Health Costs Hurt Insured Americans, Too

Even Americans with health insurance are ducking the doctor these days as health costs rise and the economy stays queasy, the New York Times reports. Family premiums have doubled in recent years, and out-of-pocket costs have gone up, too: “It just keeps eating into people’s income,” said a utility worker in Tucson whose medical bills have risen by about $4,000 a year.

Meanwhile, salaries have remained stagnant, which forces families to spend about 20% of their income on health care. And that coverage often won't cover health problems that crop up. Parents "are waiting longer to bring in their children," one doctor said. "They say, ‘The kid isn’t that sick; her temperature is only 102.'" (More health care stories.)