Vermont for Single Payer

06/06/2026

https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/surveys/2026/jun/how-health-insurance-coverage-denials-affect-americans-2025-affordability-survey
“One in five privately insured adults in the United States say they or a family member have been denied coverage for doctor-recommended medical care in the past year, according to a new Commonwealth Fund survey.
“The survey examines two types of denials: prior authorization denials, which occur before care is received, and claim denials, which occur after care has already been provided. The survey found that:
“More than one-quarter of people who experienced a prior authorization denial said their health problem worsened as a result.
“More than 40 percent of people with a claim denial said it led to medical debt that they are still paying off.
“Only about half of people who were denied coverage chose to appeal, even though many who challenge denials ultimately obtain coverage or have their bills reduced.”

The 2025 Commonwealth Fund Health Care Affordability Survey finds that for many Americans, having health insurance is no guarantee their care will be covered.

06/06/2026

06/05/2026

https://observer.com/2026/05/healthcare-billing-high-earners-liquidity-crisis/
“For decades, unpaid medical bills have been treated primarily as an income problem. Lower-income patients struggled to pay; higher-income patients generally didn’t. These assumptions have shaped modern healthcare collections, revenue cycle systems and financial forecasting models. But they no longer fully explain real-world experiences.
“A growing number of financially stable Americans are struggling to pay their medical bills–not because they don’t have the income, but because healthcare payments have become increasingly unpredictable, fragmented and disconnected from how modern households manage cash flow. In healthcare billing, liquidity is quickly becoming as important as income. At a moment when even high earners are carrying elevated housing costs, childcare expenses and revolving consumer debts, large unexpected medical bills are colliding with fragile household liquidity.”

Cedar’s Florian Otto unpacks why healthcare’s outdated payment infrastructure is increasingly colliding with modern consumer expectations around transparency, predictability and financial flexibili…

06/04/2026

https://www.medicaleconomics.com/view/how-does-u-s-health-care-stack-up-globally-not-well-according-to-new-data
“Despite spending nearly twice what peer nations spend on health care, the United States ranks near the bottom on life expectancy, primary care physician supply and affordability — and at or near the top for preventable deaths and maternal mortality — according to a major new international report.”

The Commonwealth Fund examines health care across developed nations and finds dismal results for the United States.

06/03/2026

“No region of the country stands to benefit from Medicare for All more than the South.

The legacy of Jim Crow racism, enduring class divisions, and low union density result in a region whose health outcomes continue to lag behind those of the majority of the country.”

06/03/2026

Enough is Enough: Premium increases are keeping small businesses from growing
https://www.sbam.org/health-care-affordability-center/
Rising health care costs are putting unsustainable pressure on small businesses, and the system can’t keep pushing those costs downstream.
SBAM [Small Business Association of Michigan] and our Board of Directors have been clear: year after year premium increases are limiting employers’ ability to hire, grow, and invest in their people.

Helping small businesses navigate health care affordability and the contract termination between Michigan Medicine and BCBSM.