Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Dr. Kim Mulvihill Reporting New research shows health care costs are eating into family budgets in a big way.
If you haven't already signed up for next year's health insurance, you're in for a shock.
Hope Timberlake: "Across the board, all copays are higher, all premiums are higher and we still have to fight hard to get benefits."
A new study reveals how the financial burden has grown especially hard on Americans under the age of sixty-five.
Since 1996, nearly twelve million more of them were spending ten percent or more of their family income on healthcare. Today, most experts believe the situation has only gotten worse
Kevin Grumbach, M.D., UCSF & SF General Hospital: "You find not just the uninsured but middle class people who can't get access to their blood pressure treated. I mean basic things so they have a stroke because they don't get adequate primary care for their high blood pressure."
The research found the risk is highest for people who are self-employed and buy their own health insurance--or for anyone who has a chronic health condition. Also at risk are individuals who have group health insurance.
Larry Leavitt, Kaiser Family Foundation: "Someone who is facing that really tough economic decision about ‘do I go to the doctor and pay a hundred or several hundred dollars or do I wait for this to go away?' that's not always the best judgment."
Some very controversial health plans now being offered may only contribute to the underinsured. They're called Consumer Driven Health Plans and the monthly premiums are low. These plans have very high deductibles, meaning consumers have to play a lot upfront before their insurance even kicks in.
