Sen. Warren: “I spent a big chunk of my life studying why families go broke, and one of the No. 1 reasons is the cost of health care, medical bills. And that’s not just for people who don’t have insurance. It’s for people who have insurance.”
Is the No. 1 reason people go broke the cost of health care? We’ve rated similar statements Half True — partially accurate but lacking important context.
A 2005 study Warren coauthored and a 2009 paper both found that health care expenses were a leading cause of personal bankruptcy. But these claims have come under dispute, in particular from academics who suggest that people may overstate the role medical bills play in their financial problems. Other research suggests a far narrower impact, though that, in turn, has been criticized for focusing only on adult hospitalizations.
That said, research from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau found that medical bills are a leading cause of personal debt — in 2014, the CFPB found that nearly 20% of credit reports included a medical debt tradeline.
But Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (Hawaii) drew on examples of universal health coverage in other countries to explain why she still supported some private insurance options.
Rep. Gabbard: “If you look at other countries in the world who have universal health care, every one of them has some form of a role of private insurance.”
This is correct. Virtually every country with universal health care includes a role for private insurance. Some allow it to cover services not addressed by the national plan. Others allow it as a means to get care faster. Others heavily regulate it as a principal source of coverage.
For instance, Canada, the model for the principal Medicare for All bill, allows private insurance to address prescription drug coverage, private rooms in hospitals, and vision and dental care. (It is not allowed to compete with the government plan.) In England, about 10% of people — mostly wealthier people — elect for private coverage, which can yield faster access to care. Countries such as the Netherlands and Switzerland heavily regulate private coverage.
Beyond Medicare for All, candidates touched on strategies to bring down drug prices as well as other issues.
Sen. Klobuchar: “2,500 drug prices have gone up in double digits since [Donald Trump] took office.”
This is accurate, according to a report from Pharmacy Benefits Consultants, an industry group, which listed a number of pharmaceutical products experiencing price increases as high as 1,468%.
And the numbers are even less flattering than Sen. Klobuchar suggested.
An analysis by the Associated Press found that, between January and July 2018, more than 4,400 branded prescription drugs experienced price increases. Meanwhile, data compiled by Rx Savings Solutions found that the list price of more than 3,000 drugs went up this year.
Rep. O’Rourke: “In Texas, the single largest provider of mental health care is the county jail system.”
This is correct. Texas jails are the largest mental health care systems in the state, according to a report from the University of Texas at Austin. The Harris County jail, which includes a 108-bed unit, identifies itself as the largest mental health care facility in Texas.
This is not a Texas-specific issue. According to a 2011 NPR report, it is more common to see Americans getting mental health care in jails and prisons than in hospitals or other dedicated treatment facilities.
Election Day is 495 days away.
Kaiser Health News is a nonprofit national health policy news service. It is an editorially independent program of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation that is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente. Politifact is owned by the nonprofit Poynter Institute for Media Studies.