Think Progress reports that a new study from the Commonwealth Fund shows that the number of Americans forced to pay high medical expenses has grown dramatically since 2003:
The report found that 25 million working-age Americans were underinsured last year, up 16 percent from 2003. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, family premiums have jumped 78 percent since 2001, while wages have only risen 19 percent, barely keeping pace with inflation.
Add that 25 million underinsured to the approximately 47 million Americans not insured at all, and we now have about 72 million who are struggling — and often one calamity away from losing everything.
When people are underinsured, high-priced prescription drugs are typically something that are out of reach. If you are among these 72 million Americans, we encourage you to join the eDrugSearch.com Community to solve your healthcare problems along with others like you, who are ordering their medications safely and affordably from one of eDrugSearch.com’s 37 online pharmacies.
1 response so far ↓
1 Andre King // Jun 15, 2008 at 11:24 pm
I think you have put the facts on the table for all to see. We as a country have always come to the aid of the underserved around the world. Now with 72 million people in this country struggling with the high cost of healthcare it’s time we to address the needs of Americans.
Yes, we have a obligation to the rest of the world but it’s time to put America first and stop the partisan politics as usual. Senators Barak Obama and John McCain both spoke about a secure Israel; it’s time they do something about a secure United States.
Here are some common sense things people can do to make their healthcare dollars go a little further until we have real change in the healthcare policy in this country.
Talk to your doctor and explain to him/her that you don’t have insurance and could he/she give you a discount on the cost of your visit.
Ask how much a procedure cost and ask if there somewhere you could go that might do the procedure for less?
Ask your doctor for samples of the medications that are being prescribed to you.
Call around to different pharmacies before you take in your prescription. Prices vary widely from one pharmacy to the next. NYS Dept of Health has a website that allows you to compare prices of medications. Check, other states may have similar websites.
Take advantage of Prescription Assistance Programs that are available.
I should have mentioned this one first. Eat properly and exercise. You can avoid many health problems by taking care of yourself.
No I’m not telling people “just eat cake”. There is a big fix that needs to happen but until it does, these are a few things that can be done today that will have an immediate impact.
Leave a Comment