Health Care Reform as Bankruptcy Reform

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

I have always thought that instead of talking about health care reform, we should be talking about bankruptcy reform — bankruptcy due to medical expenses not covered by health care insurance.

A  national study in the American Journal of Medicine (May 2009) found that 62 percent of all bankruptcies filed in 2007 were linked to medical expenses.  Of those who filed for bankruptcy, nearly 80 percent had health insurance. According to another published article, about 1.5 million families lose their homes to foreclosure every year due to unaffordable medical costs. NCHC | Facts About Healthcare – Health Insurance Costs

This is consistent with what I have seen in my practice. Too many people have lost everything they spent a lifetime working to acquire due to an illness and health care expenses not covered by their health care insurance. It is heartbreaking to see their pain and suffering compounded by financial devastation.

This new ad from Americans for Stable Quality Care reminds Americans why health care reform cannot wait.