Why is Less Struggle, Less Comfort?

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that the number of families who struggle to pay medical bills has decreased from 2011 to 2012.
Why are we not rejoicing? This is good, right?
Kathleen Stoll, the Families USA health policy director, says not necessarily.
More than 54 million Americans still feel they cannot manage their medical bills; most of these individuals are considered poor or have limited access to healthcare. While statistically, we see that more people can pay their bills, there’s a concern that it’s because most people don’t have bills to pay due to the commoditization of healthcare.
It’s no secret that unemployment is a serious problem, which also means job-related healthcare is limited. Those without insurance are reluctant to see a doctor at all, foregoing important tests, medications, and general checkups.
So, what does that mean? Is there no hope? Either more families struggle to pay, or are those families are not receiving proper care?
Stoll points out the silver lining: The Affordable Care Act. “I think we’ll see much more dramatic numbers if we look at this for the first six months in 2014, when the expanded coverage provisions of the Affordable Care Act kick in,” she says.

We can already detect some positive changes. Young adults can now stay under their parents’ health insurance until age 26 (it used to be 23), regardless of preexisting conditions. Young families show a parallel drop in the number of families struggling to pay medical bills. There are various personal stories, like that of Abby Schanfield, of young adults with conditions that they’re unsure they could handle without their parents’ help. Now, they have more time to get things in order.
Until these provisions continue to work their magic, the public is making cautious decisions concerning their health. SaveOnMedical.com can help find manageable healthcare for the uninsured. Visit us today.
Sites like ours and Healthcare Blue Book allow patients to shop around for the best price for healthcare. A lower price does not have to mean lower quality. Don’t skip the minor screens, like mammograms, because there are affordable ways to keep yourself healthy.
To see the full article with the CDC survey information, you can click here.