The Rising Cost of Gas Hurts Kids' Health

High gasoline prices are impacting people in more ways than one. In a recent press release, researchers at the University of Michigan announced that the high price of gas is also taking a toll on children's health care. Unfortunately, many parents are unable to bring their children to get medical help because of the rising cost of gas.

Researchers found that, on a national level, 6 percent of parents delayed getting medical treatment or medications for their children because of the high price of gas. Over 4 million children are affected. The price of gas hits low-income families, and those families who have to travel long distances to get to the physician's office, particularly hard.

When children do not get the medical care, treatment, and medications that they need, their health can decline causing health problems that are even more expensive to treat in the long run. As gas prices continue to increase, researchers are concerned that more and more children will not get the medical care that they need.

Researchers at the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, which is affiliated with the University of Michigan, are proposing that a system is implemented to offset the high cost of gas for those who need medical treatment. Their idea has found support by low-income adults, adults who have chronic diseases, and women.

Additionally, they determined that more than half of the adults they polled supported the idea of a program like this even though they did not have children living in their households.

They have proposed that oil and gas companies join hospitals to fund a program specifically to offset the high cost of gas for parents whose children need medical care or medications. This would provide a win-win situation, allowing the gas companies to give back to the community while helping children at the same time.

"We found that nearly two-thirds of parents polled said they would apply for a gas card program if one were available. A gas-card-for-health program would support families' efforts to safeguard their children's health, and also allow corporations, such as the oil and gas companies, to give back to our communities," said Matthew M. Davis, M.D., M.A.P.P., director of the National Poll on Children's Health.

Many nurses who treated chronically ill children first noticed the relationship between high gas prices and children's health. Researchers noted that gas has climbed above $3 a gallon in 2005, 2006, and for many weeks in 2007. When gas prices increased, clinicians notice a downturn in the rate of families bringing in their children who need regular medical treatment. When they asked these families why they were missing their previously schedule appointments, the most common reason given was the high price of gas.

Source:
http://www.newswise.com/p/articles/view/535306/