“With gas prices hovering around $4 a gallon, my patients are cutting back on medical care. A 59-year-old woman decided not to have a mammogram this year. At her age, she should be screened for colon cancer, too, but she is holding off until she becomes eligible for Medicare at 65. Despite having some medical insurance as a self-employed cleaning woman, she is pinching pennies by scrimping on preventive care. … Rising deductibles, stiff drug co-payments and increasing prices for just about everything are forcing some hard choices about health. Care that doesn’t strike patients as critical is getting delayed. As the economy squeezes my patients, they are showing up sicker.” (07/23/08)