June 27, 2016
SKIN IN THE GAME:
Patients paying higher share of hospital bills (Robert Channick, 6/27/16, Chicago Tribune)
Patients, even those with employer-sponsored health plans, may face another condition after they are discharged from a hospital stay -- acute sticker shock.Out-of-pocket hospitalization costs rose 37 percent from 2009 to 2013, with the average patient paying more than $1,000 per hospital visit, according to a study conducted by the University of Michigan.Driven by an 86 percent rise in deductibles and a 33 percent increase in coinsurance -- the part of the hospital bill patients are expected to pay -- the out-of-pocket costs are rising faster than health insurance premiums.
The key to health care reform is making consumers bear the costs.
Posted by Orrin Judd at June 27, 2016 8:22 PM
