ARTICLE
Almost 24 million Americans with health insurance through their employer spent more than 10% of their earnings to cover premiums and out-of-pocket expenses, a recent study found. During 2016 and 2017, 13.3 million Americans spent more than 10% of their income on premiums, 6.2 million spent more than 10% on out-of-pocket costs, and 4.1 million spent more than 10% on both high premiums and high out-of-pocket costs. On average, households spent $2,200 annually on premiums, while median out-of-pocket costs were $800, with the median spending amount for both combined metrics totalling $3,700 per year. The majority of overweight and obese patients do not receive lifestyle recommendations from their physicians, according to a new analysis. Costs for chronic illness and mental health account for about 90% of the country’s $3.3 trillion annual healthcare expenditures. Clinicians are not providing adequate lifestyle advice about chronic disease, the recent research indicates. For patients with no chronic conditions, only 20% of overweight patients and only 40% of obese patients receive lifestyle advice from clinicians. More than a quarter of Americans struggle with medical bills. How should physicians talk to their patients about medical expenses? Exploration of out-of-pocket costs should be routine. Patients should be screened for financial hardship. With proactive communication and engagement, clinicians can ease the financial burden of their patients. These tips may help doctors approach this difficult topic. Source: https://www.medpagetoday.com/publichealthpolicy/generalprofessionalissues/80047