Cardiovascular Disease Treatment for Lower Income Patients

Did you know about half of non-elderly adults who suffer from cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) cannot afford the high price for treatment? Medical bills can go up to $20 thousand per patient. One in five patients struggles financially to pay their bills at all. It is unfair and unethical as patients should not be neglected treatment due to costs that continue to rise for CVD treatment. According to New Projections, “these prices are expected to triple by 2030”. It will only make it harder for lower-income patients to afford treatment. This study was based on the current rate of disease.

More than one in three patients of CVD reported they had to cut down on buying necessities, like food, just to lower their financial stress. 19% of patients reported being unable to pay for their treatment as a whole, yet the majority of these patients were insured. This proves how much of a burden these treatment prices have become. Nearly one in eight patients with more common heart diseases like heart attacks, strokes, and angina, had to make the difficult choice of not taking, delaying, or taking a lower dose of their prescriptions because of the high costs of their treatment. The prices are a big concern to millions of people. Researchers discovered that 2.2 million people suffering from heart diseases decided not to take their prescription, and younger female patients were likely to skip their doses. The same study shows that 30% of patients from low-income families and 53% of patients without health insurance do not follow their medical treatment plants to save their money.

One-quarter of patients are paying more for their medications and treatments now, more than they did in 2018. 74% of them reported they were unaware of the increase in the price of their medicine and that there was no prior warning. 24% of patients reported that they are unsure if they could continue to afford their medications. These are concerning statistics since there are a lot of errors in the policies; patients should always be aware of their medication prices.

All of these statistics clearly show how costly treatments for CVD are. They make it difficult for lower-income families to afford their treatment while staying somewhat stable, which is unfair because any citizen should have access to affordable healthcare without being immediately in debt. Patients are also busy outside their medical costs and have to pay for their food, housing, transportation, and much more. Affordable healthcare should be available for anyone who is suffering, not just high or middle-class families.

References

“Nearly Half of Adults with Heart Disease Can't Afford Their Medical Bills.” ScienceDaily, ScienceDaily, 11 Feb. 2019, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/02/190211142710.htm.

“Cost to Treat Heart Disease in United States Will Triple by 2030.” ScienceDaily, ScienceDaily, 24 Jan. 2011, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110124121545.htm.