A new report released Thursday found that medical debt is a big problem with low-income Kansans. The study by the Access Project, a national research and health advocacy organization, and Brandeis University surveyed 1,000 people with incomes of less than $25,000 from four community health centers in Wichita, Garden City and Emporia. It found that nearly two-thirds of the respondents had medical debt, and that debt was hindering them from getting additional medical treatment and was causing credit problems.
Among the report’s recommendations were expanding “safety-net clinics,” restricting the reporting of medical debt to credit agencies, and providing financial counseling. But that sounds like more Band-Aids on a dysfunctional system.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
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21 Comments
I know I’ve told this story several times here, but my grandson swallowed a nickel that lodged in his esophagus. My daughter and her husband’s (he just changed jobs) new insurance benefits didn’t kick in until 3 weeks after the incident. He was in the hospital about 4 hours, it took less than 20 minuts to take it out, they didn’t even have to put in an IV. The total bill was $8,000. They have to pay this out of their pocket, because they make just a little above the poverty level and don’t qualify for any sort of assistance. How will it not affect their credit? How can any young couple afford it when “life happens”? Medical costs are way out of line for those who have little or no health insurance and don’t qualify for assistance. Maybe this is the consequence of substidized health care, because if no one had any sort of coverage, hospitals couldn’t charge what they do.
But those same low-income people will vote with their dying breath for the party of big corporations because of the pseudo-populist “issues” that conservatives throw up at election time–gay marriage, stop-burning-the-flag amendments, keep your guns etc.
Because PL, to the ultra-ignorant right these are the issues that matter. They don’t see their constitutional rights being taken away, they see their constitutional rights being put in a protected place until it is safe enough for them to be returned.
The national survey 25% to 40%? That is a sweeping difference and not one of statical error. When somebody qoutes such a difference, they are really guessing. I’m not saying they are wrong, but they are guessing.
Health Care cost is so high because it is easy for health care providers to charge high amounts because they know insurrance companies and the government will pay it.
I believe the solution should be that people should pay for their own health care out of their own pocket, like the type I diabetes person they had in the article. They failed to mention that the person is most likely exteremly obese and smokes and drinks, and therefore brought diabetes on to themselves.
Now saying that, I believe that the government should pay for castrophic medical care, such as a car accident or the coin lodge in the throat. These are things that happen to people that are by accident and usually cost in the hundres of thousands.
If the government covered castrophic medical bills and the people covers routine medical cost themselves, the cost of health insurrance and the actual cost would decrease substantially.
You’re right, Joe. I can’t imagime how much higher drug costs will go now that Medicare is subsidizing them, the pharmacutical companies aren’t stupid.
Damoon you are right. The pharacutical companies are not in the charity business. They are looking to make moola just like the rest of us.
But greed takes over and then the common citizen get screwed in the process. I honestly believe that greed and selfishness is the #1 cause of most problems in this country.
Damoon agreed. But greed and selfishness is not limited just to corporation and wealthy individuals. Greed and selfishness can also come from individuals who are poor and wanting the government to take care of their every need and for others to pay for it all. Also people who work for the government who want more of your tax dollars so they can continue their job and hire their relatives.
It’s all in in who you think is being selfish. I guess you have to pick a side.
Joe-Type 1 diabetes is most likely genetic. Do you blame my friend, who got it at less than 2 yrs old? Her mother’s milk must have been extra-fatty. She herself is under 100 lbs and works out regularly, but she still needs insulin ever day because her body just doesn’t make it. Other Type 1’s may be overweight, but that is often a result of what their body does with fat to deal with the insulin problem. Type 2 diabetes is the “lifestyle” diabetes, but it was even recently shown to have genetic links. Blame the victim is a terrible attitude, especially in medicine. Lifestyle is a contributing factor to a number of illnesses, but certainly not all of them. How carefully can we separate lifestyle from bum luck? There are a number of different causes for breast cancer- some lifestyle, some genes. I don’t think the answer is blame the victim. I think the answer is preventative care and public health. It would cost less to pay for primary care physicans for low income persons rather than having them rely on emergency rooms as their primary care. Some insurance companies are experimenting with ways of rewarding people for healthy lifestyle choices.
And, according to PL, this is all the fault of the Republican party.
Yep..health care has always been perfect prior to the inauguration of GW. At that second, it went south.
