Tag: health care costs

High health care costs still “catastrophic” to millions despite insurance coverage

G. Turner
High health care costs - hospital - money - calculator

High price tags for services and drugs remain a problem, despite widening ACA cover, says study. High health care costs can be detrimentally high for millions of Americans, even when they are already covered by insurance plans, says a new study. The price of medical necessities such as an insulin kit, for example, often make them cost-prohibitive. The study was recently published in JAMA and showed that even with insurance coverage, worries about high health care costs remain in place. Even as the Affordable Care Act (ACA) continues to gain…

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Americans with a health insurance plan have half the risk of bankruptcy, study

Marc
Health insurance plan - Man with empty pockets - bankruptcy

New data from the American Bankruptcy Institute shows uninsured people are twice as likely to file. Just as data is being released saying that while most Americans now have a health insurance plan, many remain underinsured, another study’s results have indicated that coverage is still making a difference. The American Bankruptcy Institute has shown that the uninsured have twice the likelihood of filing bankruptcy compared to those with coverage. The research showed that covered individuals whose policy was interrupted were twice as likely to go bankrupt. In fact, the data…

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Doctors seek alternatives to having to accept health insurance

Logan B.
Accept health insurance - Doctor

A growing trend is sending doctors to use monthly membership fees instead of payments from insurers. A growing number of doctors are refusing to accept health insurance in favor of other systems such as monthly membership fees. This has been a response to challenges that they have faced with insurers as well as struggles they’ve seen among their patients. Doctors feel held back by a system encouraging them to consistently see high patient numbers. Struggles with claims processes and rising costs have also frustrated their patients. Doctors feel as though…

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California insurance premiums for health plans could spike by 8%

Nordstrom
california insurance premiums

The rates for 2017 may be noticeably more expensive for residents of the Golden State. California insurance premiums may be heading upward next year according to an estimate that has been produced by the state’s exchange, to the point that the average person would be paying 8 percent more. Should this estimate be accurate, it will double the average increase seen over the last two years. This year and last year, there were increase to California insurance premiums, but they were a notably lower 4 percent. This latest forecasted increase…

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Health insurance and medication is growing more expensive in the US

S.Vagus
health insurance drug medical

Health care costs saw significant growth in 2014 Health care costs saw significant growth in 2014, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The federal agency has noted that health care expenditures are accelerating, with consumers and businesses spending a great deal of money on insurance coverage. As costs continue to grow, consumers are beginning to feel significant financial pressure. Finding a way to reduce health insurance costs is beginning to become a priority for the country, but an effective solution has yet to be found. Centers for…

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