Medical Debt: A Curable Affliction Health Reform Won’t Fix

[eridani]

http://www.pnhp.org/news/2013/june/medical-debt-a-curable-affliction-health-reform-won%E2%80%99t-fix

Among Massachusetts bankruptcy filers in 2009, 53 percent cited illness or medical bills as a cause of their bankruptcy, a percentage that was statistically indistinguishable from the 59 percent figure we found before reform. Indeed, because the total number of bankruptcies had risen, the actual number of medical bankruptcies in the state increased from 7,504 in 2007 to 10,093 in 2009.[7] Surveys by others indicate that the reform had little impact on access to care.

Why are so many Massachusetts residents still suffering medical bankruptcies despite health reform? Although health-care reform cut the number of uninsured in the state by more than half (to about 219,000), much of the new coverage is so limited that serious illness still leaves families with medical bills they cannot pay.

Consider that the cheapest coverage available through the state’s health insurance exchange to a single 56-year-old Bostonian who is not eligible for subsidies (in other words, one who has an income above 300 percent of poverty) costs $4,744 and comes with numerous restrictions on which doctors’ and hospitals’ bills it will pay. If the policyholder is sick, the policy doesn’t start paying bills until after the policyholder has taken care of the $2,000 deductible. The patient also is responsible for about 20 percent of the next $15,000 in medical expenses.

Nationally, the Kaiser Foundation estimates that in high-cost regions like New England, the unsubsidized premium in 2014 under the ACA will run $10,585 with additional out-of-pocket costs adding up to 6,250.[8] Such costs will predictably leave tens of millions with large medical debts and drive more than a million into medical bankruptcy every year.

[tridim]

1. Why? Because HCR isn't fully implimented yet.

PNHP sounds just like Faux News on this one.

[Bluenorthwest]

2. Cite the elements of the bill which when implimented will address these issues,that is

support your assertion. Making an unsupported declaration followed by a characterization of those with whom you are in disagreement reminds me of FoxNews.
I look forward to the information you have on hand.

[tridim]

4. Healthcare costs are already falling in CA due competition in the exchanges.

This will result in healthcare debt falling as well.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/rickungar/2013/05/24/unexpected-health-insurance-rate-shock-california-obamacare-insurance-exchange-announces-premium-rates/

This isn't rocket science.

[eridani]

5. When people don't access CARE because they can't afford it, obviously costs fall n/t

[tridim]

6. That is the whole point of the ACA, which is now LAW.

When competition is regulated by an actual law, costs will drop. Normal people will finally be able to afford health care!
The ACA also provides FREE preventative doctor visits for everyone. I know, just awful huh.

Oddly, nobody at Faux Newz has ever mentioned these facts.

[eridani]

8. Competition in the area of what ought to be public goods causes costs to go UP, substantially

What would happen to your public safety taxes if you had two or three competing fire departments? If a second cardiovascular center opened in a city served by one already, did you think that maybe people are just going to start having twice as many heart attacks? What will happen is that costs will skyrocket due to having to pay off two sets of capital investments with the same patient load.

Here's a clue--competition only works to lower prices when you want MORE of something, like restaurant selection or hard drive memory. It is the worst possible approach to making less of what you want less of, like house fires and heart attacks.

A free physical once a year is great. However, you are SOL if you have a worrisome symptom a month later and can't afford an out of pocket doctor visit to get it checked out--the only kind there are under high deductible plans. You've already been forced to let the insurance company empty your pocket for the month.

[zipplewrath]

10. No

Costs will not drop, and in fact even the White House is admitting this. They are still admitting that the rate of inflation for health care costs will rise at unsustainable rates. The article was about the Massachuettes situation, which no apparent impact on medical bankruptcy. There is nothing in the ACA which will do that either. "Normal people" will still be hit by medical expenses that are uncovered, and beyond their ability to pay, especially after the MANDATED premiums they already have paid.

It is true that there has been a short term reduction in the rate of inflation of health care costs, reduction in RATES of INCREASE. But they are still going up. It isn't even clear whay the rates are slower than anticipated, and there is some suggestive evidence that it may have to do with the inability of people to actualy pay for health care. Recessions will do that.

[Puzzledtraveller]

7. People buried in medical debt now will still be buried in medical debt

Perhaps less people will experience the life shattering effects of massive medical debt due to ACA but did it do anything to address those mired in debt now I think is the issue and concern.

[hobbit709]

3. This will continue until we get actual Health CARE instead of Health Insurance.

[Myrina]

9. Bingo!

n/t

[xchrom]

11. + bingo 2

[leftstreet]

12. +3 Yahtzee!