Woman, age 75+, Multnomah County, White
“I was told I needed to lose weight even though my actual body fat % is in the mid teens.”
Man, age 55-64, Clackamas County, Native American, American Indian, or Alaska Native
“Ageism is fairly rampant in healthcare. I’ve experienced condescension, dismissal of symptoms, lack of respect, and poor care due to my age and perceived mental acuity.”
Woman, age 65-74, Lincoln County , White
“I now have a naturopath as my primary care physician. He is the first doctor to accept my current weight and still help me without requiring me to ‘lose weight first because that is probably what is causing the problems’ with my fibroids.”
Woman, age 45-54, Tillamook County, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander and White
“They are making me pay more out of pocket.”
Man, age 18-29, Polk County, Asian and White
Trust Ratings
- In terms of trusting various healthcare service providers to provide quality advice and services, 90% of Oregonians deem medical providers such as physicians, dentists, and therapists as trustworthy. Similarly, diagnostics services like laboratory services also receive high levels of trust from Oregonians (87% a lot or some trust). Conversely, Oregonians demonstrate the lowest level of trust in pharmaceutical and healthcare companies (58% a lot or some trust) (Q15).
- Respondents aged 65+ are more likely to trust in medical providers like physicians, healthcare facilities, and diagnostic services.
- Men are more trusting toward medical providers, diagnostic services, and pharmaceutical and healthcare companies than women and nonbinary respondents.
- Respondents with college degrees are more likely to trust medical providers, healthcare facilities, diagnostic services, and allied health professionals.
- White respondents are more likely than BIPOC respondents to have a lot of trust in medical providers and diagnostic services. On the other hand, BIPOC respondents are more likely than white respondents to trust pharmaceutical and healthcare companies.
Methodology: The online survey consisted of 1,811 Oregon residents ages 18+ and took approximately 10 minutes to complete. This is a sufficient sample size to assess Oregonians’ general opinions and to review findings by multiple subgroups. Respondents were contacted by using professionally maintained online panels. A variety of quality control measures were employed to gather responses, including questionnaire pre-testing, validation, and real-time monitoring of responses. To ensure a representative sample, demographic quotas were set, and data was weighted by area of the state, gender, age, and education.
Statement of Limitations: Based on a 95% confidence interval, this survey’s margin of error for the full sample is ±2.30%. Due to rounding or multiple-answer questions, response percentages may not add up to 100%.
OVBC surveys currently use aggregated data to analyze the opinions of BIPOC residents in comparison to the opinions of residents who identify as white and not another race. BIPOC residents are not monoliths; the grouping represents a wide diversity of races and ethnicities. The findings included in this memo should not be construed such that all people of color are believed to share the same opinions. Disaggregated race data will be provided when sample sizes permit reliability.
For More Information:
Acknowledgments:
We are deeply grateful to the Northwest Health Foundation for their generous sponsorship of this project. Their support has been invaluable to our mission of conducting independent, nonpartisan research. With their help, we are able to better assist organizations throughout Oregon in utilizing data to strengthen their communities.
Oregon Values and Beliefs Center (OVBC): This research was completed by the Oregon Values and Beliefs Center as a community service. OVBC is an independent and non-partisan organization and an Oregon charitable nonprofit corporation. Representative OVBC projects include a series of in-depth business interviews for the Columbia County Economic Team, as well as an extensive opinion research study about Oregonian’s values and beliefs, in partnership with over 20 organizations (Learn more about the 2023 Typology Study).