All Entries Tagged With: "underinsured"

CMW News: Insured cancer patients struggle to afford treatment

Patients with cancer undergo many expensive treatments and tests and often find themselves bankrupt even if they have insurance, according to a new report.

The report, released by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the American Cancer Society followed 20 typical cancer patients. Of those patients, nine had insurance through an employer, one paid for employer coverage through COBRA, seven had individual insurance, two received coverage through a state high-risk insurance pool, and one became uninsured. [more]

Survey shows more Americans unable to afford prescriptions in 2007

In a recent issue of Case Management Weekly we reported that the Center for Studying Health System Change, a nonpartisan policy research organization, found that one in seven Americans under age 65 went without a prescription drug in 2007 because they could not afford it. The study found this problem has been mounting; in 2003 only one in 10 Americans said they couldn’t afford their prescriptions.

Not surprising, people who were most likely to be unable to afford their prescriptions were uninsured and suffering from a chronic condition. Without their medications, their conditions were likely to worsen, causing them to seek expensive medical treatment. The study also found, however, that insured Americans were not immune to prescription pricing troubles. One in 10 Americans insured by their employer reported going without a prescription because of cost, also up from the last study in 2003.

This is an issue we will probe deeper in the April issue of Case Management Monthly. Until then, what are you seeing at your facilities? Do you see an increasing number of the uninsured, or underinsured, forgoing their prescriptions as a way to save money? What is this doing to your readmission rates?

Source: The New York Times