Now the Insured Are losing Access to Health Care

You’ve heard it before; People want to take control of their own health care and make those difficult medical decisions once left to highly trained doctors. Patients will be able to watch closely over their health care spending, even in a half conscious state during surgery, saving the system buckets of money. There’s only one problem. Insurance companies don’t give a damn. That fact was bore out in this recent story from Reuters about a survey by the Center for Studying Health System Change:

In a striking finding, the survey said although those without insurance were more likely to report going without care, those with insurance had a greater percentage increase in unmet medical needs. "It's not a pretty picture, especially for insured people, who are increasingly finding that the access to care once guaranteed by insurance is
declining," said Peter Cunningham, co-author of the study.

Cost was the biggest obstacle to care for both the insured and the uninsured, the study said. For the insured, individuals
said they were unable to get their health insurer to pay for treatment, or that a doctor or hospital would not accept their insurance.

Surprised? You shouldn't be since this is well know in the industry and by patients who have suffered through this cruel inhumane system.

So next time someone brings up the Republican plan to privatize the health care system and depend on being treated fairly in the free market, remind them that it doesn’t guarantee access or affordability.

Here are the other important life threatening facts everyone should know:

About 20 percent of the U.S. population delayed or were unable to get access to medical care when they needed it in 2007, up from 14 percent four years earlier.

About 9.5 million more people went without medical care in 2007, compared with 2003, the nationally representative survey released by a nonpartisan policy group

At the same time, medical costs - driven by drugs, hospital and doctor fees -- have risen at least twice the rate of inflation for several years, making it more expensive for those with insurance to afford care.