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Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Report: Health Costs Overwhelming, Even WITH Insurance

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Monday, March 26, 2007   

If you're dealing with higher co-pays and deductibles for health coverage, you're not alone. According to a new report, high medical costs are a rising problem, even for people with health insurance. Report author Carol Pryor says a quarter of Americans with health coverage have trouble paying medical bills, or are in debt to health care providers.

"Insurers are shifting more and more costs to consumers in the form of higher deductibles, higher co-pays. We found that many people even with middle incomes ended up with medical bills that were simply unaffordable for them, bills that they couldn't pay."

The report finds many with insurance avoid medical treatment due to co-pays and deductibles.

Joeletta Akeman of Cleveland says about half of her family's income goes to health care coverage each week, but she can't afford doctor's visits, and has put off needed medical care.

"Here I'm paying the price to get health care, but not able to use it because of the co-pays and deductibles that you're faced with, and you're really putting off necessary health care that you really should be having."

Mary Margaret Dick of Columbus says she paid for the best insurance she could afford, but when she needed gall bladder surgery, her co-pays left her in debt for two years, and kept her from getting needed follow-up care.

"I did avoid any preventive care, because there just wasn't the money, and because I was trying to pay off what my portion of what the laparoscopic surgery cost."

David Berenson of University Heights has Type 1 diabetes, and needs regular medications and therapy appointments. On his workplace insurance, the co-pays add up fast.

"So, over the course of a number of years, I developed a lot of debt, and it resulted in my having to sell my house. I had my house for almost 10 years before I had to finally sell it to pay off debt."

The report is titled "Illusion of Coverage" and is available at www.accessproject.org.




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