Six in ten can't fund healthcare costs

More than 60% of people in Great Britain say they can no longer afford to pay for some of their or their family's healthcare needs as the cost of living spirals, according to research from Engage Mutual.

Of those struggling to pay, more than a third (43%) questioned can no longer afford regular check ups at the dentist, or treatment for dental problems.

As part of its 3GB campaign, which looks at the changing financial relationships between the three generations of family members, Engage Mutual asked a GB representative sample of 1,948 adults which aspects of their families' healthcare costs they can no longer afford, many of which are typically covered by health cash plans.

Health costs that struggling GB adults can no longer afford:

Dental checks ups 43%
New Glasses/spectacles 43%
Daily vitamins and health supplements 23%
Prescription charges for medicines 20%
Family eye check ups 16%

Families with young children (under 16) are heaviest hit by rises in the general costs of living, with seven in ten (70%) of those questioned finding some health costs unaffordable as a result. More than 41% of these cannot fund dental check ups or treatment and prescription charges are beyond the means of almost a quarter (24%).

The over 55s are also struggling with more than six in ten (63%) lacking the finances to cover some health costs. Of these, 43% cannot afford new spectacles, and13% struggle to pay prescription charges.

Lancashire and the North East are the serious strugglers when it comes to health costs with nearly seven in ten (69%) suffering. Of these, new spectacles top the list as the most common unaffordable cost for Lancastrians (48%), and regular dental check ups are beyond the means of 49% of those struggling in the North East.

The picture in Yorkshire shows more than 50% no longer able to fund some health care costs, with rising costs of living to blame. Of these, 41% are unable to afford dental check ups and new spectacles are now beyond the means of 48%.

In comparison to the rest of England, those living in East Anglia have fewer problems funding their healthcare costs, yet the figures still remain high with more than half (55%) stating they cannot fund some of them.

Karl Elliott, 3GB spokesperson for Engage Mutual said: "With the cost of living on the rise, our research shows a shocking number of people struggling to pay for some quite basic family healthcare necessities.

"Engage is committed to providing a range of simple and straightforward financial products to meet the needs of the modern British family. The Engage Health Cash Plan can help families budget for and meet the costs of everyday healthcare, providing cash back on14 different healthcare benefits and services, such as eye examinations, spectacles, dental checks and treatment and health screening."

Choosing the Select, or basic level of the Engage Health Cash Plan, at £2.40 per week, provides up to £100 cash back on dental costs every year, up to £100 cash back on optical costs every two years, and up to £500 cash back over two years towards acupuncture, chiropractic, osteopathy or physiotherapy treatment. These are in addition to 11 other cash back benefits also offered at this level.