A research letter in JAMA Internal Medicine highlights the increasing unaffordability of private health insurance for American families, with average costs rising from $3,920 to $4,907 between 2007 and 2019. Click here for article.
The study found that total healthcare spending, including premiums, copays, and out-of-pocket expenses, significantly burdens 180 million families, particularly those with low incomes.
From 2007 to 2019, the financial medical burden increased from 8.4% to 9.8% of post-subsistence income for all families, and from 23.5% to 26.4% for low-income families with private insurance.
The authors call for policy improvements to regulate premiums and control medical costs, especially for families below the poverty line, emphasizing that stronger financial safeguards are needed.
Contributing factors to rising costs include an aging population, drug costs, healthcare service mergers, and increased profits for insurers, suggesting the need for income-based subsidies, better drug price negotiation, and enhanced antitrust scrutiny.
Comments