The American Journal study reinforces earlier work showing that most bankruptcies in the U.S. are due to financial consequences of serious illness. A study reported in early June in health policy journal Health Affairs found that employer coverage may not be much of a guarantee against medical poverty. Research showed that sick people with modest incomes are probably underinsured, even with employer-based coverage. Out-of-pocket spending grew more than one-third from 2004 to 2007, the study said. The news was equally worrisome from the actuarial firm, Milliman, which released its fifth annual Milliman Medical Index.
The Index measures the average yearly medical spending for a typical family of four with employer-provided insurance. This year, the total amount this prototypical family spends on medical care will increase by more than $1000 from 2008—the third year in a row that there has been a double-digit percentage increase in the amount employees spend for health care.
There were a number of workmanlike stories explaining the math behind the Milliman index, such as those done by CNNMoney.com and Reuters. Ditto for stories that reported the bankruptcy study and underinsurance findings. For example, a post by Tara Parker-Pope on her New York Times blog, Well, clearly discussed the key findings of the American Journal study. But there wasn’t much dot connection in this crop of reporting. It’s fine to report studies—but in the middle of a contentious health reform debate, context is super important.
Right now, proposals for taxing benefits, which could ultimately leave more people vulnerable to the kinds of things these studies found, cry out for dot connection. Can’t leave this one up to the economists.
Just outta sheer curiosity, would you please explain why "we, the People" aren't entitled to the same sort of health care that the corpoRat rat-fuckers in the Congress deem themselves deserving of?
Just askin...
#1 Posted by Woody, CJR on Mon 29 Jun 2009 at 10:07 AM
There is a much better fix for health care for taxpayers, patients, businesses, and our national economy unfortunately the health care lobby sees it as a threat to their profits as I am sure you are well aware.
If you like private care, keep it.
For all others.
Without government owned and operated hospitals and clinics substantial cost reductions are not possible.
Government needs to become the basic necessities no frills provider of health care.
The cheapest way to collect money to pay for health care is through a national sales tax, and not by forcing people and companies to purchase questionable insurance to pay excessive costs for services in a failed system.
50 million uninsured people along with every individual and business, who wanted to drop private care and receive free public care and medications, including seniors on Medicare, could do so and the annual costs would still be hundreds of billions of dollars less than the $2.5 trillion spent last year for health care.
#2 Posted by Bill Watson, CJR on Mon 29 Jun 2009 at 11:34 AM
Even Obama acknowledges that government run health care will bring in rationing.
I would go along with it if everyone in both houses of congress are in it just like us. When reviews are done by desk jockeys to say yes or no to a procedure the application should only identify the patient by an id # age and other health conditions. Paying cash should be prohibited by law. This way the rich and poor are on the same level playing field. If money changes hand the doctor and patient should be sentenced to a mandatory 15 years in jail. No if ands or buts. No negotiations at all.
That would keep Ted Kennedy from flying down to Duke to get the top notch care that only a Kennedy could get. The $12.00 an hour nitwit employed by the government would see a number, age, health history and gender. As a 75 year old man suffering from brain cancer he would be stamped 'REJECTED', with a nice note telling the person, I mean number, that you're 75 years old. With limited resources you're life is not worth living and it's not worth saving. Sorry. But don't feel too bad because President Obama said last week that painkillers are a better alternative to surgery. And because we are such a kind and caring society we will load you up with all the pain killers you want. Signed, Goodbye from Uncle Sam.
#3 Posted by MikeM, CJR on Mon 29 Jun 2009 at 11:48 PM