Healthcare costs have been a significant issue in the United States for a while. Approximately 43.4% of Americans are not adequately insured. Even though they have the insurance to cover most of the visits, depending on the type of visit, Americans still end up paying a considerably large amount out of pocket.
This issue has gotten to the point where Americans will outright avoid doctor visits, which could worsen existing medical ailments and potentially lead to more serious implications in the future. Healthcare is also twice as expensive in the US compared to other countries. Although the US may have technologically advanced machinery for procedures, this in part also contributes to those high costs.
Avoiding taking medications because of the costs can have serious implications. Per year, more than 26,000 Americans die due to the lack of insurance coverage for their prescription medications. Approximately half of all insured adults in the US have issues affording the out-of-pocket costs that come with the lack of coverage from the insurance.
Healthcare costs, amongst other things, are also quite high on the list of expenses that Americans have trouble affording. Many deaths and financial issues could be avoided if health insurance covered more of the cost of a visit and avoided high costs to be paid out of pocket.
Author: Arvind Mushti
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