As of September 2020, 36% percent of U.S. adults delayed or avoided care because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is especially concerning for people with chronic health conditions, whose primary care physicians reported "noticeably worse health resulting from the pandemic." Mortality data in 2020 suggests the pandemic caused an increase in deaths from diabetes, heart disease, hypertension and stroke—conditions that are largely treatable with proper care and monitoring.
Now that doctors' offices are open for in-person visits again, people who need healthcare shouldn't continue to delay it.
But the reality is that before the pandemic, an estimated 30-50% of American families delayed or avoided needed care for one big reason: They couldn't afford their portion of the bill even with good health insurance.
In this episode of our podcast, we interviewed Craig Froude, CEO at medZERO, to help us understand:
- How big of an issue medical debt is for the average American.
- How this issue actually impacts not just patients but also their providers.
- How employers can help reduce this burden, ensure employees get access to care, and ultimately build a stronger, healthier workforce.
About Our Guest
Craig Froude is a seasoned executive in the health benefits industry. He is the Chairman & CEO of medZERO, a platform that provides healthcare navigation tools and interest-free financing to ensure employees are optimizing their employer-sponsored benefits package to get the right care at the right time for the right price.
