Menu

ManageHealthCareCosts.com

Our purpose is to educate, inform, & equip businesses, individuals & legislators to become educated healthcare consumers about costs and care. We want to make you aware of useful information that IS available, how to find it, and how to use it.

header photo

Blog Search

Blog Archive

Comments

There are currently no blog comments.

Health Care Costs

According to an April 9, 2018 article by Tom Purcell, cost is what ails health care.

‘I’m lucky to have health insurance, but I still can’t afford to go to the doctor.”

“Ah, yes, you speak of a growing problem in health care. According to NextAvenue.org, between ‘a third and a half of people age 45 to 59 and a quarter of those 60+ went without needed health care in the past year due to its cost.’ That was the finding of a recent survey by West Health Institute and NORC at the University of Chicago.”

“My health insurance used to cover most of my costs. Now I have extremely high deductibles that require me to pay hundreds and hundreds of dollars out of pocket before the insurance coverage kicks in. That’s making me avoid going to the doctor.”

 

“You are not alone. According to the findings, nearly half of the 45 to 59 year olds surveyed ‘did not go to the doctor last year when they were sick or injured.’ Nearly half skipped recommended medical tests or treatment.”

“It’s even worse than that. Due to the expensive deductibles and co-payments, I stopped getting my annual physical. I know an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, but I simply can’t afford preventive care.”

“That certainly isn’t good. One doctor told NextAvenue.orgthat chronic diseases, such as hypertension and diabetes, are huge problems for millions. He said that early detection and intervention can address them, but left untreated they can lead to heart disease, kidney failure and a risk for getting a stroke.”

“I tell you what may give me a stroke: opening the stacks of bills I get for any medical treatment I do receive! It’s always way more costly than I expected it to be.”

“That’s also a growing problem. The survey found that ‘54% of Americans say they received a medical bill in the past year that they thought was covered by insurance [but wasn’t] and 53% got one where the amount they owed was higher than expected.’”

http://cumberlink.com/opinion/columnists/purcell-cost-is-what-ails-health-care/article_3927f2f8-02ba-58eb-bbd6-8d06b3febb28.html

Go Back

Comments for this post have been disabled.