Nearly half of Maine households have taken on medical debt in the past two years, even though most were covered by insurance, according to new survey by Augusta-based Consumers for Affordable Health Care.
"What we are seeing is because health insurance coverage is getting more expensive- deductibles are increasing, copays are increasing — that more people, even with health insurance, are struggling to pay for the care that they need," says Ann Woloson, the group's executive director.
The survey also finds that a quarter of households with medical debt owe at least $5,000. State lawmakers are considering several bills to address the issue.
Democratic state Sen. Cameron Reny is sponsoring a bill that would authorize Maine's Prescription Drug Affordability Board to research and report to policymakers how other states are addressing the high cost of prescription drugs.
Reny says she's alarmed at how many Mainers surveyed attribute their medical debt to the cost of prescription drugs.
"Too many Mainers — one in three, in fact — have either postponed filling or refilling a prescription," she says. "They've cut pills in half. Or they've skipped doses of medicine. Or they just did not fill prescriptions at all due to costs. This is not right and it's completely unacceptable."
Another proposal would prohibit medical debt from appearing on credit reports. Lawmakers have also introduced a bill that would establish a medical debt relief program for residents who earn less than 400% of the federal poverty level.
