Report: Uncompensated Care Totals $73B Annually

A new report by HHS found that few uninsured have the financial assets needed to pay potential hospital bills, adding that the uncompensated cost of care to healthcare providers in the United States is up to $73 billion annually, according to an HHS news release.

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The report also found that, on average, uninsured families can only afford to pay in full for approximately 12 percent of hospital stays they may experience.

Of the approximately 50 million Americans who are uninsured, most have virtually no savings, according to the report. In fact, the median financial assets for all uninsured families are just $20. And, even among higher income families, assets are low. Half of families with income at 400-percent of the Federal Poverty Level, or $89,400 a year for a family of four in 2011, have financial assets below $4,100. At the same time, nearly 60 percent of hospital stays result in bills of more than $10,000.

Read the HHS release on the uninsured.

Related articles on the uninsured:
Uninsured Hospital Stays Rose 21% From 2003-2008
More Adults Foregoing Medical Care, Health Insurance Due to Cost

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