Is healthcare killing your budget?
For too many North Carolinians, the answer is yes. According to some estimates, North Carolina’s average healthcare premiums have increased almost 30% since 2015. That’s a scary prospect, especially given some estimates place the average North Carolina family’s premiums at almost $5,000 per year in 2015 — almost 10% of our state’s median household income that year. And don’t even get us started on the rising costs of deductibles and copayments.
The news is even worse for employers, though. The Kaiser Family Foundation puts the average U.S. employer’s family contribution in 2015 at more than $12,591...per employee. If you own a Nissan dealership, that means you have to sell 21 Nissan Versas at a 5% profit margin to cover one employee’s healthcare premium, all before you even think about their salary! North Carolina's figures are comparable; in 2014 employers paid, on average, $11,563 for family coverage.
The Hidden Costs of Pricy Healthcare
The skyrocketing cost of healthcare doesn’t end with expensive plans. In 2015 alone, more than 1.2 million adults skipped out on necessary medical care because it was too expensive. Think about it this way: that’s almost the entire population of Raleigh and Charlotte, combined!
How many unnecessary sick days did those missed visits add up to? How much in lost wages? How much revenue did those employees not earn for their companies...and ultimately, how much did that cost our whole state?
There’s no way around it. NC healthcare costs are too high.
All for One, One for All
The fact is that in North Carolina, pricy healthcare for one of us costs us all, because we depend on each other. The thriving commercial centers in Charlotte bolster infrastructure from Asheville to Angier. Tourist attractions from the Blue Ridge Mountains to our brilliant beaches help support one of the country’s best university systems. We are fundamentally interconnected, and so are our finances.
That means we can’t afford for healthcare to be unaffordable. Not for any of us.
We’re the North Carolina Coalition for Fiscal Health, and We’ll Advocate for You
The North Carolina Coalition for Fiscal Health has taken a good, hard look at the true cost of healthcare in our state, and decided it’s time to say something about it. We are here to amplify the voices of those who believe that legislative decisions are driving up healthcare costs, and will ultimately hurt our economy. We are here to provide everyday North Carolinians the tools necessary to have their voices heard. Most importantly, we are here to ensure North Carolinians are getting their money’s worth on healthcare.
We want to hear your stories. Talk to us: what’s the true price of healthcare for you, your family or your business? Is it breaking the bank? Let us know.
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