The News

washingtonpost.com — House Democrats have charged that hospitals in seven major U.S. cities would be overwhelmed if any of the cities were struck by a terrorist attack, and shortages of emergency room capacity and intensive care beds will grow worse if Bush administration Medicaid changes are implemented. In a survey by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, more than half of 34 hospitals in cities deemed at greatest risk of attack said they had no emergency room treatment space available to accept severely injured patients.

Read Full Article »

time.com — As the economy spirals downward, a series of recent reports forecasts that the country's health-care crisis is about to get worse, particularly for children. A study conducted at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center found that kids who did not have continuous health insurance were 14 times less likely to have regular visits with a pediatrician than those who did. They were also three times less likely to fill prescriptions for necessary medication. A second study concluded that children who were covered by private insurance were over three times more likely than government-insured children to lose their coverage if a parent lost or quit a job.

Read Full Article »

nytimes.com — Many of the 158 million people covered by employer health insurance are struggling to meet medical expenses that are much higher than they used to be — often because of some combination of higher premiums, less extensive coverage, and bigger out-of-pocket deductibles and co-payments. For many people, their coverage may not adequately protect them from the financial shock of an emergency room visit or a major surgery. For some, even routine doctor visits now take a back seat to basic expenses like food and gasoline.

Read Full Article »

businessweek.com — Employer-based health insurance premiums have skyrocketed at a pace that far exceeds the rate of American wage increases since 2000, a new study reveals. According to an analysis of government statistics being released by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation the average dollar amount employees must pay per year for family health coverage went up by 30 percent from 2001 to 2005. During that time, incomes increased by just 3 percent.

Read Full Article »

latimes.com — In a newly released poll, 7 percent of Americans said they or someone in their household decided to marry in the last year so they could get health care benefits via their spouse. The survey found that health care costs outranked housing costs, rising food prices and credit card bills as a source of concern. Twenty-eight percent of those surveyed said they had experienced serious problems because of the cost of health care, compared with 29 percent who had problems getting a good job or a raise.

Read Full Article »

online.wsj.com — Pointing to burgeoning bad-debt and charity-care costs, hospitals are asking patients for upfront payments before they get treated. The bad debt is driven by a larger number of Americans who are uninsured or who don't have enough insurance to cover medical costs if catastrophe strikes. Even among those with adequate insurance, deductibles and co-payments are growing so big that insured patients also have trouble paying hospitals.

Read Full Article »