A study in Massachusetts that adopted a healthcare reform bill similar to the one proposed by the Obama administration found that people who had insurance still amassed debt. The average price of premiums went up while the amount of services covered decreased. Supporters of healthcare reform believed that medical bankruptcies would be reduced if more people had health insurance. While more people had coverage their actual medical debt increased. The American Journal of Medicine released a study that suggests a reduction in medical bankruptcies was unlikely to go down.
In Massachusetts the premiums for health insurance coverage increased in the two years since they reformed healthcare. The number of people who filed for medical bankruptcy with help of a bankruptcy attorney increased in the state by a third. Insurance companies raised the amount of premiums as well as deductibles. According to the study the average two income family wouldn’t be able to afford the health insurance coverage.
The cost of medical care has gotten so high that many people can’t even afford to go see a doctor and those with health insurance can’t even afford the cost of their care. Medical care costs continue to rise and thousands of people who face medical debt must get the advice of a bankruptcy attorney. Even when all Americans are required to carry health coverage it is likely most still won’t be able to afford the rising costs. Medical debt can be overwhelming but with assistance from a bankruptcy lawyer, a patient may be able to get relief.
