Wait, what? Consumers say they're often getting stuck with unexpected medical bills — but many times, they can't even remember what treatment the bills were even for.
According to the Altarum Institute Survey of Consumer Health Care Opinions, 4 out of 10 people received unexpected medical bills, and half of them never received a good explanation for why it happened.
Additionally, 13 percent of those with unexpected medical bills, insurance didn't cover anything, leaving some consumers with the full cost of care.
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The survey results reinforces that consumers need to be more engaged in all aspects of their own care, said Wendy Lynch, director of Altarum Institute's Center for Consumer Choice in Health Care, and the study's author.
"It's not just about safety and effectiveness of treatments, but also about avoiding what could be thousands of dollars in unexplained medical expenditures."
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, while those less confident navigating the system paid more of the bill without understanding what the charges were for.
However, Lynch noted that confusion over costs could be exasperated by aspects of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
"We don't know if consumers have always been hit with unexpected costs, or if this is new. Because [PPACA] puts new pressure on hospitals, it's possible that providers are finding new ways to add revenue by tacking on services."
The Altarum Institute surveyed 1,921 people, all of whom had private health insurance.
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