Health care reform has been a sour taste in the mouths of Americans, for years
our politicians have campaigned for office on the notion of fixing health care
in the US. Well other than the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or as its also
known as Obamacare, we have not really seen any form for reform in the US.
This to me is one of the reasons that American are unaware of the cost
associated with health care at the government level and it’s because one can
say it’s always a bunch of broken promises. I also feel that many Americans
have their own expenses when it comes to health care that they don’t bother to
look at the government level. I found an interesting poll conducted by the
West Health Institute and NORC at the University of Chicago. They polled to
see how Americans felt about the cost of health and how the cost affects their
medical decisions and personal finances.
In the study conducted, many Americans noted that they went without health
care due to cost.
40 percent of those surveyed said they skipped a recommended medical
test or treatment in the last 12 months due to cost, and 32 percent were
unable to fill a prescription or took less of a medication because of the
cost (NORC, 2018).
Over half of Americans say they have received a medical bill for a cost
they thought was covered by their health insurance in the past 12
months, and a similar proportion report receiving a medical bill saying
the amount they owed was higher than expected (NORC, 2018).
Thirty percent report they have had difficulty paying for basic
necessities, like food, heat, and housing, 36 percent say they have had
to use up all or most of their savings, 32 percent report borrowing
money or increasing credit card debt, and 41 percent believe they
decreased contributions to a savings plan because of healthcare
expenses (NORC, 2018).
About half of Americans disapprove of the way their representative in
Congress is handling the cost of healthcare, whereas just 15 percent
approve, and a third neither approve nor disapprove (NORC, 2018).
As noted in the study, Americans have issues paying bills and worrying
about their own health care that they don’t have time to worry about how
the federal government is spending money. Many don’t think the
government is doing enough to care for them and there health care.
NORC. (2018).Issue Brief: AMERICANS’ VIEWS OF HEALTHCARE
COSTS, COVERAGE, AND POLICY.West Health Institute :
https://www.norc.org/PDFs/WHI%20Healthcare%20Costs
%20Coverage%20and%20Policy/WHI%20Healthcare%20Costs
%20Coverage%20and%20Policy%20Issue%20Brief.pdf
