Out-of-pocket costs have become financially devastating for an increasingly large segment of American society, representing people of every background. The need to lower these costs has never been higher.
It is time to come together to advocate for common sense action solutions.
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The Lower Out-of-Pockets NOW coalition comprises representatives from health care, business, patient groups, and a broad range of other organizations that have pledged to work together to advocate for those solutions.
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about the
Coalition
Tens of millions more Americans have health insurance today compared to a decade ago. But even more Americans with insurance cannot afford to use their coverage.
The culprit? Ever-increasing amounts of money Americans just pay out of their own pockets before their coverage kicks in.
In health care, Americans have traded a crisis in coverage for a crisis in out-of-pocket costs.
Health plans with high deductibles, copayments and coinsurance are the leading reason why more and more people in this country are now underinsured, defined as skipping visits to the doctor and walking away from the pharmacy counter without often life-saving medications.
The Lower Out-of-Pockets NOW coalition formed to advance solutions that will bring common sense reforms to out-of-pocket requirements in both public and private health insurance.
+ Interested in learning more about the coalition? Click here.
our principles
Premiums should pay for insurance that actually protects people from ruinous costs. Everyone who pays for health insurance should have access to health care with out-of-pocket costs that are affordable to their family.
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The people most disadvantaged by high out-of-pocket costs are those with modest incomes, people of color, and those living with chronic conditions. Achieving a more equitable healthcare system, where healthcare is affordable to all, requires eliminating this barrier.
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Eliminating out-of-pocket expenses will improve the country’s health and economic well being. Out-of-pocket costs are impossibly high for many Americans and should be eliminated or capped at an affordable limit, regardless of the source of coverage.
Out-of-pocket requirements keep patients from seeking necessary treatments, tests, and services. Health plans can be designed to guard against overuse or inappropriate use while also making healthcare affordable at the point of service.
in the news
Coalition members
