• More Than Half of Calif. Residents are Surprised by Medical Bills

    Posted on July 28, 2014 by in Breaking News

    Life Insurance, Medicare, CJB InsuranceCalifornia Healthline –

    June 26, 2014:

    More than half of California residents are surprised by the cost of the medical services they receive, according to a new survey by TransUnion Healthcare, Payers & Providers reports.

    Details of Survey

    For the survey, researchers polled 7,407 representative residents from all 50 states and Washington, D.C.

    Of those surveyed:

    • About 50% had employer-sponsored health coverage;
    • 18% were Medicare beneficiaries;
    • 12% had individual coverage;
    • 9% were Medicaid beneficiaries; and
    • 4% had military or Veterans Health Administration coverage.

    Findings of Survey

    Overall, 80% of respondents wanted cost estimates for the health care services they used — nearly the same percentage who wanted to receive prompt test results and accurate diagnoses. Meanwhile, 63% wanted to know the full cost of their care and 37% wanted to know what their out-of-pocket costs would be.

    Despite those desires, more than half of respondents said they were confused about their medical bills. In addition:

    • 62% said they were surprised by their out-of-pocket costs; and
    • Only 25% were offered cost estimates before receiving care (Shinkman, Payers & Providers, 6/25).

    California Findings

    In California, 57% of residents surveyed said their medical bills were surprising and just 28% said they had received a cost estimate before undergoing care (Payers & Providers, 6/25).

    However, about 48% of respondents in California said it was easy to find cost information before undergoing treatment (TransUnion Healthcare survey, June 2014).

    www.californiahealthline.org

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