Worried about healthcare affordability? You are not alone and health insurance in CT is getting more and more expensive. – Hartford Courant

According to a new survey by Altarum Healthcare Value Center.

The survey defines the “burden of health care affordability” as being uninsured due to high medical costs, delaying or going without health care due to cost, or struggling to pay medical bills.

The results also showed that 78% of respondents have some level of concern about purchasing healthcare now or in the future.

Meanwhile, health insurance in Connecticut is getting more expensive. The State Insurance Department in September approved double-digit rate hikes for many health care plans. On average, health benefit plans will see a 20% increase, if not more.

“It’s clear that residents of the state face multiple barriers to affordable, quality care they can count on. People of color, low-to-moderate income households, and people with disabilities are hardest hit,” Jill Zorn, policy officer at the Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut, said in a press release. “These deviations are unacceptable and people want action.”

According to Data, 77% of residents who identified as Asian, Native American and/or Pacific Islander said they were worried about health care becoming unaffordable. Fifty-six percent of black or African American residents and 57 percent of white residents also identified as worried about being able to afford health care in the future.

Beth Beaudin-Seiler, director of Altarum’s Healthcare Value Hub, said regardless of residents’ political party, most residents are concerned about healthcare affordability.

“The data also signaled broad support across party lines for potential policy solutions,” Beaudin-Seiler said in the press release.

The study found that 68% of Republicans, 75% of Democrats and 67% of residents who identified as neither party agreed that the healthcare system needed change.

The data was collected from July 22 through August 12 by the Consumer Healthcare Experience State Survey. More than 1,300 Connecticut residents responded to the survey.

Jessica Bravo is a reporter for The Connecticut Mirror (https://ctmirror.org/ ). Copyright 2022 © The Connecticut Mirror.