When “Free” Healthcare Services Cost Patients Millions of Dollars

Overview: Black patients were 50% more likely than whites to be denied a free caregiver visit, an issue that can exacerbate poor health outcomes. As a cornerstone of the Affordable Care Act, free health care and screenings are intended to help doctors catch diseases, like diabetes or cancer, in their early stages. The free or low-cost visits not only encourage people to see their caregivers but are key to identifying small changes before they become big issues that are riskier — and more expensive to treat.  In fact, studies have shown that preventative care and early detection visits like those covered under Obamacare can help chip away at disparities in health outcomes between Black and white patients.  But a team of health economists has found that patients of color are spending millions of dollars out of pocket on preventative visits that should be free.  “Even though preventive care is supposed to be free by law for millions of Americans thanks to the Affordable Care Act, many don’t receive recommended preventive services, especially racial and ethnic minorities and other at-risk patient groups,” the researchers say.  The study of more than 1.5 million patients, published last month by JAMA Network, found that...