medical bills

Patients would love to connect with their healthcare providers online, but the providers aren't getting the message, according to a new study from Osterman Research and Health Industry News. While docs love to email each other, 82 percent of consumers say they've never received an email from their physician. Only 15 percent are able to schedule their appointments online. While 75 percent want to pay their medical bills online, only one in seven actually can.

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A new study finds that the number of Americans without insurance has risen substantially since 2001. The Commonwealth Fund reports that 41 percent of Americans with moderate to middle incomes lacked insurance coverage for at least part of the year last year. That's up from 28 percent in 2001. More than half of the uninsured adults participating said they had "problems paying their medical bills or had incurred debt covering their expenses." The study confirms that those without …

The Los Angeles Times looks at the rise of healthcare credit cards designed to help consumers pay their medical bills. These specialty cards may only be used for healthcare purchases. Kaiser Permanente has offered the cards in Hawaii and Colorado. Other chains like Carolinas HealthCare System and Kansas-based Via Christi Health System are also offering the cards.

Supporters say the cards make it easier for patients to afford procedures that might otherwise be out of reach …

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