ANN ARBOR, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--According to a new study, 4 out of 10 people received unexpected medical bills, and half of them never received a good explanation for why it happened. In addition, for 13% of the people with unexpected medical bills, insurance didn’t cover anything leaving some consumers with the full cost of care.
These results, taken in response to a recent, widely-discussed New York Times article about “Drive by Doctoring”, are part of the Fall 2014 Altarum Institute Survey of Consumer Health Care Opinions, the seventh semiannual survey conducted by Altarum Institute’s Center for Consumer Choice in Health Care (CCCHC). The surveys collect information on consumer beliefs and preferences about health care.
The survey also showed that consumers who had more confidence navigating the health system were more likely to either get the bill covered or receive a good explanation regarding the bill. Those who were less confident navigating the system paid more of the bill without understanding what the charges were for.
In addition to collecting information about unexpected medical bills, the survey also collected data on consumers’ perceptions of their role in health decisions, where they get and how they use health information, and other aspects of health and health care experiences.
The survey asked 1,921 people, all of whom had private health insurance, such as PPO or traditional indemnity insurance. The sample was taken from adults 18+ across the nation, with an average age of 47.
“We don’t know if consumers have always been hit with unexpected costs, or if this is new. Because the ACA puts new pressure on hospitals, it’s possible that providers are finding new ways to add revenue by tacking on services,” said Wendy Lynch, director of CCCHC, and the study’s author. “This survey reinforces why consumers need to be more engaged in all aspects of their own care. It’s not just about safety and effectiveness of treatments, but also about avoiding what could be thousands of dollars in unexplained medical expenditures.”
CCCHC recently launched the new Altarum Consumer Engagement (ACE) Measure to assess levels of consumers’ health engagement in their own health care. Consumers with high ACE Measure scores in this survey were more likely to have used a cost comparison tool than those with low scores.
For information on the ACE Measure, please visit www.altarum.org/ACEMeasure and for complete study results, please visit www.altarum.org/CCCHC.
Altarum Institute (www.altarum.org) integrates objective research and client-centered consulting skills to deliver comprehensive, systems-based solutions that improve health and health care. Altarum employs more than 400 individuals and is headquartered in Ann Arbor, Mich., with additional offices in the Washington, DC, area; Portland, Maine; and San Antonio, Texas.
