A new report from the Maine Health Access Foundation finds that Mainers of all income levels have difficulty paying medical costs. The foundation's president, Barbara Leonard, says one in five individuals with family incomes above $50,000 pay medical bills over time."So that let's us know that there are some systemic challenges to how we pay for health care for everyone," Leonard says, "and that costs continue to be an increasing problem."
Leonard says both state and federal policymakers are focused on the price of prescription drugs as a priority in the effort to reduce health care costs.
Mainers with low incomes, no bachelors degree, and Mainers of color face the greatest barriers to health care, the report concludes. Leonard says cost and insurance play a role but aren't the only factors that affect access.
"So it may be they can't get the transportation they need to get to a health care provider or to an appointment," she says. "They may not be able to go for appointments during the hours that the provider is open."
Translation services for deaf patients and those who speak other languages are also important, says Leonard.
The Maine Health Access Foundation says the report underscores the need for action to ensure equal access to health care.
