Premiums. Copays. Deductibles. Out-of-pocket maximums.
Is it any wonder that, with all the costs relating to medical care in the United States these days, some people just opt out — even when they have a dire need to see a doctor?
It certainly doesn’t escape the attention of many people currently that having health insurance coverage is far from being a panacea against ruinous amounts of care-related debt.
In fact, a recent media overview of medical debt reports that about 70 percent of all persons across the country facing financial challenges in paying off medical bills are insured.
As immediately disturbing as that is, it also underscores in a big way the lack of any protective cushion at all for uninsured individuals and families in Florida and other states.
A number of studies in recent years have pointed to central flaws in the pricing and delivery of health care services across the United States that make receiving care prohibitively expensive for millions of Americans.
When that pricey care is coupled by hard times facing families, the effect can be financially disastrous. The above-cited overview notes a Federal Reserve finding that fewer than half of Americans have sufficient cash on hand to cover medical emergency costs of $400.00.
Put another way: Footing that bill would require more than 50 percent of Americans to either sell an asset or borrow money (often, sadly, from a credit card) to pay off a medical facility.
It hardly seems an overstatement to say that the American health care system is at a crossroads, especially given that many people incur a troublesome level of debt simply in order to see a doctor when necessary.
High medical debt spurs many collection efforts and is a major cause of bankruptcy filings across the United States.
Any person having questions or concerns regarding medical debt or other debt problems can receive candid and confidential advice from a proven debt-relief attorney.
