Americans forgoing prescription drugs in economic downturn likely to raise nation’s health care costs in the long run

The New York Times writes today about an increasing number of Americans whose spending cuts in the midst of recession mean cutting back on their prescription meds.  Aside from the human rights issue at the level of the individual who is forced to choose between rent, meals and medication, this will likely figure into higher health care costs for the nation in the long run.

“If enough people try to save money by forgoing drugs, controllable conditions could escalate into major medical problems. That could eventually raise the nation’s total health care bill and lower the nation’s standard of living.”

See the full article here.