I have another radio story to share with you….driving to work the other day, I heard a report that 11% of US consumers have cut back on the number of prescription drugs they take or on the dosage of those medications in order to make the prescriptions last longer.

In addition, 22% have reduced the number of times they go to the doctor. The statistics come from a national survey conducted over the summer of 686 consumers by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).

Americans are essentially putting their health at risk in order to save money, according to the NAIC’s press release on the survey.

The point behind the survey, it seems, was to see whether consumers are cutting back on their insurance policies (auto, life, health, and home) as a result of the current economy. The majority are in fact not making changes to any of their insurance policies. Across the board, only between 1 and 4% decided to reduce their coverage in recent months.

So while most people are not turning to their insurance policies as a potential place to save a few bucks, a good chunk of them are willing to forego needed medical attention and prescription treatment as a means of reducing costs. There has to be a better way.