Healthcare reform may not reduce medical bankruptcies, study suggests

[tpsbmam]

Source: LA TImes

<snip>

Studying medical bankruptcies in Massachusetts, whose recent healthcare reform was a model for national reform, researchers found that while new insurance rules increased the number of people who had coverage, those rules did not improve coverage -- leaving many still struggling with medical debt.

Proponents of the national healthcare reform passed into law last year have claimed that it would reduce medical bankruptcy in the United States by helping more Americans get insurance. This new study, which was published Tuesday in the American Journal of Medicine, suggests that a reduction in bankruptcies is unlikely.

<snip>

The paper cited the example of the least expensive coverage available to a 56-year-old Bostonian in 2009. Such a policy carried a premium of $5,256 and a deductible of $2,000, and covered only 80% of the next $15,000 in costs for covered services. The authors calculated that an insured couple with an income greater than $44,000 (above the eligibility threshold for subsidies) could pay $20,512 for covered annual medical expenses.

Woolhandler said insurance in Massachusetts had become even more expensive in the two years since. "It's really too much money for the average family -- especially if the breadwinner is the one who gets sick," she said. Uncovered services could make costs even greater, the study reported.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/health/boostershots/la-heb-obamacare-insurance-costs-03082011,0,7832154.story

---

The researchers & authors of the study were Dr. Steffie Woolhandler and Dr. David Himmelstein were professors at Harvard when the study was conducted and are now public health professors at City University. They co-founded Physicians for a National Health Program.

[no_hypocrisy]

1. A public option would.

[No Elephants]

10. As would medicare for all, or single payor.

[Matt Shapiro]

21. A public option might reduce medical bankruptcies, depending

on how strong the option is. Expanded and Improved Medicare for All -- universal single payer health care -- WOULD COMPLETELY ELIMINATE THE PROBLEM!

This is a no-brainer.

Call your member of Congress. Urge her/him to co-sponsor HR 676!

[riderinthestorm]

2. How many times was this repeated over and over during the HCR debate here on DU??

I truly hope nobody is surprised at this "Late Breaking News".... :banghead: :banghead:

[golddigger]

3. Maybe the blue links will show up and tell us

how wrong this article is.

[woo me with science]

9. Advertisements on DU should be clearly labeled as such.

Keep repeating it.

[Kennah]

4. The number of bankruptcies, medical and otherwise, avoided or detered is likely to be very small

Big Three of bankruptcy are medical bills, job loss, and family break-up.

Sometimes one causes another: lose your job, can't make the COBRA payments, get sick or hurt, can't pay the bills, collectors calling, start fighting with the spouse

Hat Trick Bankruptcy

Health care reform ain't done shit about the lack of jobs.

[JanDutchy]

5. Learn from EU, for example The Netherlands

In NL everyone is covered by the health care insurence system, which is based on solidarity.

[Jokinomx]

6. That is because it isn't healthcare reform...it's Health INSURANCE reform...

All it does is change a few rules. Insurance companies still are in the business for profit and profit only. They will continue to find loopholes in the laws, they will continue to deny coverage for some.

We need to get insurance companies out of the equation. period.

[No Elephants]

11. It's barely reform of health insurance. It protects health insurers and health care providers

from losses due to aging of Boomers who are under 65 and also from aging of Boomers into Medicare eligibility. The timing was no coincidence, IMO.

Sure, some bits to help the public were included as well.

[KansDem]

12. Indeed...

We need to get insurance companies out of the equation. period.


We need real healthcare reform, and not toady to the insurance companies...

[colsohlibgal]

7. Duh!

'Obamacare" funnels even more cash to the blood sucking 3rd party insurers and does little to contain costs - which I thought was the aim of reform.

Sadly it all became more proof, as if a lot of us needed it, that big money runs things in our now currupt beyond belief political system.

The fact that so many people seem unwilling or unable to think and connect the dots is distressing to me on a daily basis.

