Study: High co-pays keep more elderly patients from clinic

by Tom Crann, Minnesota Public Radio

St. Paul, Minn. — Elderly patients are less likely go to a clinic for doctor visits or procedures as the cost of the co-payments rises, a new study has found. The study in the current issue of the New England Journal of Medicine shows that even modest increases in copayments will have an effect on elderly patients seeking what's called ambulatory care.

MPR's Tom Crann spoke with Dr. Jon Hallberg wbout what he is seeing on this front in the clinic.