A quick roundup of the issues driving the healthcare reform conversation.
Week in Review
WHAT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE CUT MEANS FOR SENIORS
Quick takeaway: Seniors who choose Medicare Advantage (MA) plans face a potential $33/month increase in cost-sharing or reduction in supplemental benefits next year.
Digging Deeper: These increased costs will hit vulnerable MA seniors especially hard. According to the research, “Medicare Advantage enrollees were more likely to have incomes below $20,000 per person, live in urban areas, and have lower levels of education.”
What it means: Medicare Advantage is a critical program to more than 33 million American seniors, many of whom live on a fixed incomes and come from historically disadvantaged communities – any increase in out-of-pocket costs next year, coupled with recent inflation will impact these communities.
THE MOST EXPENSIVE STATES FOR HEALTHCARE 2024
Quick takeaway: Unexpected medical bills and the cost of healthcare services are the top two financial worries for Americans this year according to a Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) health tracking poll – 45% of adults are very worried about being able to afford unexpected medical bills, while 39% are very worried about their ability to cover the cost of healthcare services.
Digging Deeper: Four of the top 10 most expensive states for healthcare are battleground states, including: North Carolina, Florida, Georgia, and Arizona.
What it means: With a closely divided electorate going into an Election Year, Gallup reports 39 percent of voters have said they’d be willing to cross party lines to vote for a candidate whose top priority is reducing healthcare costs.
REDUCING HEALTHCARE COSTS AT TOP OF PEW STUDY OF AMERICANS’ CONCERNS
Quick takeaway: A recent study by Pew of Americans’ top policy priorities for 2024 included “reducing healthcare costs” within the top 4 areas of concern.
Digging deeper: This isn’t surprising. More and more Americans are impacted by the rising price of healthcare within the United States – and are looking for solutions from lawmakers.
What it means: The rising cost of healthcare has meant some have had to put off needed care. According to a recent study, 1 in 4 say that in the past 12 months they have skipped or postponed getting healthcare they needed because of the cost.
Spotlight
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