The cost of medical care can be a major burden for many people, with a third of adults saying that they or another family member living in their household has not undergone a medical test or treatment recommended by a doctor last year because of the cost. Approximately four out of ten (43%) report that they or a member of their family have postponed or postponed medical care due to the cost. Women are more likely to report postponing or skipping medical care due to the cost than men, and adults age 65 and older, who are eligible for health care coverage through Medicare, are much less likely than younger age groups to say they haven't had a test or treatment because of the cost.People with health insurance continue to worry about the costs of care, as approximately four out of ten worry about paying the health insurance deductible (44%) and more than a third (36%) are concerned about being able to pay the monthly health insurance premium. Among adults ages 18 to 64 who have employer-sponsored or self-purchased health insurance, half of those with plans with higher or higher deductibles say that they or a member of their family have postponed the medical care they needed because of the cost, compared to four out of ten (41).
%) with plans with lower or no deductibles.An astounding 56 percent of consumers across the country say that costs have led to sacrifices in their health care, such as delaying or skipping care, feeling pain, or missing medications. A report shows that for millions of people coverage has increased and prices have fallen, as a result of President Biden's American Rescue Plan, with 2.8 million more consumers receiving tax credits to help with the costs of health coverage premiums.The Kaiser Family Foundation is a non-profit organization based in San Francisco, California that provides reliable information on national health issues. The scorecard recommends that Iowa enact stricter protections against short-term, limited-term health plans and reduce the cost-sharing of high-value services. Colorado scored well in this area, in part because of its measures to identify low-value services through the Center for Improving Value in Health Care.States play an important role when it comes to making healthcare more affordable, and surveys routinely show that consumers view their state government as a key player in solving these problems.
The final section of the scorecard examines states' efforts to make out-of-pocket expenses affordable, since even those with insurance coverage may face financial barriers to receiving care.How can we make health insurance more affordable? To meet this need, there are several options available. One option is to remove the income limit on premium tax credits, establish a federal reinsurance program, or provide federal funding for state reinsurance programs. By isolating insurers from a large fraction of the cost of expensive care, reinsurance can reduce their incentive to keep costs low, particularly when negotiating rates with hospitals and other providers.In addition, concerns about the impacts on fixed-price premiums are no reason to prefer a reinsurance program rather than extending premium tax credits. It takes as little as providing your zip code to get quotes for all the different types of plans in eHealth.
Ultimately, making health insurance more affordable requires collaboration between federal and state governments and private insurers.
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