Nearly half of consumers say affording medical bills is a hardship them and their family, up 10 points from a year ago, according to a new poll.
The poll released Thursday by the New York Times and CBS News found that a growing number of people say affording basic health care is tougher a year into the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Last year, 36 percent of consumers said paying for health care was a hardship.
Many respondents pointed to growing out-of-pocket costs: 33 percent said those cost have gone up "a lot," 19 percent said they've gone up a little and 39 percent said they've stayed about the same. Just 5 percent reported decreases in out-of-pocket costs. For those who reported higher costs, about three-quarters blamed the increase simply on medical treatments becoming more expensive, rather than more treatment and utilization.
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About a quarter said higher costs are causing them to avoid necessary doctor visits or delay treatment or medication.
The impact of PPACA on health care costs has been a major bone of contention among Americans. Though the administration says PPACA aims to expand coverage and offer cheaper coverage, it generally has done little to control costs for middle income Americans. According to analysis from Avalere Health, for example, the most popular exchange plans — silver — increased premiums by 10 percent on average in 2015.
The New York Times/CBS News poll surveyed about 1,000 people Dec. 4-7.
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