Drew Altman, Kaiser Family Foundation
Dec 9, 2019
Reproduced from Kaiser
Family Foundation; Chart: Axios Visuals
People who are
in the middle of a health crisis often are at an especially high risk for
surprise medical bills, according to previously unreleased data from the Kaiser
Family Foundation.
The big
picture: The new data underscore the importance of a legislative
solution to help patients who are powerless to protect themselves.
Details: People having
surgery or receiving mental health and substance abuse treatment at an
in-network hospital are the most likely to experience a surprise bill from an
out-of-network provider.
·
Among people with employer-based insurance, out-of-network
charges were 50% higher among heart-attack victims than for other diagnoses.
·
21% of women undergoing mastectomies experienced out-of-network
provider charges.
My thought
bubble: It’s hard to imagine many patients who are so prepared and
insurance-savvy that they could protect themselves from an out-of-network bill
in the middle of a heart attack.
Why it matters: It doesn’t
take a headline-sized bill to wreak havoc on family budgets.
·
Half of the American people say they would have to borrow
money or go into debt to pay a $500 medical bill, or wouldn’t be
able to pay it at all.
·
Unexpected medical bills are the public’s top health cost
concern, ahead of deductibles, premiums, drug costs, and even paying
the rent or the mortgage.
·
People with major medical conditions and chronic illnesses are most likely
to experience problems paying their medical bills.
The bottom
line: Congress is torn between two competing ideas solving this issue
and settling payment disputes between insurers and providers. Each plan has its
own implications for premiums and industry negotiations, but for patients, just
getting a fix is the most important thing.
https://www.axios.com/surprise-hospital-bills-emergency-heart-attack-6cd3a8cd-6466-4a73-89a3-973c48ee3093.html
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