Health Care Costs Among Hardships Weighing On Americans Even In Strong Economy

The Associated Press: Despite Strong Economy, Many Americans Struggling To Get By
Despite a strong economy, about 40 percent of American families struggled to meet at least one of their basic needs last year, including paying for food, health care, housing or utilities. That's according to an Urban Institute survey of nearly 7,600 adults that found that the difficulties were most prevalent among adults with lower incomes or health issues. But it also revealed that people from all walks of life were running into similar hardships. (Skidmore Sell, 8/28)

Bloomberg: Companies Offer Employees Hope With Stem Cell Storage Benefits
As MyCrypto mulled what benefits to offer employees, the new blockchain startup asked them what they wanted. “Surprisingly, we found that the traditional health benefits and 401(k) benefits—they had no interest in those,” said Taylor Monahan, the company’s founder and chief executive. If employees didn’t want two of the biggest reasons to be full-time, what did they want? “They’re early adopters and they’re tech-minded people, so the concept of living forever turns them on,” said Monahan. “That’s how we figured Forever Labs would be a good fit.” (Greenfield, 8/27)

And a heart attack leaves a patient with a massive bill —

Kaiser Health News: A Jolt To The Jugular! You’re Insured But Still Owe $109K For Your Heart Attack 
Drew Calver took out his trash cans and then waved goodbye to his wife, Erin, as she left for the grocery store the morning that upended his picture-perfect life. Minutes later, the popular high school history teacher and swim coach in Austin, Texas, collapsed in his bedroom from a heart attack. He pounded his fist on the bed frame, violent chest pains pinning him to the floor. (Terhune, 8/27)