Medical Bills Linked to 62% of Bankruptcies

Sarah Burke's case puts spotlight on US system

(NEWSER) - Fans of iconic freestyle skier Sarah Burke were shocked by her death in Utah earlier this month —and horrified by the huge bill she racked up during her nine days in a coma . The Canadian star's insurance did not cover the event where she was fatally injured and observers north and south of the border see her bill—initially thought to be $550,000, but now believed to be around $200,000—as an example of the problems with the US health care system, MSNBC reports. But fans and supporters from around the world have picked up the tab, donating more than $300,000 as of yesterday. More»

Even as insurance premium growth slows

(NEWSER) - Employers foisted a lot more health insurance costs onto their employees this year than last, even though premiums only inched upwards, according to an annual survey. Though premiums for businesses rose just 3% this year—their lowest increase in a decade—the cost the average employee was paying jumped 14%, the Wall Street Journal reports. “It’s the first time I can remember when employers have coped with costs by shifting it all to workers,” said the head of the Kaiser Family Foundation, which issued the survey. More»

System 'takes lives and breaks apart families'

(NEWSER) - Despite screeches that a government-run health care program will bump people into an early grave, "it’s a good bet that our existing dysfunctional health system knocks off far more people than an army of ‘death panels’ could, even if they did exist," writes Nicholas Kristof in the New York Times. The current system allows 18,000 “unnecessary deaths” yearly among the uninsured, a study found. That's one person every half hour. More»

(NEWSER) - If you want to see a health care plan that will hike your taxes, increase your medical expenses, and swell the deficit, Steven Pearlstein can name one: "Doing nothing as we continue to search in vain for the perfect plan." For the Washington Post columnist, a somewhat flawed health bill is better than none, and at the moment "the outlines of a good reform plan are there"—universal coverage, controlled costs, and improved quality. More»

Senate measure would let employers cut premiums up to 50%

(NEWSER) - A measure slipped into the Senate’s health care reform bill could cut workers’ insurance costs by up to half if they eat well, lose weight, and quit smoking, the Boston Globe reports. The measure may be key to encouraging Americans to stay healthy without too much government imposition, a major point of contention in the debate. “Money talks,” notes Sen. Judd Gregg. More»