Brief: What Will Universal Healthcare Actually Require? (Conspirituality podcast)

In 2022, Oregonians passed Measure 111, which amends the state constitution to declare access to affordable healthcare a right for every citizen. As it happens, this was the first ballot Derek voted on when moving to the state.

Now that the long journey to universal healthcare is a reality in Oregon, what does that actually entail? Derek is joined by two members of the nonprofit organization, Health Care for All Oregon: Collin Stackhouse, the Social Media Coordinator, and Rebecca Schoon, an Associate Professor of Public Health at Pacific University, who’s on the board. Together, they map out the journey ahead.
Interview: 

https://www.conspirituality.net/episodes/brief-universal-healthcare-oregon

Bernie Sanders and Ro Khanna reveal bill to ‘cancel all medical debt’ | US news | The Guardian

Sanders and Khanna described the legislation as vital for many families' financial security, as millions of Americans struggle with the burden of medical debt. According to a 2022 investigation by NPR and KFF Health News, more than 100 million Americans, including 41% of adults, hold some kind of healthcare debt. A KFF analysis of the Census Bureau's survey of income and program participation suggests that Americans owe at least $220bn in medical debt.

"This is the United States of America, the richest country in the history of the world. People in our country should not be going bankrupt because they got cancer and could not afford to pay their medical bills," Sanders said in a statement...
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/may/08/bernie-sanders-ro-khanna-medical-debt-bill

hospital bill in the US vs France #usa #france #healthcare #cultureshock...

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/xARgZ7ggIvk

In-network insurance claims jumped after surprise billing ban took effect

The federal No Surprises Act, which shields insured patients from large unexpected medical bills from out-of-network providers, and similar efforts may have also resulted in more providers becoming part of insurers' networks, the data suggests...

https://www.axios.com/2024/02/20/surprise-billing-claims

Opinion | The Ridiculous Medical Bill Brought to You by the Latest Hospital Merger - The New York Times

When hospitals buy doctors' practices, research shows, rates for visits tend to go up as they did for Mr. Finney. Some purchases are essentially catch-and-kill operations: Buy a nearby independent outpatient cardiac center, for example, in order to eliminate cheaper competition...

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/25/opinion/health/health-system-hospital-monopolies.html

Giving birth costs nearly $3,000 with insurance, new study says | PBS NewsHour

The findings underscore that, even as millions of Americans have lost their ability to terminate a pregnancy, giving birth remains unaffordable for many Americans. A previous KFF analysis found that 45 percent of single-person households did not have more than $2,000 available to pay for medical bills. Almost a third of multi-person households similarly lack sufficient cash to cover pregnancy and childbirth's out-of-pocket costs…

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/giving-birth-costs-nearly-3000-with-insurance-new-study-says

The same eye surgery cost husband thousands more than his wife : Shots - Health News : NPR

…Even for hospital-based care, Saint Agnes' overall charges are high for cataract surgery, said Dr. Ira Weintraub, chief medical officer for WellRithms, which analyzes health care prices for employers. 

"The hospital charged three to four times the amount of what this surgery typically costs, which is around $3,000." 

"Nobody gets $9,000 for cataract surgery," he added…. …Saint Agnes Medical Center. It is part of Trinity Health, a nonprofit hospital system headquartered in Michigan with 88 hospitals and 125 urgent care centers across the country. The hospital system brought in nearly $20.2 billion in revenue for the most recent fiscal year…

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/06/27/1107390667/he-and-his-wife-both-got-cataract-surgery-his-bill-was-20-times-higher-than-hers

Americans often "forced" to pay medical bills they don't owe, feds say - CBS News

"Many Americans feel forced to pay medical bills that they have already paid or never owed to begin with," CFPB Director Rohit Chopra said in a statement. "The credit reporting system should not be used as a weapon to coerce patients into paying medical bills they do not owe."…

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/medical-bills-debt-collector-complaints-consumer-financial-protection-bureau/

