Are we getting numb to news about rising health care costs? I saw very little pickup of either of the following stories this week:
In the Los Angeles Times, *Workers' Health Insurance Costs Soar*:
Workers with job-based coverage for their families saw earnings rise 3% from 2001 to 2005, while their health insurance premium contribution increased 30%, according to the study by researchers at the State Health Access Data Assistance Center at the University of Minnesota. The average cost nationally of family coverage during the period increased nearly $2,500, to $10,728 from $8,281.
On a Chicago Tribune blog, " Ouch! Health Costs Rise as the Economy Falters":
Slightly more than 1 in 4 Americans (28 percent) report that the recent economic downturn has caused "serious problems" paying for medical care and insurance, according to a new survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation, a California policy group. It’s the third most frequent type of problem people are encountering, behind problems paying for gas (44 percent) and getting a raise or a good paying job (29 percent).Posted by schwitz at May 2, 2008 06:56 AM | TrackBackIn a separate study, also released by the Kaiser Foundation, researchers at the Urban Institute are estimating that a 1 percent rise in the national unemployment rate would throw 1.1 million Americans into the ranks of the uninsured.
Current estimates put the number of people without health care coverage at around 47 million.
That’s what happens during a recession: People lose jobs and job growth stalls. Also, more people end up turning to state programs such as Medicaid or SCHIP (the State Children’s Health Insurance Plan) for health care coverage.
In turn, that puts states in a bind because state revenues drop when unemployment rises (and businesses, by definition, aren’t doing as well). Combine expanded need for public programs with reduced revenues and you have a difficult situation.
Layer on top of that expanding budget deficits in the states and you have a very, very difficult situation.
Who cares about rising health care costs? Lindsay Lohan's coming on Ugly Betty...!
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