Medical debt top reason collection agencies call consumers

[Captain Obvious]

Thanks O'bama

This is what the ACA does, been saying it for years now. Costs are shifting to the patient, then ultimately to providers.

This is why the ACA is snake oil.

Repeal it.

http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/01/24/511269991/medical-debt-is-top-reason-consumers-hear-from-collection-agencies

[Peter1469]

The ACA is hard on the middle class. They don't get the subsidies and they are forced to pay for more coverage than they need or want.

[Captain Obvious]

The ACA is hard on the middle class. They don't get the subsidies and they are forced to pay for more coverage than they need or want.

In rural areas where healthcare is under attack by big healthcare (my term, btw) and government subsidies, and where much of our middle class reside, those closures are going to impact them the most.

Somebody pays for these services, be it the patient through premiums or the ACA's increased out-of-pocket costs or the providers through bad debt, which is the crux of this article.

Yes, uncompensated services are partially covered through DSH and other federally funded programs but not all of it and if that margin continues to swing the way of "who pays for it", providers will fold. The urban "mothership" organizations will pull through and benefit from rural closures but those rural people will suffer because they don't have services locally.

And they vote. And they voted and they should continue to vote. For this reason, among others.

[Captain Obvious]

I also have to note that there is now a concept going around in the industry where, remember state budgets? Where federally funded expanded Medicaid programs were funded and now this funding is starting to roll back and states are scrambling to make budget?

One concept being tossed around is taxing providers for these expanded Medicaid programs. Push the cost on to the already taxed provider, which will ultimately reduce services because provision will cease.

That and the managed Medicaid programs which are all the rage now. Shift risk to private industry which will give them an opportunity to make a profit at the providers cost.

It's really a tricky period in our healthcare evolution and I can't say it's optimistic on some levels.