U.S. families struggle with medical debt-study

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N30621461.htm

CHICAGO, June 30 (Reuters) - One in seven families in the United States -- most of which are already covered by health insurance -- are struggling with debt from medical expenses, a study found on Wednesday.

That amounts to 20 million families, many of which report difficulties paying for basic needs like food and shelter because of problems with debt from medical care, the nonprofit Center for Studying Health System Change found in its poll of 25,400 families.

"It was kind of a surprise that it was that high," said Peter Cunningham, a senior health researcher at the think tank and study author.

One striking finding in the study is that two-thirds of those facing medical bills they cannot pay already have health insurance. Unpaid medical bills comprise roughly half of all personal bankruptcies, according to studies.

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[cthrumatrix]

1. striking ....since 2/3'rds polled have Health Insurance ...this is TROUBLE

[LynzM]

2. I don't really find that surprising

Even with medical insurance, we pay more than $100/month (out of pocket!) to treat my diabetes, and when you're only bringing home $1200/month, $100 is a lot of money! That's not even bills, just pharmacy costs. Health care in this country needs work.

[BiggJawn]

3. HAVING insurance and having insurance PAY are 2 different things.

I worked for an outfit that had a Reagan-era MBA for a CFO. Fuck-wad would NOT pay any bill until threatened with collection, figuring that the penalty and interest on 180-plus accounts didn't equal the interest he was making for the company.

Same ReTHUGlican principles spilled over into health care. company was into one of those "self-insurance" scams so popular then, and they would not pay any claims until the employees were put into collections and sued. They'd badger you and stall with requests to "describe the accident". A co-worker actually had a judgement awarded against him before they paid.

Having insurance and getting them to pay in a timely manner aren't the same thing....

[central scrutinizer]

4. "Death Tax"

While the repugs whine about the inheritance tax being a death tax, this is the real death tax that many middle class families face. If you go into the hospital with a real serious illness and have inadequate health insurance, the hospital will end up with everything you own. A 100% "inheritance tax". After the neocons finish destroying Social Security and Medicare and Medicaid, it's going to be awfully crowded living under those bridges.

[Jose Diablo]

9. My sons father in-law died recently

He was exposed to asbestos at work over a long period of time. The company settled a class action lawsuit, which the lawyers got most, and they promptly closed the plant and moved to Costa Rica. It was a textile manufacturer. He was 58 when they closed the only plant in the small southern town.

The father in-law saw what the hospital and doctors were about to make from him dying from asbestos in the lungs and decided to say the hell with it, rather than let his property go to strangers, he decided his wife and daughter deserved what was left. He refused further treatment and died at home shortly thereafter at the ripe 'old' age of 61. No medicare, no medicade, no pension, nothing because he got a 'settlement' of about $7,000 from the lawsuit that was supposed to cover future medical bills from the asbestos. Thats for working 30+ years at the company.

My son paid about $20K to settle-up any outstanding medical bills for him.

In a sense, the fucking system killed him as surely as putting a gun to his head. The hot-shot Atlanta lawyers, the for-profit hospital, doctors, company, politicians, they all had a part.

The company name is Carters, if your interested.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

5. My personal experience with this...

If we hadn't been shovelling out $500 per month in "insurance" a year before my husband's disc surgery last December, we'd have easily afforded the operation.

[dzeih]

6. the "economic boom"...

is all based on huge amounts of debt. And not just the federal debt, the debt of individuals. Credit card debt is higher than ever.

[hunter]

7. You can add my family to that list...

The "healthcare system" in the United States SUCKS even for most people who have insurance.

People in the United States have this fantasy that they are always going to get the "best medical care in the world" and that their medical bills will be paid. They don't discover this isn't true until something bad happens to them.

What we have in the U.S.A is the world's most profitable healthcare system. It isn't even close to being the best when you are talking about an average person's actual health.

[daleo]

8. Very instructive article for Canadian DUers to read

In my opinion, Harper, Klein and the rest would like us to move in this direction. Having a good job, with good benefits is not enough to replace public health care.

On edit - although I am sure most Canadian DUers are well aware of this.