According to the Commonwealth Fund's latest Biennial Health Insurance Survey, there is a large discrepancy between the uninsured rates for adults ages 19 to 64 across the country's four largest states. In 2014, 30 percent of Texans, 21 percent of Floridians,17 percent of Californians and 12 percent of New Yorkers lacked the proper health coverage. The differences arise from a number of factors such as demographics, the state's uninsured rate prior to the Affordable Care Act coming into effect, whether states have expanded Medicaid eligibility, and the differences in private health insurance cost protection.
Based on the report, more than 40 percent of people living in Texas and Florida claim to have problems paying their medical bills or were in a significant amount of debt in terms of healthcare. In contrast, only 24 percent of Californians and 29 percent of New Yorkers said the same. Texas and Florida have the two highest uninsured rates in the country and have neither expanded Medicaid eligibility to people nor set up their own insurance exchanges. New York and California, on the other hand, have expanded Medicaid, established their own health insurance exchanges and advocated for legislation to make health insurance more affordable.
Although the analysis shows that expanded coverage is necessary to reduce medical financial burdens among U.S. families and improve access to care, the Commonwealth Fund concluded that access to health insurance in only the first step.
When patients are overwhelmed with medical debt, hospitals are also burdened with claims and unmade payments. In order to help healthcare facilities manage an excessive caseload medical claims, Professional Medical Services offers outsource receivables management services, allowing hospital administrators to reduce their backlog and increase operational efficiency.
