ACA Subsidy Expiration Drives Up Healthcare Costs For Patients

First at 530 health insurance hurdles sticker shock hitting families where it hurts right after the holidays the Affordable Care Act Subsidies just expired sending premiums going higher on top of that prescription drug prices are jumping and more than 350 medications Got more expensive overnight. We're talking everything from vaccines to cancer drugs Very few drugs are seeing any cuts at all for many families It's coming down to any or rather an impossible choice pay up or go without coverage today I sat down with a Metro Detroit doctor and a patient to hear how people are coping with this health care crisis It's going up far as yeah health insurance Food you see more people using emergency rooms instead of seeing doctors if they don't have health insurance Yeah, you see a lot of that or urgent care for like myself as a patient Bridget field says there's now an increasing pressure To cover costs associated with medical visits due to the Affordable Health Care Act Subsidies running out move not to renew them at the federal level also on the radar of dr Ali Shueto owner of the Heights urgent care in Dearborn Heights try to really feel for what our patients are going through He says with millions potentially being unable to afford health insurance He expects more people to rely heavily on ER visits and urgent care in his case Cash options for payments have felt like a lifeline for some ten to fifteen percent of the whole day We have patients that come in that are cash pay patients or do not have Health insurance at his clinic on telegraph He says patients are still getting the same level of expert care that are able to avoid what can be a steep cost for premiums I also visited other facilities hearing more of the same concerns from patients Particularly those needing treatment a lot of people are not employed anymore I can't afford it or don't qualify for Medicare programs or Medicaid programs and government funded programs Another factor according to fields comes down to practicality along with affordability while still prioritizing health urgent care is a little bit more It's not as busy as emergency The doctor says it is always crucial not to ignore your health now I did reach out to federal lawmakers on both sides today who plan to spend more time Addressing these issues that will continue next week when session resumes and Simon you mentioned it. They're neglecting Your health a bit is the doctor war is he worried people are doing that? He is worried that people will just stop going to the doctor stop seeking treatment altogether He says don't do that because something can really spiral out of control You got to keep up with your health one way or another