High-deductible health plans prevent some middle-class workers from getting the care they need: photos

Workers whose salary is stable already know that wages have been stubbornly slow to increase. Meanwhile, those who buy health insurance through employment have seen their franchises skyrocket. In fact, says Noam Levey, a journalist specializing in health care at Los Angeles Times, franchises have, on average, quadrupled in the last twelve years. As a result, even some people with health insurance are struggling to afford medical care. We spoke with Levey about his latest report on the impact of the problem on workers and their families.

Highlights of the interview

Why he decided to embark on this project:

We spent so much time arguing about Obamacare over the past 10 years and talking about uninsured people who, I think, lost sight of this quiet revolution that took place with the health insurance coverage of tens of millions of Americans who are covered by an employer. These are the people who have seen franchises increase dramatically – they have quadrupled in the last twelve years, from about $ 350 to $ 1,350 on average. In some cases, people see $ 4,000, $ 5,000, or even $ 6,000 worth of deductibles that they have to pay out of their pockets before their health insurance comes in. Needless to say, many Americans do not have the benefits. ways to pay such bills.

On what he heard while talking to people:

We have heard really heartbreaking stories. We therefore organized a national survey of the Kaiser Family Foundation as part of this project. One of the things we found is that half of Americans who have job-based coverage report that they or a close family member in the past year have delayed treatment at their doctor's office. , have not performed their prescription or delayed another type of medical care of concern over the cost. We found that one in five had used up their savings to pay a medical bill over the past year and one in six said that she had had to make a difficult sacrifice in order to pay an invoice medical.

Some of them were really heartbreaking. We spoke to a 27-year-old chef from West Virginia who was trying to start a family with his young wife. His wife had a miscarriage. They had such huge medical bills that he had to take on two extra jobs and that he was working from 5 pm to 11 pm. Some days.

These are people with health insurance. Previously, we often heard about this for people who did not have health insurance, but in most cases it is middle-class people who earn 75,000 or more. $ 100,000 a year. But if they receive a medical bill of $ 5,000 or $ 6,000 – a family of four, school children – it is difficult for many people to find that money.

On what will follow in his reports

In particular, we will examine how these high franchises pose a problem for people with serious health problems – diabetes, heart disease, and even cancer. We were particularly troubled by the fact that these people should see a doctor, even if they reduce their treatment.

We will examine how these high-deductible regimes exacerbate inequality at a time when it is a major issue for Americans regarding the gains of our economy. If you live pay check and you get sick, it's really hard for this group of people.

One of the other amazing things, and I know that NPR has looked at this a bit, is that the growth of online charities and crowdfunding sources like GoFundMe is primarily driven by people looking to pay medical bills. And one of the amazing things about these people is that many of them have health insurance.

Noam Levey reports for the Los Angeles Times and can be found on Twitter: @NoamLevey.