My mind seems to vaguely remember Hillary claiming that health care was a mess when she lived in the White House. How is this possible?
Hillary tried. She tried something. Maybe it wasn’t perfect or even great. But the Clintons tried.
The Republicans killed it. They killed it and burned it and danced in its ashes.
They rejoiced in its death.
So, do I think that Republicans are more to blame than Democrats for the sh*tty health care system we’ve got.
Yer damn right!
PL, in all fairness there were 3 mistakes Hillary made:1) Too many lawyers involved in the process;2) Medicare reimbursement formulas were so flawed and so inflexible, a lot of rural Kansas hospitals would have had to close or raise taxes to stay open;3) Bob Dole went to her with a compromise that would have passed much of the plan, but with the president’s poll numbers so high at that point, she rebuffed him.
Actually Type II diabetes is the more genetically transmittable illness. A child of a parent who has Type II diabetes has a 50% chance of inheriting the vulnerability to that illness. That vulnerability combined with poor diet and obesity leads to bleaker prognosis. On the other hand, the children of a parent who has type I diabetes have a 5% chance of inheriting the illness.
While it is true that diet (behavior) has a significant contribution to a person developing Type II diabetes to malign them for this and engage in “victim blame” seems pretty pointless & sophomoric.
Thanks, genetics.Type II diabetes is something that even a healthy life style won’t prevent one from getting, if they have the genetic marker. It will delay the onset, but not forever. My doctor told me that I would develope it in five years if I didn’t change my habits, eight years if I did.
Either way, it’s a bleak outlook. I can only hope that when I retire, I will have the medical assistance I will need to survive. One doesn’t think about the future, health wise, until it rears up and slaps you around a bit.
We need some form of medical insurance for everybody. Trouble is, what kind wont break the bank?
The American lifestyle has taken it’s toll on our health, but I doubt we’ll change because we’re all too comfortable with the way things are. It’s only when life slaps us in the face that we consider what we’re doing to ourselves.I think someday this country will have move to some sort of socialized medicine. That’s sort of what’s happened with the Medicare drug program. The average American can’t afford the cost of medications and health care with out having it substidized by private insurance or the government, and most can’t afford private health insurance unless they work for a company that will share the cost of the premium, and that’s starting to go by the wayside (Walmart for example).
The problem with health care is that the people who need it, need it to stay alive.Several years ago, I had some dealings with a home health care service that charged the state $50 an hour to provide a worker that was paid $5.25 an hour. Management was terrible! When I complained, I was told that I shouldn’t worry, the state picks up the tab!Many areas of the health care industry have been taken over by crooks whose only concern is how to rip off as much as they can from the state and insurance companies. They do more than steal; they raise costs for everybody and endanger the health of their clients.What we need is a way to provide decent care for our elderly and disabled without the middlemen that our present system(?) contracts, at outrageous prices, to provide incompetent help under incompetent management. It can be done, but will it? It hasn’t yet!
Like I said before, greed underlies most of the problems in this country and money is god.
I’m really confused without Galahad posting here and advising me how to think.
As the author of the report described in this article, I want to clarify the stated range of 25% to 41% of people with medical bill problems. The differences in percentages are because the sample was different in each study and the questions were asked somewhat differently.
The study that found 40% with medical bill problems included only adults between ages 18 and 65. Seniors, who generally are covered by Medicare, were excluded. Because these folks have some insurance coverage, they tend to have fewer medical bill problems. Also, the question survey respondents were asked was “Do you have medical bill problems or accrued medical debt?”
The study that estimated 21% with medical debt included all adults over age 18, so it did include seniors with Medicare. Also, the question asked was narrower — “Do you currently have medical bills that are overdue?”
While the estimates for the number of Americans with medical bill problems or medical debt vary based on the characteristics of respondents and the precise question, all national studies show that the rate of people experiencing problems paying medical bills is very high.
Why wouldn’t the average person have trouble paying medical bills? Unless one is rich, has great insurance provided by an employer, or is covered by Medicaid or Medicare, no one can possibly afford medical care.
When my wife had a stroke, over twenty years ago, her hospital and doctor bills came to a little over half a million dollars. Medical costs have more than doubled since then. Are you sure there’s enough in your checking account to cover that? Most of you who think you’re all covered have no idea how close you are to poverty; all it takes is one big disaster! And they say we don’t have gambling in Kansas!