The Impact Of Rising health Care Costs

National surveys show that the primary reason people are uninsured is the high cost of health insurance coverage.
Economists have found that rising health care costs correlate to drops in health insurance coverage.
Nearly one-quarter (23 percent) of the uninsured reported changing their way of life significantly in order to pay medical bills.
In a Wall Street Journal-NBC Survey almost 50 percent of the American public say the cost of health care is their number one economic concern.
In a USA Today/ABC NEWS survey, 80 percent of Americans said that they were dissatisfied (60 percent were very dissatisfied) with high national health care spending.
Rising health care costs is the top personal pocketbook concern for Democratic voters (45%) and Republicans (35%), well ahead of higher taxes or retirement security.
One in four Americans say their family has had a problem paying medical care during the past year, up 7 percent points over the past nine years. Nearly 30 percent say someone in their family has delayed medical care in the past year, a new high based on recent polling. Most say the medical condition was at least somewhat serious.
A recent study by Harvard University researchers found that the average out of pocket medical debt for those who filed bankruptcy was $12,000.00. The study noted that 68% of those who filed for bankruptcy had health insurance. In addition, the study found that 50 percent of all bankruptcy filings were partly the result of medical expenses. Every 30 seconds in the United States someone files for bankruptcy in the aftermath of a serious health problem.

One half of workers in the lowest compensation jobs and one half of workers in mid range compensation jobs either had problems with medical bills in a 12 month period or were paying off accrued debt. One quarter of workers in higher compensated positions also reported problems with medical bills or were paying stability of the whole family.

If one member of a family is uninsured and has an accident, a hospital stay, or a costly medical treatment, the resulting medical bills can affect the economic stability of the whole family.

A new survey shows that more than 23% said that housing problems resulted from medical debt, including the inability to make rent or mortgage payments and the development of bad credit ratings.

A survey of Iowa consumers found that in order to cope with rising health insurance costs, 86% said they had to cut back on how much they could save, and 44% said that they have cut back on food and heating exspenses.....think...about that one.