Thread by @ASlavitt

NEW: Everyone talks about health care affordability. But no one defines it.

It is the ultimate kitchen table economy issue— much more impactful than taxes. @USofCare and @PennLDI make it real.

Full report: unitedstatesofcare.org/wp-content/upl…

Key insights follow...1/

https://twitter.com/USofCare/status/1058037540337397761

@USofCare @PennLDI Insurance premiums have become an overwhelming portion of people’s obligations. They have flattened out since the ACA, but are too high. 2/

As evidence, everyone— no matter their income level or status— has difficulty paying for care when someone in the family gets sick.

Except for the very wealthy, most Americans are at risk of financial harm from medical bills. 3/

How much money you have left after you pay for care looks great if you’re very wealthy. But for most people, what’s left for college, mortgage payments, food, and vacation is headed the wrong way. 4/

Is means people skip needed care unless they have affordable health care.

Note to policymakers/budgeters: people still get sicker when they can’t afford care. Countries save nothing by denying anyone affordable access to care. 5/

The ACA has clearly begun to move the needle but efforts to make health insurance more expensive, allow for junky policies, and otherwise make access to insurance harder to come by and more expensive threaten that. 6/

As we move to and get past the election, let’s make a decision that our country is too good to leave so many people out and affordability such a major problem.

The paper & other @USofCare work lays out ideas currently on the table. In the next 2 yrs many can start to happen./end