“When we talk about the cost and complexity of the U.S. healthcare system, we usually don’t account for the time, money and labor donated by friends and family members — sometimes even strangers. But those unofficial supports are a large and growing part of American health care.
Why it matters: Americans raise hundreds of millions of dollars per year in donations to help with medical bills, and the care patients get from family and friends is worth billions. Caregivers bear a financial and emotional burden that the formal system depends on, but does not acknowledge or accommodate.” Per Sam Baker with Axios. Read more here.
For more information on our health care system, you can read The Policy Circle’s brief: Healthcare: Overview.
The Policy Circle is a 501(c)3 that provides a fact-based, nonpartisan framework built to inspire women living in the same community to connect, learn about and discuss economic policies that impact their lives. Women across the nation are taking a leadership role in the public policy dialogue on what human creativity can accomplish in an open economy.