Dr. Bill Hennessey - Health Care

STUDY: 1 IN 3 AMERICANS CAN'T AFFORD HEALTH CARE, PRESCRIPTIONS

The inability to pay for health care has reached a new high in the United States, a new study says.  More than one-third of Americans — an estimated 91 million people — say they couldn't afford to access quality health care if they needed it today, according to the latest West Health-Gallup Healthcare Affordability Index.  Its latest results show that 35% of Americans could not access quality health care if they need it.  Rates were even higher among Black Americans (46%) and Hispanic Americans (52%), results show.  Access to health care remained stable among wealthier Americans but declined significantly among lower-income households.  About two-thirds (64%) of people earning less than $24,000 said they can’t afford health care, an 11-point increase from 2023, results show.  Overall, about 11% of Americans, about 29 million people, are classified as “cost desperate” – meaning they are unable to afford either health care or prescriptions.

For a rising number of Americans their only health care plan is simple: Don't get sick.

An expert on healthcare transparency.  He's the Billing Integrity Officer with CareGuide, a company that fiercely negotiates outrageous medical bills on behalf of patients DR. BILL HENNESSEY