Health Care Affordability? Graded D Or F, Say 3 In 4 Americans
The Gallup-West Health poll sought input from over 5,000 Americans. They were asked to grade affordability, equity, accessibility, and quality in the U.S. health system. Meanwhile, Bloomberg reports that U.S. health insurers are expected to boost prices 6% to 12% next year.
Fierce Healthcare:
Gallup Poll: 75% Of Americans Grade Healthcare Costs As D Or F
Three-quarters of Americans give U.S. healthcare affordability a D or F rating, according to a new poll from Gallup and West Health. More than 5,000 Americans were asked to grade the U.S. healthcare system overall and regarding affordability, equity, accessibility and quality. Overall, 44% of Americans gave the entire system a poor or failing grade. One in three said healthcare affordability deserved an F. (Burky, 10/6)
Bloomberg:
Get Ready For US Health Insurers To Raise Prices Next Year
Benefits brokers expect rate increases of 6% to 12%, according to a survey conducted by BofA Global Research. Increases for employers will be higher than usual as inflation and labor expenses get priced into insurance premiums, analysts wrote. (Tozzi, 10/5)
On Medicare costs —
AP:
Exercise Caution With Zero-Premium Medicare Advantage Plans
Health insurers will flood the Medicare Advantage market again this fall with enticing offers for plans that have no monthly price tag. The number of so-called zero-premium plans has been growing for years, and they can appeal to retirees who live on fixed incomes. Experts say shoppers should exercise caution, because they might find better coverage at a relatively small monthly cost. “It’s not a one-size-fits-all program,” said Melissa Brenner, a broker in Charlotte, North Carolina. “You don’t want to look at a zero plan and just enroll in it.” (Murphy, 10/5)
Stat:
Medicare Tasks A Senior Adviser With Staffing Its New Drug Pricing Division
Medicare has tasked a senior adviser at the agency with assembling a small army of bureaucrats to get its new drug price negotiation program up and running. (Cohrs, 10/6)
More on the cost of health care —
Bloomberg:
Multimillion-Dollar Prices for Gene Therapies Are Fair, Pharma Exec Says
Multimillion-dollar prices for a rival’s treatments with the potential to cure rare diseases are “in the right ballpark,” according to Stuart Arbuckle, chief operating officer of Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc., which is preparing to market its own treatment for sickle-cell disease. (Peebles, 10/5)
Axios:
Hospitals Still Aren't Complying With Transparency Rules
Almost two years after a Trump-era cost transparency rule took effect, many hospitals are flouting a requirement that they post the prices for common goods and services online — with little risk of facing penalties. (Knight, 10/6)
Fierce Healthcare:
JAMA Study Finds Medical Debt A Predictor Of Housing And Food Insecurity
A new study has found a link between patients' medical debt and a higher risk of experiencing housing and food insecurity. Of the 142,000 adults surveyed, 18% held medical debt. Such debt was found to be a predictor of worsening social determinants of health, a recent JAMA study found. Decreases in health status and coverage loss left those surveyed with a 1.7-fold to 3.1-fold higher risk of worsening housing and food security. (Burky, 10/5)
KHN:
Medical Debt Sunk Her Credit. New Changes From The Credit Reporting Agencies Won’t Help
After a year of chemo and radiation, doctors told Penelope “Penny” Wingard in 2014 that her breast cancer was in remission. She’d been praying for this good news. But it also meant she no longer qualified for a program in her state that offers temporary Medicaid coverage to patients undergoing active breast cancer treatment. Wingard became uninsured. She’d survived the medical toll, but the financial toll was ongoing. (Pattani, 10/6)
KHN:
Listen: Medical Bills Upended Her Life And Her Credit Score
Penelope Wingard is tough. She has survived breast cancer, a brain aneurysm, and surgery on both eyes. But saving her life has come at a steep cost. Wingard — who goes by “Penny” — is now free from cancer. But for the past eight years, she has been battling something that has felt just as tough as a chronic illness: medical debt. Symptoms include daily bills in the mail and harassing calls from collectors. And her credit score has taken a hit. She has resigned herself to living with the ramifications of medical debt. (Pattani, 10/6)