Unvaccinated hospital patients in Illinois should pay for their covid medical bills, Democrat proposes - The Washington Post

"A person who is eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine and chooses not to be vaccinated shall pay for health care expenses out-of-pocket if the person becomes hospitalized because of COVID-19 symptoms," the proposed bill says...
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/12/07/illinois-unvaccinated-hospital-patients-covid/

First rules to protect patients from unexpected medical bills issued by agencies - The Washington Post

The Biden administration issued rules Thursday to shield Americans from large, unexpected medical bills after patients wind up in emergency rooms or receive other care they did not realize lay outside their insurance networks...
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/surprise-medical-bill-regulations/2021/07/01/7c0deb64-da8b-11eb-8fb8-aea56b785b00_story.html

Trump ordered meatpacking plants open — now, workers are left holding the bag | TheHill

https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/519645-trump-ordered-meatpacking-plants-open-now-workers-are-left-holding-the

1 in 7 American families struggle to pay medical bills - CBS News

In a 2018 national survey, just over 14 percent of people said they belonged to a family struggling with those bills, the CDC reported Wednesday. That's a big drop from nearly 20 percent in 2011 but only slightly less than the proportion who reported the problem in 2016 and 2017. ....
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/unpaid-medical-bills-1-in-7-american-families-struggle-to-pay-medical-bills/

14% of Americans struggle to pay medical bills - Axios

The number of people struggling to pay medical bills has fallen by 5.5 percentage points since 2011, but more than 14% of Americans still had problems in 2018, according to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ....
https://www.axios.com/health-care-costs-americans-struggle-medical-bills-d55cb4ae-ae4c-4096-b99d-60ae6b1c933d.html

Congress is Poised to Stop Surprise Medical Billing. Now a Shady Interest Group is Trying to Tank It - The Daily Beast

Doctor Patient Unity has been targeting lawmakers with radio and TV ads. Now it is sending mailers, warning that rate-setting legislation would lead to a version of socialism.....
https://www.thedailybeast.com/surprise-medical-bill-shady-interest-group-tries-to-kill-last-bipartisan-health-care-bill

Couple Dead In Apparent Murder-Suicide Said They Couldn't Pay Medical Bills - HuffPost

A Washington state couple was found dead in an apparent murder-suicide Wednesday left behind notes revealing that they had been struggling under the weight of medical bills they could not afford to pay.  Around 8:30 a.m., the 77-year-old husband called 911 and said, "I am going to shoot myself," according to a statement from the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office. ....
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/murder-suicide-washington-couldnt-afford-medical-bills_n_5d504322e4b0820e0af6e109

Michigan church pays off medical debts for nearly 2,000 families - The Hill

A church in Michigan says it has purchased more than $1.8 million in medical debts to help almost 2,000 families.
https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/451317-michigan-church-pays-off-medical-debts-for-nearly-2000-families

How this Medicare loophole can lead to surprise medical bills - PBS NewsHour

Patients look to hospital staff to take care of them and help them get better, not to expose them to additional health and financial problems.....
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/economy/making-sense/how-this-medicare-loophole-can-lead-to-surprise-medical-bills

Unvaccinated Oregon Boy Contracts Tetanus, Spends Two Months In hospital For Over $800K In Medical Treatments - Newsweek

Despite the recommendation of doctors, the child's parents refused a second dose of the DTaP vaccination given to the boy during treatment, along with other vaccines. ....
https://www.newsweek.com/unvaccinated-oregon-boy-contracts-tetanus-spends-two-months-hospital-over-1356077

Gunshot Wounds Cost Us Nearly $1 Billion in Hospital Bills Every Year - Mother Jones: Study

Researchers have long known that the impacts of gun violence ripple out far beyond victims and their families. But the price we pay as a country can be hard to measure, because data is hard to come by. (And the National Rifle Association is working hard to keep it that way.) ....
https://www.motherjones.com/crime-justice/2019/01/study-gunshot-wounds-cost-us-nearly-1-billion-in-hospital-bills-every-year/