Not enough insurance and swimming in medical bills

Sep 29 2009

As part of the series, "Are You Covered?" Kaiser Health News and NPR report that "more than 25 million Americans have Swiss-cheese health insurance: it's full of holes. Experts call them the 'under-insured'" (Knox, 9/28).

KHN provides an explanation of this problem. "People who are described as underinsured have health benefits that don't adequately cover their medical expenses. Often, consumers discover they're underinsured the hard way - when they break a leg or have a serious illness, such as cancer, and their medical bills exceed their benefits enough that it is difficult for them to pay (Gold, 9/28). See also the slideshow.