A growing concern: High health care costs continue to strain household budgets of Granite Staters
According to a recent poll of NH residents, more than 70% of those surveyed either delayed or skipped a treatment or procedure due to the high cost of health care.
HEALTH CARE
VITAL SIGNS
By Chris Dugan
According to a recent poll of NH residents, more than 70% of those surveyed either delayed or skipped a treatment or procedure due to the high cost of health care.
Sobering numbers indeed. And indicative of the strain placed on many household budgets by the cost of care and related services in the Granite State.
According to Jake Berry, Vice President of Policy for New Futures, those costs are felt by virtually all members of society. “Across all levels of income and even among those with health insurance, people are struggling to afford their care.”
Vital Signs caught up with Berry recently to discuss the results of a poll conducted last year by the Healthcare Value Hub at Altarum in partnership with New Futures. The survey, which included insights from over 1,300 NH adults 18 years of age and older, was conducted in English and Spanish. In an era when the political divided can be profound, the survey found that when it comes to cost of care, this issue is truly bipartisan. Further, Berry also shared that regardless of political party, many respondents saw a role for government in addressing the issue.
According to another study released by Forbes, Health Care Costs by State 2024 NH ranks 11th in the United States with a spend of $11,793 per person in health care costs. Joining NH among the higher cost states are our neighbors in Massachusetts (3rd at $13,319/per capita), Vermont (6th at $12,756/per capita) and Maine (9th at $12,077/per capita). The state spending the least per capita is Utah ($7,522) with the top spender being the state of New York at $14,077/per person.
Aside from the cost of care-and stop me if you have heard this before – it is not always easy for the average person to access care and understand the system-be it direct care or ones health insurance plan. Elsewhere in the survey, an overwhelming number of those polled also wanted to see more transparency in terms of costs. Things like knowing the total upfront of a procedure before going under the knife, or advance notice of a price hike of a medication from the pharmaceutical maker ranked high on the list.
Among other takeaways in the survey, more than one-third of respondents were aware of hospital acquisitions, such as the recent HCA Health Care’s acquisition of Catholic Medical Center in the Queen City. HCA’s footprint in the Granite State is now at four hospitals with CMC along with Derry, Frisbie Memorial Hospital and Portsmouth Regional Hospital among the more than 200 HCA owned hospitals in 19 states across the country. HCA also operates free-standing emergency rooms in Dover and Seabrook. Among those polled, some reported that due to a merger, their provider was now out of network. Other concerns cited in the wake of mergers included increased waiting time to find a new provider, higher costs, fewer provider choices, and gaps in care.
If there was an enduring theme in the survey, it was the negative impact these high costs are having upon people’s psyches. More than 60% reported being either “worried” or “very worried” about being able to afford medical costs, particularly in an emergency. “The cost issue is one that truly reverberates among everyone,” Berry noted.
Founded over 25 years ago, New Futures works to improve the health and well-being of all Granite Staters through public policy change and civic empowerment. Part of that has long been gathering patient stories and Berry encourages people to reach out to New Futures to share their experiences.
There are also numerous resources for patients seeking information along their health care journey. These include Service Link ServiceLink | New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, the Foundation For Healthy Communities Get Covered – FHC has a navigator program for those on Medicaid, and the NH Insurance Department Health Insurance | New Hampshire Insurance Department which offers a host of programs and services related to health insurance, and hosts the NH Health Cost website.
To view the full report from Healthcare Value Hub at Altarum and New Futures, please visit New Futures | NH Consumer Healthcare Experience.
Chris Dugan contributes Vital Signs, a column about health care and medical issues. You can contact him at duganchris230@gmail.com.
