The Commonwealth Fund
March 29, 2004
Health Care Reform a Major Campaign Issue for Voters: New Survey
Percent of adults ages 19-64 with any medical bill problem or outstanding Debt (Problems paying/not able to pay medical bills, contacted by a collection agency for medical bills, had to change way of life to pay bills, or has medical debt being paid off over time)
Income less than $35,000:
62% of uninsured have problems
45% of continuously insured have problems
Income over $35,000:
57% of uninsured have problems
29% of continuously insured have problems
http://www.cmwf.org/media/releases/collins723_hisurvey_release03292004.asp
For the full report:
http://www.cmwf.org/programs/insurance/collins_biennial2003_723.pdf
Comment: For those who are still not convinced that we have a crisis in health care funding, these numbers should be an awakening. Perhaps the most shocking number is the group that is least impacted, those with incomes over $35,000 who are continuously insured. This is mainstream America. These individuals have been relatively complacent since many of them have believed that the crisis in health care coverage has not affected them. But it has. 29% of mainstream America, in spite of continuous health care coverage, have financial problems due to medical bills!
The outrageously wasteful, expensive, and ineffective private health plan industry is no longer providing us with adequate financial security for medical costs. Let’s throw them out and establish our own publicly financed and publicly administered program of health insurance. Now!