Author Archives: AmyHCN-NYC

Americans with private health insurance are increasingly postponing needed care or foregoing it altogether because of rising out-of-pocket costs. At the same time, public programs are failing to keep up with the needs of the uninsured and those living in … Continue reading →

A settlement intended to increase insurers’ coverage of out-of-network care has instead led to lower reimbursement rates and higher out-of-pocket expenses for families.

Under the Affordable Care Act, those whose job-based coverage is deemed unaffordable by the government will be eligible for subsidized private insurance. However, “affordability” is based only on the cost of individual insurance, meaning that many workers will be unable … Continue reading →

There’s a good chance, because the existing system is unsustainable and there is already momentum for reform. Probably not, because not enough people are mobilized. Possibly, if we play our cards right.

More than half of all personal bankruptcies are caused by healthcare costs; of those bankrupted, two thirds have health insurance. Meanwhile, insurance companies lobby to keep rates high. A provision of the ACA would penalize insurers who spend too much on … Continue reading →

Under our private, insurance-based system, the need to provide (increasingly expensive) health insurance to employees creates a significant obstacle to expansion and hiring. A single-payer healthcare system would eliminate this burden on employers, thus increasing business’ capacity to hire new … Continue reading →

While Medicare and Medicaid negotiate prices for health services–as do governments or regulated insurers in most other countries –the private insurance market in the US creates a free-for-all in which “providers largely charge what they can get away with.” This … Continue reading →

As the Supreme Court prepares to hear testimony on the constitutionality of the ACA, premiums soar and out-of-pocket costs prevent many Americans–even those with health insurance–from getting the care they need. Life expectancy is going down relative to other countries. … Continue reading →

In private academic hospitals in New York City, quality of care varies significantly based on the nature of a patient’s insurance. Those with private insurance are treated in faculty practices and those with public or no insurance in outpatient clinics, … Continue reading →

Despite collecting millions of dollars from the state for “charity care, ” New York hospitals pursue uninsured patients aggressively for unpaid bills, seizing their assets and filing liens against their homes. With little or no oversight, hospitals routinely fail to help eligible … Continue reading →