GetInsured, a leading provider of health insurance marketplace technology, retired $580,899 of medical debt in the state of Nevada after its first-ever Nevada Resident Medical Debt Survey revealed more than half (55 percent) of respondents did not seek and/or declined medical treatment out of fear of what it might cost.
The charitable effort in Nevada is a continuation of GetInsured’s state-by-state campaign to eliminate medical debt across America.
Earlier this summer, GetInsured surveyed online 390 adults who reside in Nevada, a state in which 22 percent of the population has medical debt in collections on their credit report, according to RIP Medical Debt, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charity that collaborated with GetInsured to locate, buy and forgive the medical debt. GetInsured’s research discovered that 62 percent of survey respondents received a medical bill for a high dollar amount that came as a surprise or was difficult to pay off, while 85 percent are at least somewhat concerned about encountering high medical bills in the future.
“Our goal is for all Nevadans to have access to high quality health care without financial distress,” said Chini Krishnan, co-founder and CEO of GetInsured. “This is why it is so important to choose the right health plan, one that is best suited to your needs. It is worrisome that so many are forgoing medical treatment due to cost, and troubling that Emergency Room visits – among other critical health services – are driving hard-working Nevadans into debt.”
More than 40 percent of the Nevada residents surveyed cited emergency care as the health/medical service that led to their medical debt, followed by prescription drugs (13 percent) and maternity/women’s health services (11 percent). The survey also revealed that within the past five years, 40 percent of respondents owed more than a thousand dollars in health costs.
“Numerous individuals and families throughout Nevada experience hardship due to unpaid and un-payable medical bills,” said Heather Korbulic, executive director of Nevada’s Silver State Health Insurance Exchange. “For many, surprise medical bills can mean having to forgo a family vacation – and for others, it is the difference between whether or not there is food on the table. That’s why we work so hard to connect Nevadans with quality health plans that are within budget and meet their families’ needs. No Nevadan, regardless of age or circumstance, should be without coverage.”
GetInsured’s contribution went to those in Nevada who earn less than two times the federal poverty limit, and those who have spent more than five percent of their gross income on medical bills. Also helped were those Nevadans who are insolvent due to medical debt, meaning they owe more due to medical expenses than assets they own.
In an effort to alleviate people nationwide who suffer due to health care costs, earlier this year, GetInsured retired nearly $2 million of medical debt in California and more than $1 million in Minnesota. The company is encouraging its consumers and partners to join them in support of this cause nationally by donating directly here.