Rising healthcare costs have delayed access to healthcare for more Oregonians since 2019, according to a report from the Oregon Department of Health.
Healthcare costs have risen over the past decade due to inflation. The pandemic has also caused costs to skyrocket due to staffing shortages, the expansion of behavioral health care and the suspension of non-emergency services, the report said.
Nationally, 38% of adults report delaying medical care in 2022 due to medical costs.
According to the report, healthcare and health insurance costs accounted for 23% of household spending in Oregon in 2020, continuing an upward trend since 2018, with costs growing faster than the national rate. I’m here.
Economic barriers to health care have delayed some people, particularly working-age adults and Hispanic or Latino individuals, from receiving the services they need. said the report.
People of color, people in rural areas, and low-income individuals and families face more barriers to access to quality health care, including lack of economic stability, transportation and nearby service availability I am experiencing
Some delay healthcare and have worse health outcomes, while others incur medical debt. His 10.2% of Oregonians reportedly spent all or most of their savings on medical bills in 2021.
Oregon People Most Affected by Rising Health Care Costs
Rising health care costs primarily affect uninsured working-age adults in Oregon. Among those with insurance, those with Medicaid (Oregon Health Insurance) and private health insurance were more likely to delay treatment than those with Medicare.
In 2021, 9.2% of Oregon 19-34 year olds, 9.8% of 35-64 year olds, and 5.2% of 65+ year olds reported medical delays due to cost, the report shows. increase.
According to the OHA’s Sustainable Health Care Cost Growth Goals program, Oregonians of color experience more financial barriers in accessing health care. Those of more than one race, or of Hispanic or Latino descent, were most likely to report delaying treatment because of cost.
Native American and Alaska Native Oregonians, who make up 1.9% of the population, were the third most likely to report medical delays due to cost.
Whites, who make up 74% of Oregon’s population, report the least difficulty in paying for health care.
What drives rising healthcare costs?
The net cost of private health insurance represents the cost of health insurance for Oregonians, whether it’s a commercial health plan, a Medicare Advantage plan, or an Oregon health plan. This cost per person increased by 38.7% from 2019 to 2020.
These costs were partially due to the low number of claims made during the pandemic as people were paying monthly premiums even though they weren’t seeking non-urgent health care. .
The average annual per capita cost of Medicare in 2020 was $1,360, up 64% from the previous year. For Medicaid, these costs increased by 49.5% to $424 per person in 2020.
Insurers expect inflation to continue to drive up costs as people seek access to medical care that was denied them during the pandemic.
Insurers also attribute rising costs to rising pharmaceutical costs and increased inpatient services.
Efforts to expand and improve access to behavioral health care in Oregon have increased spending on behavioral health care, driving up costs for patients.
Providers say hospitals, in particular, are trying to maintain operations as they try to encourage workers to stay or join health care workers through workforce retention and recruitment.
In 2021, the Oregon Hospital and Health System Association reported that hospital labor costs increased by 20%.
OHA Sustainable Health Care Cost Growth Targets Program: A public hearing will be held on May 17 to discuss the report, analyze high medical costs, and discuss ways to ease the financial burden.
Sydney Wyatt covers health inequalities in the Mid Willamette Valley for the Statesman Journal. Send her comments, questions and tips.SWyatt@gannett.com(503) 399-6613, or Twitter@sydney_elise44
Some of the Statesman Journal’s coverage of health care inequities is:MJ Murdoch Charitable Trustseeks to strengthen the cultural, social, educational and spiritual foundations of the Pacific Northwest through capacity-building investments in the nonprofit sector.