https://youtu.be/rywUndpE30c?si=caEz2-nqUZxOTd1D
The United States Senate Committee on health, education, labor, and pensions, otherwise known as the HELP committee met at LSU Foundation Building today to discuss ways to make healthcare more affordable for United States citizens.
Healthcare affordability challenges that citizens face include high out of pocket expenses and hidden fees, high prescription drug prices, and skipping necessary procedures due to cost.
According to unitedstatesofcare.org nearly 49% of adults have experienced at least one financial pressure related to a medical bill with 25% of those individuals earning less than $50K a year. In addition to these statistics, 17% of people earning $50K-$100K annually have medical debt. About 14% of people earning $100K or more annually have medical debt.
But do these challenges look the same for younger generations?
The National Institute of Mental Health reports that approximately 15.6% of adolescent hospital visits within the last five years were associated with mental health concerns. In 2022, there were an estimated 15.4 million adults aged 18 or older in the United States with SMI. This number represented 6.0% of all U.S. adults.
“Whether there is going to be something called “mental health parity”; whether someone with a mental illness is going to recieve the same benefits as a physical illness. And until that question was asked, I was just presuming that that would be the case but being asked this question crystallized my thoughts and now I know how to address it to make sure it is the case United States Senator Bill Cassidy said.
Understanding one’s legal rights and doing research in regards to healthcare policies can help Americans make more informed decisions. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health you can call or text the Suicide Crisis Hotline at 988.
