Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Study: Divide Over Health Law Triggers Disparities In Access To Care, Ability To Pay Medical Bills
The national divide over the Affordable Care Act is beginning to affect Americans' access to medical care and perhaps even their ability to pay medical bills, a new study of the country's four largest states suggests. Residents of Florida and Texas, which have resisted expanding insurance coverage through the health law, reported more problems getting needed care than residents of California and New York, which both guarantee coverage to their residents. (Levey, 4/10)
More than 4 in 10 Texans say they鈥檝e had trouble getting needed health care because of its cost, including more than a third of those with health insurance, according to a survey by the New York-based Commonwealth Fund. (Landers, 4/10)
In other news on health care costs -
The steep cost of caring for the elderly continues to climb. The median bill for a private room in a nursing home is now $91,250 a year, according to an industry survey out Thursday. The annual "Cost of Care" report from Genworth Financial tracks the staggering rise in expenses for long-term care, a growing financial burden for families, governments and insurers like Genworth. The cost of staying in a nursing home has increased 4 percent every year over the last five years, the report says. Last year, the median bill was $87,600. (Craft, 4/9)
