Wednesday, May 20, 2015

31M Left Underinsured by High Healthcare Costs: Report

Roughly one-quarter of people with health insurance are paying deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses that are so high they are considered underinsured, a new study has found.

The 2014 national health insurance survey by the Commonwealth Fund estimates that 31 million insured people are not sufficiently protected against high healthcare costs, a figure that has doubled since 2003, The Hill reported. 

The report said that rising deductibles is the biggest problem for those considered underinsured, even with the advent of Obamacare.

"The steady growth in the proliferation and size of deductibles threatens to increase underinsurance in the years ahead," the report warns, according to The Hill.

The survey also found that people who purchase the lowest quality health coverage are also less likely to see a doctor when sick or injured because they fear high out-of-pocket costs.

"People who have high deductibles do tend to skimp on healthcare," the study's lead author, Sara Collins, told reporters, according to The Hill.

According to the report, half of underinsured adults and 41 percent of privately insured adults with deductibles of at least $1,000 had medical bills totaling $4,000 or more. 

Via: Newsmax


Continue Reading....

No comments:

Popular Posts