Our Health Policy Matters

My daughter was sick last week, with a fever and a sore throat.  She has a history of strep infections, and she thought about going to the doctor and getting checked out. But her co-pays went up recently, and she was conscious of the cost.  So she checked her own throat in the mirror, decided that she didn’t see any white spots, and stayed home to recuperate on her own. She’s not the only one treating herself these days.  People are increasingly risking their health by delaying care because of cost – and this isn’t going to change no matter how the Supreme Court rules on the Affordable Care Act. According to recent data from the Department of Health and Human Services Health System Measurement Project , more than 10% of Americans now report delaying care because of cost.  These include: more than 15% of those below 250% of poverty; nearly 20% of those with a disability; 30% of those already in poor health. Many delay care because they don’t h...

My daughter was sick last week, with a fever and a sore throat.  She has a history of strep infections, and she thought about going to the doctor and getting checked out. But her co-pays went up recently, and she was conscious of the cost.  So she checked her own throat in the mirror, decided that she didn’t see any white spots, and stayed home to recuperate on her own. She’s not the only one treating herself these days.  People are increasingly risking their health by delaying care because of cost – and this isn’t going to change no matter how the Supreme Court rules on the Affordable Care Act. According to recent data from the Department of Health and Human Services Health System Measurement Project , more than 10% of Americans now report delaying care because of cost.  These include: more than 15% of those below 250% of poverty; nearly 20% of those with a disability; 30% of those already in poor health. Many delay care because they don’t h...