If there is one age group where pretty much all medical costs should be covered, it’s children.
We’re so sad to hear that according to a report released this week from the Health Care Cost Institute, a nonprofit group that looked at 3 billion insurance claims of people with group employer-sponsored health insurance, and it details how families are more and more having to pay for medical expenses out of pocket. It’s actually growing the fastest among Americans 18 and under.
The out-of-pocket expenses for families rose 7% from 2009 to 2010. For insurers, costs only rose 2.6% during that time period. So what the hell is going on?
Here’s another fact for your face: Per person under 65, the average annual spending on health care was $4,255. That’s what people and their insurance companies paid combined. But between 2009 and 2010, that jumped 4.5% for Americans under 18.
So again, what the hell is going on? Are kids just getting hurt more?
Nope. The study suggests it’s price. The average price for an emergency room visit grew 11% from 2009 to 2010. Average inpatient surgical admission prices rose 6.4% with outpatient surgery prices climbing 8.9%.
That’s shocking.
We wonder why the prices are rising? Is it the cost of technology?
You’d think procedures would go down with implementation of new methods and better materials!
Either way, we wish this wasn’t the case. Something needs to be done about it, because this is our children we’re talking about!
Our future!
[Image via AP Images.]
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