Hospitals reporting more bad debt from high deductibles insurance policies
Increasing use of high-deductible health plans by insurers is creating financial fallout for hospitals, which are reporting record levels of debt attributed to insured patients who can’t afford to pay bills after a hospital visit or surgery.
According to the Raleigh News-Observer, Duke University Health System has seen interest-free patient payment plans more than double in the past six years, to $43 million in January, largely thanks to rising deductibles, according to Duke CFO Keith Stover.
“It’s something everyone in the country is thinking about,” Stover said. “This stuff is mind-blowing—they really don’t understand their benefits until it’s too late.”
Hospital systems like Duke, WakeMed and University of North Carolina are also reporting big spikes in calls from insured patients asking why they’ve gotten a bill.
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John joined TriMed in 2016, focusing on healthcare policy and regulation. After graduating from Columbia College Chicago, he worked at FM News Chicago and Rivet News Radio, and worked on the state government and politics beat for the Illinois Radio Network. Outside of work, you may find him adding to his never-ending graphic novel collection.