Study finds without health reform out-of-pocket health care costs would skyrocket
A new report released this week by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and researched by the Urban Institute projects that over the next 10 years health care costs could skyrocket, going up by more than 35 percent if comprehensive health care reform is not enacted.
"The Cost of Failure to Enact Health Reform" estimates how coverage and cost trends would change in the next decade, painting a startling portrait of what the health care landscape could look like by 2019. The report estimates that, under the worst-case scenario, the number of uninsured in the United States could increase by more than 30 percent in 29 states. Nationally, 66 million could be without health insurance by 2019, according to the report.
According to the study:
"The Cost of Failure to Enact Health Reform" estimates how coverage and cost trends would change in the next decade, painting a startling portrait of what the health care landscape could look like by 2019. The report estimates that, under the worst-case scenario, the number of uninsured in the United States could increase by more than 30 percent in 29 states. Nationally, 66 million could be without health insurance by 2019, according to the report.
According to the study:
- Individual and family spending on health care would jump 46 to 68 percent, with middle-class families hardest hit.
- Businesses would see their premiums increase--more than doubling in 27 states.
- Every state would see a smaller share of its population getting health care through their job.
- Every state would see spending for Medicaid/Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) rise by more than 75 percent.
- The amount of uncompensated care in the health system would more than double in 45 states.
