Study: Nearly 16 million insured adults lack adequate health coverage

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

from aha news now:

june 14, 2005

nearly 16 million working-age adults were underinsured in 2003, meaning their out of pocket medical costs exceeded 5%-10% of their income, and they were almost as likely as the nation's 45 million uninsured to go without needed medical care, a new study finds. lower-income and sicker adults were most at risk of having inadequate coverage. the study indicates that without targeted protections, insurance policies that expose patients to costs that are high relative to income are likely to have a negative effect on access and adherence to recommended care, especially for low-income patients and those with chronic illnesses. "given the public policy push and market trends towards higher deductibles, it will be important to track coverage adequacy and care patterns over time," the authors write. the study, by researchers at the commonwealth fund, was published online in health affairs.

http://www.hospitalconnect.com/ahanews/jsp/display.jsp?dcrpath=ahanews/ahanewsnowarticle/data/ann_050614_underinsured&domain=ahanews

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Just heard on the early morning local news several facilities here were going to raise the rates employees pay for insurance, making their costs for this "benefit" to have risen over 11% in 2 years. We get no COL raises here, only yearly merit increases that are set between 2 to 4 %. We knew we were going in the hole but this is terrible. Like my neighbor said, she will soon not be able to afford insurance for herself, much less her kids. I truly believe a portion of insurance costs for employees should be paid by the employer, we are exposed to too many things because doctors misdiagnosis, supervisors put patients in first available rooms instead of isolation, and finally, we deserve this benefit because they sure don't give us much in raises.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Yep and we see all of them daily in the ER.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

What an outrage we can carry on a multibillion-dollar war campaign yet working people remain uninsured. And it's an even bigger travesty that healthcare providers would be among the under and uninsured!!!! HELLLOOO anyone in government see the looming ever-growing CRISIS?????

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Specializes in Telemetry, Med/Surg.
What an outrage we can carry on a multibillion-dollar war campaign yet working people remain uninsured. And it's an even bigger travesty that healthcare providers would be among the under and uninsured!!!! HELLLOOO anyone in government see the looming ever-growing CRISIS?????

I don't understand how the richest country in the world can't "afford" to provide healthcare for all of its citizens! Apparently, the majority of democracies less rich than us do so quite well, without a substantial difference in tax burden. Canada pays less on healthcare per citizen than we do, but lawmakers here pretend it can't be done. It's already being done, but it works to scare people who don't pay attention to the world outside of our borders, apparently. Also, comparing everything to "communism" seems to work quite well, too. Apparently, "caring" is communist.

Speaking of the crisis, I don't imagine that anything will be done until the private pay system collapses in ruins -- then, we'll all realize that "oh yeah, I guess there really is a problem."

My pet peeve is nurses that blame the patient for not being insured -- there's not a lot of them, but the ignorance to this growing national problem just makes my blood boil.

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I don't understand how the richest country in the world can't "afford" to provide healthcare for all of its citizens! Apparently, the majority of democracies less rich than us do so quite well, without a substantial difference in tax burden. Canada pays less on healthcare per citizen than we do, but lawmakers here pretend it can't be done. It's already being done, but it works to scare people who don't pay attention to the world outside of our borders, apparently. Also, comparing everything to "communism" seems to work quite well, too. Apparently, "caring" is communist.

Speaking of the crisis, I don't imagine that anything will be done until the private pay system collapses in ruins -- then, we'll all realize that "oh yeah, I guess there really is a problem."

My pet peeve is nurses that blame the patient for not being insured -- there's not a lot of them, but the ignorance to this growing national problem just makes my blood boil.

The United States has more than enough money to set up a free National healthcare program. The thing is...the "higher ups" don't really give a crap about the health of American citizens. They'd rather give that money to fund a new nuclear power plant than help out people who really need health care assistance in this country.

:o

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Insurance!? What's that? I know that I don't have any. I'm soon going to find out how much it is going to cost to have a gall bladder removed. This is very scary to me. Hopefully it can be removed laproscopically. I've had the gall stones for ten years because I couldn't afford to have it taken care of when they were first diagnosed. Somedays, Canada looks mighty good.

Fuzzy

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I don't understand how the richest country in the world can't "afford" to provide healthcare for all of its citizens!

Too much money spent on other areas for the vast majority of free loaders in this country

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The United States has more than enough money to set up a free National healthcare program. The thing is...the "higher ups" don't really give a crap about the health of American citizens. They'd rather give that money to fund a new nuclear power plant than help out people who really need health care assistance in this country.

:o

There hasn't been a new nuclear power plant in this country in over 20 years. The problem is so many free loaders in this country want something for nothing

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but the ignorance to this growing national problem just makes my blood boil.

yep the ignorance

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Specializes in Case Management, Home Health, UM.

My sister, who was diagnosed with bladder cancer 2-1/2 weeks ago is one of those 16 million. She's been out of work since 2001 and has been unable to find a job since. In the meantime, one of the hospitals who treated her is already demanding payment of their $2,800.00 bill...even though she signed an agreement to pay $75 a month. She had to break down and go to DEFACS yesterday and apply for Medicaid. They told her to come back on the 22nd, for there were no caseworkers in the building to take her application. Is this a travesty or what??? :angryfire

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Specializes in Case Management, Home Health, UM.
What an outrage we can carry on a multibillion-dollar war campaign yet working people remain uninsured. And it's an even bigger travesty that healthcare providers would be among the under and uninsured!!!! HELLLOOO anyone in government see the looming ever-growing CRISIS?????

I don't think they really care. :o

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