How Subsidized Healthcare Lowers Everyone's Taxes
When people can't afford health care costs, they avoid or delay medical care, leading to more serious & expensive health conditions, which are more likely to be treated through an Emergency Room.
Subsidised health care plans save taxpayers money, by allowing eligible residents to get care earlier & include access to preventative care. Some calculations show for every dollar spent on health insurance subsidies, we save twelve dollars in Public Funds used to reimburse Hospitals for uncompensated care expenses.
How bad is it?
Roughly 43 million Americans have unpaid medical debt totalling $88 Billion in June 2021. In fact, 58% of bills in collections were medical bills, according to a recently published report on medical debt.
Almost 50% of non-elderly adults have insurance that requires high deductibles and significant out-of-pocket costs with more than 27 million Americans who lack any health insurance whatsoever.
Unaffordable out-of-pocket costs for health care services drive people to postpone non-urgent care or forgo it entirely. A record 25% of Americans say they or a family member put off treatment for a serious medical condition in the past year because of the cost - up nearly 50% since 2001.
Avoiding care can worsen health conditions, delay diagnosis, and increase overall health care costs. Because the uninsured are less likely to seek preventive care, diseases go untreated until they require emergency care.
Hospitals can't turn away emergency patients for non-payment
Even if you owe a hospital for past-due bills, that hospital cannot turn you away from its emergency room.?This is your right under a federal statute called the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA).
One indicator of the stress that delayed care can put on the healthcare system is the use of emergency departments. According to the American Hospital Association, patient visits to emergency departments in community hospitals increased 19% between 2001 and 2016 and has likely climbed to over 20% by today.?
So, who pays the bill?
Well, we all do. Through taxes.
Nationally, nearly 80 percent of providers’ uncompensated care costs were offset by government payments. $33.6 billion in public funds were paid to help defray providers’ uncompensated care costs, caring for the uninsured in 2017.
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This is where Subsidised Benefits Save the Day
In the US, Medicaid health coverage for eligible families is a joint Federal and State-based program that provides free or low-cost health coverage to millions of Americans, including: low-income people, families and children, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with disabilities.
Each state's Health Benefits Exchange is working hard to enroll every qualified resident into the program, which not only provides access to preventative care, but also includes health literacy training, empowering individuals with the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information needed to make appropriate health decisions.
Unfortunately, many people aren't aware that these programs exist, don't believe they qualify, or the enrollment process is just too complex and confusing for them. This leads millions of qualified people to go tragically uninsured, when most or all costs are covered within the program.
Adobe Makes Benefits Enrollment Faster and Easier
LA County Department of Public Social Services achieves a digital makeover with Adobe Experience Manager. “The modernization effort was vital,” states Michael Sylvester, Assistant Director and Chief Information Officer, LADPSS.?
“In many cases it eliminates the need for someone to drive or take a bus to a social services office, wait in line, and interact in person simply to find out what types of programs and services we provide, and how to apply for them.”?Not surprisingly, as the pandemic unfolded, the ability to handle inquiries and resolve problems in a timely manner became crucial.?“Instead of someone spending several hours to get an answer to a question, they could find the information they need on the site in just a few minutes—even over the weekend, when our offices are typically closed for business,” Sylvester explains.
“When visitors come now, they see a warm welcome, followed by clear navigation to the services we offer and benefit program descriptions that are written in plain language and easy to understand.”
Elizabeth Becerra - Division Chief, Communications and Project Management Division,?Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services
Since March of 2021, LADPSS has had 2,562,535 visits to the redesigned website.?LADPSS captured a National Association of Counties (NACo) Achievement Award for its web redesign and functionality.?Elizabeth Becerra, who spearheaded the project, also won a prestigious Service to the Citizen:?Champions of Change Award for her leadership of this project, which recognizes public servants at all levels for their leadership and dedication to delivering an outstanding experience to the public.?
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