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Alan Goforth is a freelance writer in suburban Kansas City. In addition to freelancing for several publications, he has written a dozen books about sports and other topics.
"Employers can offer markedly different health benefit experiences for workers, affecting access to care, the affordability of coverage and the scope of benefits provided," a new report from Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker said.
"People's access to employer-sponsored insurance depends on the availability and cost of coverage where they or a family member work," according to a new report from the Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker.
Out-of-pocket spending for covered drugs would count toward a patient's maximum out-of-pocket and deductible regardless of where such drugs are purchased under the Every Dollar Counts Act introduced by Rep. Greg Murphy, R-N.C.
"Patients deserve the same access to mental health and substance-use disorder services as they do for any other medical condition -- it's that simple," said Dr. Bobby Mukkamala, president of the American Medical Association.
"These priorities, coupled with the growing frustrations our members are expressing, should be a wake-up call for many health care stakeholders who think the status quo is acceptable and that the days of blank checks will never end," said Elizabeth Mitchell, president and CEO of the Purchaser Business Group on Health (PBGH).
Administrative waste costs the U.S. health care system an estimated $350 billion each year. This includes $266 billion that is attributed to administrative complexity and between $59 and $84 billion caused by fraud and abuse.
The proposed pay increase "is a step in the right direction, but it does not negate the compounding effects of rising inflation, record levels of uncompensated care and a growing uninsured population," Charlene MacDonald, president and CEO of the Federation of American Hospitals, said in a statement.