Medical debt to those with insurance said increasing

Source: Press-Enterprise

More than 2.2 million adults statewide, most of whom were insured, reported having medical debt in 2007, according to a report released today.

The UCLA Center for Health Policy Research found that an average of 13 percent of adults younger than age 65 carried some medical debt, with more than 800,000 owing at least $2,000. The debt was incurred as an estimated 1.6 million adults were insured at the time, the report found.

. . .

Researchers also found that people who owed medical bills were twice as likely as those without debt to delay or go without health care.

Shana Alex Lavarreda, the center's health insurance studies director, said she believes the situation has gotten worse in the two years since data used for today's report was collected. People are so scared of going into debt," she said. "They want to hold on to what little bit of money they have."

. . .

"Current (health care) policies either do not offer enough coverage or offer full coverage at a cost that is too expensive for many people to bear," said center director E. Richard Brown. "The result is that too many people have health insurance plans that leave them financially vulnerable and force them to delay the care they need."

Read more: http://www.pe.com/localnews/healthcare/stories/PE_News_Local_S_debt31.34a4704.html

Count on it.

when many others in the media don't touch any story which puts medical insurance in a bad light.

Kudos to them.

if i get what i need to have done i`ll be close to 20,000 in debt.ten from the last procedures and another ten for the next procedure.

i have insurance.

there's a 60 seat majority. use it.