Fall in GP visits and insurance premiums
The Pfizer Health Index 2012, in which 1,000 people took part, also found a “profound” falloff in the numbers attending medical screening to check for cancer, cholesterol or high/low blood pressure. In 2011, half the population participated; In 2012, that fell to a third.
The study found the proportion of the general population with private health insurance now stands at 35%, from a high of 52% in 2005 — with the decline most noticeable among the middle classes.