KPLU Local News
(2009-11-19)
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Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler says problems with health insurance are driving up the amount of "uncompensated" medical care at hospitals.
KPLU
It's open enrollment season for many health insurance plans. Some workers are finding their health insurance deductibles and co-pays are going up. Some small businesses are no longer offering employee coverage at all. And that's impacting hospitals, too, according to Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler.
The trend of people no longer being able to afford health insurance has been getting worse over the last several years, says Kreidler. His office has a new study predicting the number of people without insurance will hit 1 million in Washington by the end of 2011. The report also shows a rising number of people considered "under-insured" in Washington.
"One in four people with insurance are inadequately insured, they're essentially one bad diagnosis away from bankruptcy," he says, because they can't afford their deductibles and co-insurance, after a procedure.
That leaves hospitals and doctors with more bills that simply go unpaid. The cost of "uncompensated care" at hospitals started rising sharply in 2002 - and has nearly tripled since then. The problems are more severe in rural areas.
The ripple effect hits everyone. Medical providers raise their rates for customers who are able to pay, so the cost of the under-insured is shifted to everyone else. Kreidler's a Democrat, and in his view, any of the measures under debate in Congress would help.
For a different take on topics of science and health care, check out Keith Seinfeld's KPLU blog.
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