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【社会人文】加州保健体系破产的十大迹象
#1 Californians Pay A Hidden Tax
Health care providers are shifting the cost of caring for the uninsured – unpaid medical bills – onto Californians with insurance, resulting in a "hidden tax." "When medical bills go unpaid, many health care providers shift the costs onto those who can pay—those with health insurance. This cost-shifting amounts to a hidden tax levied by providers on behalf of those who cannot pay, the uninsured and underinsured." (Peter Harbage and Len M. Nichols, Ph.D., "A Premium Price: The Hidden Costs All Californians Pay In Our Fragmented Health Care System," New America Foundation, 12/2006)
The hidden tax costs $455 per individual or $1,186 per family each year. "This results in an approximate 10 percent increase in health insurance premiums for Californians. More specifically, the average California family with health insurance will pay an additional $1,186 in premiums for 2006. Individuals purchasing insurance will spend about $455 annually in additional premiums." (Peter Harbage and Len M. Nichols, Ph.D., "A Premium Price: The Hidden Costs All Californians Pay In Our Fragmented Health Care System," New America Foundation, 12/2006)
#2 Millions Of Working Californians Don’t Have Insurance
More than one in six Californians is uninsured. That's 6.5 million people. "Six and one-half million Californians were uninsured for all or some of 2005, a number that is as large as the combined populations of nine other states." (Jean Yoon, E. Richard Brown, Shana Alex Lavarreda and Sungching Glenn, Health Policy Research Brief: "One In Five Californians Were Uninsured In 2005 Despite Modest Gains In Coverage," UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, 10/2006)
Californians are denied coverage based solely on their jobs and the medicines they take. “Health insurers in California refuse to sell individual coverage to people simply because of their occupations or use of certain medicines, according to documents obtained by The Times. Entire categories of workers — including roofers, pro athletes, dockworkers, migrant workers and firefighters — are turned down for insurance even if they are in good health and can afford coverage, according to the confidential underwriting guidelines of four health plans.” (Lisa Girion, “Health Insurers Deny Policies In Some Jobs,” Los Angeles Times, 1/08/07)
The majority of the uninsured are working poor. "Of [uninsured Californians] more than two thirds work in full-time jobs. More than three in five of the uninsured earn less than 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL, $33,200 for a family of three in 2006), while more than one in five uninsured are in families making more than 300 percent FPL ($49,800 for a family of three)." (Peter Harbage and Len M. Nichols, Ph.D., "A Premium Price: The Hidden Costs All Californians Pay In Our Fragmented Health Care System," New America Foundation, 12/2006)
Young adults are the most likely to be uninsured. Young adults are the most likely to be uninsured in California; more than 30 percent of those between ages 18 and 34 live without health insurance coverage. (Peter Harbage and Len M. Nichols, Ph.D., "A Premium Price: The Hidden Costs All Californians Pay In Our Fragmented Health Care System," New America Foundation, 12/2006)
#3 The Sick Delay Care
Californians Are Putting Off Medical Care Until They End Up In The ER. "Currently one in five Californians – roughly 7 million people – have absolutely no health insurance. Without it, many people simply put off medical care until they end up in the ER – much sicker and requiring more care than they would have had they been visiting a doctor on a regular basis." (Dr. Barry Simon, "Emergency Rooms On Front Line Of Health Care," Contra Costa Times, 12/22/06)
Emergency Rooms Are By Far The Most Expensive Means Of Routine Care. The cost of medical care for treating a patient with strep throat is $91 at a doctor's office and $72 at a retail clinic, but $328 in an emergency room, according to a study by Health Partners conducted in 2005. (California HealthCare Foundation, "Health Care In The Express Lane: The Emergence Of Retail Clinics," July 2006)
#4 Emergency Rooms Are Closing
Emergency Rooms Are Closing Down – More Than 65 Of Them In California Within A Decade. "More than 65 emergency rooms have closed statewide about a decade and more than two dozen in the last five years." (California Medical Association, Press Release, "San Jose Hospital Shut Down Underscores Need For Proposition 67," 09/08/04)
California Hospitals Shouldered More Than $5 Billion in Uncompensated Care In 2003. "Providing uncompensated care to the 7 million uninsured Californians only adds to the relentless and increasing financial pressures on hospitals. In 2003 alone, California hospitals provided more than $5 billion in uncompensated care (adjusted for cost) to low-income and uninsured patients." ("California Hospitals’ Financial Condition: On Life Support," California Healthcare Association, June 2004)
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作者:admin@医学,生命科学 2011-03-14 17:12
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