AP: Skimpy insurance seen by Democrats as next health care issue (2016)

FILE - In this June 4, 2013, file photo, Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Wash., speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington. A different health care issue has emerged for Democrats, in sync with the party’s pitch to workers and middle-class voters. It’s not the uninsured, but the problem of high out-of-pocket costs for consumers who already have coverage.“I think it’s going to be the next big problem,” said Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Wash., a leader on health care. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/a65c0ee9b9234ea2b103dc6703f9aead/skimpy-insurance-seen-democrats-next-health-care-issue

By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR
May. 25, 2015 4:01 AM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — A different health care issue has emerged for Democrats, in sync with the party's pitch to workers and middle-class voters ahead of next year's elections.

It's not the uninsured, but rather the problem of high out-of-pocket costs for people already covered.

Democrats call it "underinsurance."

After paying premiums, many low- and middle-income patients still face high costs when trying to use their coverage. There's growing concern that the value of a health insurance card is being eaten away by rising deductibles, the amount of actual medical costs that patients pay each year before coverage kicks in.

FULL story at link.