Several recent reports have found that skyrocketing medical costs and a lack of understanding of the health care system are putting Americans under financial stress in 2022.
although no surprise billTo protect consumers from unexpected bills, many Americans say they still receive unexpected bills, and poor health care literacy makes it difficult for them to know how to deal with high medical bills, the survey found. Another survey found that high medical debt caused them to delay care and forgo other expenses.
Surprise billing
One in five adults said they or a family member received an unexpected medical bill in 2022, despite the federal ban on unexpected medical bills taking effect on January 1, a Morning consultation Survey of 2,210 adults found. Of those who received unexpected medical bills, 22% had to pay more than $1,000.
About a quarter of adults have delayed or skipped medical care this year for fear of unexpected bills, the survey found. This is true for emergency room care, primary care, medical specialist care, urgent care, and mental health care.
Many Americans are unsure if they know what to do with unexpected bills, citing distrust of health care companies and confusion over the No Accidents Act. A full 63 percent of adults say they are confident in resolving unexpected bills they suspect are illegal. This includes 61% of people who have received an unexpected bill in the past.
One respondent said about payers and providers: “[I] It feels like even if I were to contact them about this issue, they would use delay tactics until I gave up and paid the bill. “
“I don’t know where to go for advice or help with my bills,” said another interviewee.
Confidence in knowing the cost of treatment up front varies by care. Americans had the lowest confidence in knowing the cost of emergency room care in advance, at 45 percent, compared with 71 percent in primary care.
There is also a lack of public knowledge of the Contingency Billing Act, with only 16% of respondents saying they have seen, read or heard of the No Contingency Act. CMS creates a website Help educate consumers this year and say they can contact the No Surprises Help Desk at 1-800-985-3059 about unexpected billing issues.
Health Insurance Literacy
Morning counseling results reflect a health insurance literacy survey Healthcare Networkfound that one in four Americans said a lack of knowledge about health insurance led them to receive higher-than-expected medical bills.
The survey surveyed 1,075 US adults under the age of 65.
Half of the respondents believe that co-pays count towards the deductible, while they usually don’t. Only 41% of respondents correctly believe that a low-deductible health insurance plan pays out earlier than a high-deductible plan, while 22% incorrectly believe that if they expect lower medical bills in the coming year, They should opt for a low deductible plan.
Still, the majority of respondents, or 67%, said they were very or somewhat confident they could choose the health plan that best suited their needs.
delayed care
More Americans are delaying non-urgent medical care in 2022 than a year ago because of medical debt. Discover Personal Loans A survey of 1,521 adults found. Those with medical debt — 52% of Americans put off seeing a specialist, 41%, and 31% a doctor-recommended treatment plan.
About half of respondents said it would take more than a year to pay off their current medical debt.
Not only are Americans deferring care, but they are forgoing other expenses that are higher than they were last year. 48% of respondents said they have stopped spending on dining and entertainment in 2022, up from 35% last year. 42% said they skipped the holidays, up from 37% last year. 42% said they only made the minimum payment on their credit card, up from 23% last year. Thirty-six percent said they had skipped adding emergency savings, up from 28 percent last year.
“Consumers are feeling more pressure to make ends meet, and they need to juggle bills,” Matt Lattman, vice president of personal loans at Discover, said in a news release. Things like seeing a doctor or setting up an emergency savings fund can have long-term effects.”
Photo: KLH49, Getty Images
