Cutting Back

Now, the personal cuts are beginning to hurt.  And harm.

Consumers Cut Health Spending as Economic Downturn Takes Toll

As the credit crunch threatens to throw the economy into a deep slump, Americans are already cutting back on health care, a sector once thought to be invulnerable to recession. Spending on everything from doctors' appointments to preventive tests to prescription drugs is under pressure."The number of prescriptions filled in the U.S. [...]