Presidential Hopefuls: Cut Consumer Health Care Costs

By Jason Resendez, on November 19, 2019

Read the full op-ed on Medium

“Throughout the presidential campaign, candidates have devoted significant attention to health care — and for good reason. According to a recent Ipsos-Consumers for Quality Care (CQC) poll, health care continues to rank highest on a list of perennial concerns over retirement, housing, higher education and child care, regardless of party affiliation. As the Democratic presidential candidates prepare to take the stage for the fifth debate in Georgia, they must focus on cutting the high costs of health care squeezing consumers in the Peach State and across the country.

This year, CQC launched its #HealthCareFail campaign, which highlights the health care experiences of real consumers. These stories paint a clear picture: Anti-consumer practices employed by insurers, the lack of transparency in hospital pricing, and increasing out-of-pocket costs for prescription medications are major pain points for consumers across the country.

Right here in Georgia, we’ve heard stories of too many consumers struggling to afford the quality care they deserve. After a routine mammogram, Carrie from Georgia was hit with a surprise bill. Another Georgia consumer, Kim Lauerman, was distraught when her insurer denied a prescribed medication that would help prevent infections during chemotherapy to treat her ovarian cancer. She ended up getting an infection and had to cut her chemotherapy short.”