Oh, the joy of health care costs in America! Where to even start? Year after year, the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) polling data shows a stark reality: a significant chunk of U.S. families find themselves wrestling with the high cost of health care. These costs aren’t just numbers; they make or break decisions about whether to get insurance and when to seek care. In the grand theatre of the 2024 elections, healthcare affordability has taken center stage as the issue most voters want to hear about.

Two Years With CrowdHealth: Happy, Healthy and More Peace of Mind

Me and my family have been CrowdHealth community members for two years and we couldn’t be happier.

TFTC – Truth for the CommonerMarty Bent

The Luxury of Getting Sick: Who Can Afford It?

Imagine this: nearly half of U.S. adults say affording health care is as tough as a steak left on the grill too long. In the last year alone, 25% reported that they or someone in their household had problems paying for health care.. If that's not enough, consider this: about one in four said they had to skip or postpone care they needed because the cost was too high. This delightful scenario affects uninsured adults even more, with a staggering 61% forgoing necessary care due to costs.

Prescription Drugs: Choose Between Medicine and Meals

The saga continues with prescription drugs, where about 21% of adults report not filling prescriptions simply because their wallets said "no." Others, in a burst of ingenuity, opt for over-the-counter drugs as a cheaper alternative. And then, there's the classic move of cutting pills in half or skipping doses to make the prescription last longer. American ingenuity at its finest!

Drowning in Debt: The American Dream Turned Nightmare

As for insurance, you'd think having health insurance would ease these cost woes, but alas, the plot thickens. A whopping 74% of adults fret about unexpected medical bills. Nearly half of those blessed with insurance still fret over paying their monthly premiums. And when it comes to out-of-pocket costs for doctor visits or prescriptions, many rate their coverage as somewhere between "meh" and "why bother?"

As for long-term care, you might as well start playing the lottery now. Nearly six in ten older adults are worried about affording nursing homes or assisted living facilities. These looming financial burdens are tarnishing the golden years. Just thinking about it has me thinking about going to the doctor.

Let’s run through the numbers one more time.

• Approximately 50% of U.S. denizens find it arduous to manage medical costs, with a quarter reporting that they or a household member encountered difficulties settling health-related bills over the preceding year. Individuals of younger age, lower economic standing, compromised health, and those lacking insurance are especially prone to face these challenges.
• The prohibitive cost of health care compels some individuals to defer necessary treatments. A quarter of the populace admits to eschewing or delaying medical attention due to financial constraints over the last year, with a staggering 61% of uninsured individuals foregoing needed care for the same reasons.
• The steep price of prescribed medications deters some from obtaining their prescriptions. About 20% have abstained from filling prescriptions due to cost, opting for non-prescription alternatives or modifying their dosage—such as halving pills or skipping doses—to extend their supply.
• Even those with insurance are not shielded from the financial strain of healthcare expenses. Nearly half worry about affording their monthly insurance premiums, and a significant portion rates their coverage as inadequate concerning out-of-pocket costs for clinical visits.
• A significant fraction of Americans grapple with healthcare-related debt. Around 40% report debts arising from medical or dental services, with debts extending to credit cards, collection agencies, and other financial entities. This burden disproportionately affects individuals of color, women, parents, the economically disadvantaged, and the uninsured.
• Many adults express concern over potential medical expenses, including unexpected bills and the costs of health care services not covered by insurance. Three-quarters of adults are apprehensive about unforeseen medical bills, and a similar percentage worries about the overall costs of health services.

So What Are We Going To Do About It?

At Crowdhealth, we have a totally different model for funding health events. We bypass the health insurance agencies. We got directly to doctors and hospitals and help you negoiate the bills down 50% or more. You pay $500 dollars and the crowdhealds fund the rest. Don't believe me? Take a look.

Join the Crowd today and stop paying insanely high deductibles for no reason. You can use new member code "Healthy" to become a member for the first 3 months for only $89 dollars a month (then it's $185 a month for a single person) Let's fund people. Not health insurance.