Government
Millions of Americans are underinsured, study finds
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted June 27, 2005
Sixteen million Americans have health insurance but still have medical bills they cannot afford to pay, says a recent Web article published by the journal Health Affairs.
The underinsured experience similar barriers to receiving medical services as the 45 million Americans without any health insurance, such as forgoing needed physician visits or medications, according to the survey of 4,000 adults by Commonwealth Fund researchers.
Current trends in rising premiums, larger deductibles and more cost-sharing are aggravating the problem, the study found.
"Unless this country starts to pay attention to health insurance benefits design, it is going to be harder to distinguish the insured from the uninsured," said fund President Karen Davis.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2005/06/27/gvbf0627.htm.