[woo me with science]

8. WE TOLD YOU SO. nt

[No Elephants]

13. NS S. These things were well known to Obama and his advisors and to Congress while Obama was

running for office.

[Iliyah]

15. Come on

every negative thing will be put out to the media, including, but not limited to news papers, internet and media. Sure its not P E R F E C T. I would prefer Health Care for all but that will not happen at least for 20 years or more b/c too many people are fighting it.

[Maine_Nurse]

14. We wish prices were like that here. Somebody has got to fix this stuff...

For a healthy youth, under 24 years old, our lowest price open-purchase plan is $890 per month with a $12k deductible, then pays 80%. In your mid 40's, it rises to about $1300 per month.

Once we started regulating insurance prices, all but 3 companies pulled out of the state and we got screwed.

[Turbineguy]

16. It wasn't meant to

It's meant to make some people rich, others poor and still others dead.

That's what The GOP wants and enough people vote for them to make it work that way.

[bvar22]

17. I expect to see Medical Bankruptcies INCREASE.

Did you know that in civilized countries, the term "Medical Bankruptcy" is unknown?

To fully appreciate how BAD the Health Insurance Reform is,
simply compare it to what is taken for granted in civilized countries.

"Thank GAWD it passed!"
"It is Historic Reform."


Think it is bad NOW?
Wait until 2014 when the MANDATE kicks in,
and 40 MILLION (70+MIllion?) Americans are forced to BUY junk Health Insurance they can't afford to use.
They WILL blame the Democrats,
and rightly so.
The Democrats passed a Republican Health Insurance SCAM without forcing the Republicans to take ANY responsibility.
"Democrats" will be unelectable for a generation.

"Thank GAWD it passed."



Who representsd THIS American Majority?
"By their works you will know them."

[divine_truine]

18. the Patient's Rights & Affordable Care Act needs to be made stronger!

This healthcare law is ready to be strengthened when 'elected' people start doing there f#@king jobs rather than kowtowing to private health industry lobbyist (koch-whore minions) continually! On the healthcare debate, republicans are full of hypocrisy! and their only defense is to distort & mislead their constituents who are easily manipulated by their 'obamacare' rhetoric & their incessant lying about govt (which is essentially the PEOPLE!) being the enemy. Americans who chose to vote gop/teabaggery know this: those republicans who you vote for to represent you RECEIVE A BENEFIT PAID FOR BY YOU IN THE FORM OF CADILLAC HEALTHCARE PLANS FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES INCLUDING THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS! Your republican state/federal rep/senator (and a complicit sucky media i.e. fux nooz, cnn, some msnbc shows but not all) have mislead you for two years. Now, instead of their promise to focus on 'jobs' back in the 2010 midterm elections, what is their primary objective? attack women & women's health services with their fake abortion propaganda, attack unions, falsely claim the american people gave them this 'mandate' to slash and burn social services and have the nerve to say 'we're broke; the country's broke' when wall street crooks fleeced the american people of trillions in bailout money for their white-collar corporate crime/ ponzi scheme and those same criminials have not been brought to justice.

[Yo_Mama]

19. I was told by a Canadian

That medical bankruptcies there were about as common as in the US. (The broadest measure used in one commonly cited study was "did the filer have unpaid medical bills").

So I am sure that you are right about medical bankruptcy and our current reform attempt. The exchange coverage offered will leave many moderate income people with severe illnesses/injuries stuck with 5K - 14K of expenses. Many won't be able to pay. The 70/30 feature just isn't that good at all.

Edit: I went to google on Canadian medical BK rates, and I found this:
http://www.fraseramerica.org/commerce.web/product_files/HealthInsuranceandBankruptcyRates_US.pdf

The person who originally told me that is very reliable, but I have no first hand knowledge.

[24601]

20. "You fucked up - you trusted us!" n/t

[closeupready]

24. Obama and Biden promised to reform bankruptcy laws to help those with medical debts.

(during their campaign) We see where that's gone. :eyes:

[chill_wind]

22. Surprise, surprise. K & R. n/t

[xchrom]

23. recommend