Page 13 - IAV Digital Magazine #511

iAV - Antelope Valley Digital Magazine
Nearly Half of U.S. Adults Fear Surprise Bills, Don't Seek Healthcare
By Brian P. Dunleavy
Nov. 30 (UPI) -
- Nearly half of adults in the United States report that con- cerns over unex- pected medical bills keeps them from seeking care, according to a survey by
the American Heart Association.
In addition, more than 40% of respondents indi- cated that if they received an unex- pected medical bill for $1,000, they would not have the money to pay for it, the data showed.
Two-thirds of respondents with private health insurance also said they have received an unex- pected medical bill, and of those, one in three was not able to pay it.
Perhaps as a result, more than 80% of survey respondents would like to see Congress pass legislation to end surprise medical billing, the American Heart Association said.
"Surprise medical bills are a major driver of financial anxiety and dis-
ruption for fami- lies nationwide that are already straining under the weight of an ongoing pandem- ic," said Mitchell S. V. Elkind, pres- ident of the AHA.
"For more than a year, Congress has been consid- ering bipartisan legislation to ensure patients aren't stuck with financially devas- tating bills after seeking care [and] it is long past time for law- makers to stop surprise medical bills," said Elkind, a professor of neurology and epidemiology at
Columbia University.
Patients may get surprise medical bills ranging from hundreds to tens of thousands of dollars after unknowingly receiving care from a healthcare provider, hospital or medical trans- port company that is outside their insurer's coverage network, accord- ing to AHA.
There also have been reports
of high costs for COVID-19 testing and treatment during the pan- demic.
In June, U.S. Rep. Katie Porter, D-Calif., intro- duced legislation i ntended to protect the public from reductions in healthcare cover- age during public health emergen- cies.
"Fear of high medical costs cannot be a barri- er to treatment or care for patients, and that is espe- cially true during
a pandemic," Porter said in a press release at the time.
"Even in the mid- dle of a public health emer- gency, we've
seen major insur- ance companies continue to put their profits before the health of our communities," she said.
Working with the Harris Poll, AHA surveyed 2,045 adults 18 years old and older within the United States online between Oct. 12 and 14.
Among those sur- veyed, 1,318 said they previously received an unex- pected medical bill and 977 had private insurance, the data showed.
Forty-nine percent of the respon- dents said worry- ing about an unexpected med- ical bill keeps them from seek- ing care, and 44% indicated they would be unable to pay an unex-
pected medical bill for $1,000.
Of those with pri- vate insurance, 68% reported that they have received an unex- pected medical bill, the data showed.
Among those with private insurance who did not have money available, 23% said they have yet to pay the bill, according to the survey.
"A patient facing a medical emer- gency such as cardiac arrest or stroke should have to focus only on their immedi- ate medical
needs -- not on whether they'll be able to afford care not covered by insurance," said Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association.
"Americans want Congress to put an end to surprise medical bills, and they need law- makers to act now," Brown said.
iAV - Antelope Valley Digital Magazine