Americans' confidence in their ability to access and pay for healthcare rose in September, according to a sentiment-tracking index produced by Thomson Reuters.

The Thomson ReutersConsumer Healthcare Sentiment Indexgained one point, climbing from 97 August to 98 in September. The baseline measurement of 100 was set inDecember 2009.

The index, which is based on the Thomson Reuters PULSE Healthcare Survey, has two parts:

• A retrospective component gauges respondents' experiences during the past three months. In September, the retrospective index jumped two points, from 96 to 98. Respondents said they had been less likely to delay or cancel a doctors' office visit and also less likely to delay or fail filling a prescription.
• A prospective component gauges respondents' expectations for the next three months. The prospective index remained stable at 98 in September as respondents expressed more optimism about their ability to pay for insurance and healthcare services going forward.

The Thomson ReutersConsumer Healthcare Sentiment Indexis updated monthly. A full report on the September results is available here.