The AFL-CIO Maritime Trades Department reports that three out of every four Americans recently surveyed by the Commonwealth Fund expressed strong worries about the quality, affordability and accessibility of the nation’s health care system.The non-profit organization, formed in 1918 to explore issues relating to health care, has long been a catalyst for change, according to the MTD. In the 1920s, it led the charge for improved childcare that resulted in the emergence of public health departments in communities around the country. From 1920 to 1940, it drew attention to inadequacies in America’s network of rural hospitals.
One of the most startling findings to come out of the report, Public Views on Shaping the Future of the U.S. Health Care System, is that Americans of every economic standing are finding it difficult to afford health care coverage. According to the study, 50 percent of respondents belonging to families earning less than $35,000 said they had “somewhat serious” or “very serious” problems in paying their medical bills. The result was practically the same for those in families making $35,000 to $49,999—48 percent expressed strong concern.
Among higher income families, 33 percent earning between $50,000 and $74,999 are finding it hard to pay their medical bills. Even higher-income Americans are having problems—21 percent of families with incomes greater than $75,000 are expressing concern.
Finally, there is a broad consensus that the federal government should take a more active role in this area. Eighty percent of those surveyed say that the U.S. government should ensure that all Americans have access to adequate and affordable health insurance.
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