OPINION
Peoria Times
Councilmember Denette Dunn discusses health care
BY DENETTE DUNN
Peoria City Councilmember
Arizona families with a dispropor-
completely or falling into debt to re-
viding their elected leaders with a
tionate impact on low-income and mi-
celve care.
nority communities.
Digging further into the research,
roadmap on how they would like to see policymakers address the prob-
W
hile Arizonans don't seem to
agree on much these days, recent research shows their opinions on the issue of health care may be more
aligned
than
you
Arizonans, by and large, are more
Arizonans outlook on health care is lem.
concerned with health care costs than grim:
Sixty-seven percent of Arizonans
costs related to retirement, housing,
• 42% said they received a medical
child care and higher education, as bill for something that wasn't cov-
believe capping insurance deductibles at a level that is low enough that peo-
previous CQC research has shown.
ered by insurance.
ple don't go into debt to get the care
According to the new research, 83% • 30% delayed needed care because they need. Seventy-two percent think
of Arizonans report that the amount of out-of-pocket costs.
requiring health insurers and pharma-
of money they pay for health care is
• 52% said they, or someone they cy benefit managers to pass the re-
going up every year. In addition, 75% know, have had their finances se-
bates or discounts they receive on to
think.
New research conducted by Impact Research, on behalf of Consumers for Quality Care (CQC), reveals a consensus among Arizonans. Simply put, their health care costs are too high.
According to the research, by a nearly 3-to-1 margin, Arizona voters believe the single biggest issue when accessing health care is skyrocketing out-of-pocket costs. Rising premiums, high deductibles, hidden costs and surprise medical bills are burdening
riously affected by medical bills in
going up more than the other things they need.
Unfortunately, in today's econom ic environment the cost of receiving quality care is compounded by persistent inflation, higher gas prices and more expensive grocery bills. This demonstrates the need for legislators, at both the state and federal level, to enact policies that lower health care costs so Arizonans aren't faced with two bad options - forgoing treatment
patients is another way to lower the
the last two years.
burden — this includes 83% of Dem-
Medical debt is particularly present in low-income and minority commu-nities. Nearly 40% of the Latino population in Arizona currently have an unpaid or overdue medical bill, compared to 29% in the general popula-tion. That percentage rises to a staggering 53% when it comes to families struggling financially.
Fortunately, Arizona voters are pro-
ocrats, 62% of Independents, and 69% of Republicans.
The bottom line is Arizonans are demanding that our elected leaders take bold action to lower health care costs.
The Inflation Reduction Act took small steps toward lowering costs for patients, but there is so much more that can and should be done to address
SEE HEALTH CARE PAGE 13