In this new report released by the Commonwealth Fund, Mark Merlis uses MEPS data to analyze families at risk for high out of pocket spending relative to income as of 1996: “Despite the shift to managed care in the 1990’s, health care costs remain a source of financial insecurity for many families, especially working  families with low incomes, Medicare beneficiaries, those with chronic or serious health problems, and families with private health insurance through the individual insurance 
market.”  Findings include the fact that in 1996 16.3% of families spent 5% or more of their income on direct payments for medical services, while 7.4% spent 10% or more. The report also shows that 1out of  6 American families faces high out of pocket expenses for healthcare.

This report from the Gotham Gazette dissects the city’s new $42 billion budget agreement and reveals who the real winners and losers are. The 2003 budget, which begins July 1, includes large cuts and borrowing measures: The budget includes reducing the size of the police force by 1,600 people; eliminating some ambulance shifts; cutting funding for parks, cultural programs, and homeless shelters; suspending plastic and glass recycling programs, and increasing the city’s debt by $1.5 billion.