Welcome to My Healthcare Dollar!
Medical costs closely tied to bankruptcies
With the continuously rising cost of living and decrease in job availability, medical costs and are becoming even more unbearable for individuals. The effect of our costly healthcare system can be seen in a recent Harvard Medical School study which claims that 62% of 2007 bankruptcies were directly linked to high medical bills, up from around 55% in 2001
Despite the 15% of Americans who are insured, 75% of bankrupt families studied had health insurance. The high copayments, deductibles and uncovered services of health insurance are leaving even solidly “middle-class Americans” behind
What is even more frightening is the very real prospect that these numbers are even underestimates since all of the data is from cases of bankruptcy that occurred prior to the recession. Among the other costly medical issues, not minimal is the effect of insurers’ ability to drop an individual’s insurance when an individual develops a life-threatening illness.
In relation to the study and the soaring cost of healthcare, President Barak Obama has announced an overhaul of the current system.
Saving Money on Health Care
These days, many of us are losing health insurance coverage as employers try to cut costs. Some employers who still want to offer insurance are cutting back by changing to plans with higher deductibles. If you're like most of us, you will have more of your own money at stake in health care, and it will be more important than ever to get the most out of every healthcare dollar. There are several important steps you need to take.Read more...
Finding a Consumer-Friendly Doctor
How many times have you had to take a day off work to see your doctor, and then spent an hour sitting on an uncomfortable chair in a waiting room stocked with eight-month old People magazines? Then, you get into the exam room, take your clothes off, don a torn hospital gown and spend another 20 minutes perched on the end of the exam table. Finally your doctor comes in, spends about ten minutes, writes a prescription, and you can get dressed and leave – with a bill for $125.00. Sound familiar? It doesn’t have to be this way!