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Insurance companies don't insure the unemployed for free. They're either paying their own premiums, or they're on medicaid/medicare. If they're on medicaid, it
by rgbrenner 10y ago
Insurance companies don't insure the unemployed for free. They're either paying their own premiums, or they're on medicaid/medicare. If they're on medicaid, it was paid for by the state/fed government from taxes... not from insurance premiums paid by someone else.
- maxerickson 10y agoThe cost of Medicaid and Medicare may show up in insurance premiums. http://kff.org/report-section/uncompensated-care-for-the-uninsured-in-2013-a-detailed-examination-cost-shifting-and-remaining-uncompensated-care-costs-8596/ http://kff.org/report-section/uncompensated-care-for-the-uni... There are other discussions of cost shifting that will make more aggressive claims; I've chosen to link Kaiser Family Foundation because I think they are pretty credible.
- rgbrenner 10y agothe amount potentially associated with uncompensated care cost shifting is only 2.3 percent of private health insurance costs in 2013.
- maxerickson 10y agoSure, it doesn't explain the high cost of care. But the $21.1 billion out of $84.9 billion is a pretty big chunk of the unmet costs.