A debilitating $72 billion debt has brought Puerto Rico's economy to its knees. After defaulting on major payments, the island territory of the U.S. is currently facing a looming $1.9 billion payment due July 1. Now, Puerto Rico waits as the Senate debates a bipartisan debt relief bill, and the 3.5 million residents of the island face a humanitarian catastrophe, according to the Morning Consult.
Puerto Rico's healthcare system is more or less falling apart. With 40 percent of the island's debt due to healthcare and chronic underfunding for federal programs, Puerto Rico has been forced to scale back services, leading to a major physician exodus and life-threatening delays in treatment.
The Morning Consult broke down the factors that have led to the troubling state of Puerto Rico's healthcare system.
1. About 60 percent of the U.S. citizens living in Puerto Rico — more than 2 million people — are covered by Medicare or Medicaid. Reimbursement rates for Medicaid are 70 percent lower than any other state, and they are capped. Medicare Advantage reimbursement rates are 60 percent of the average rate, despite the fact that the island has the highest proportion of MA enrollment in the country. Reimbursement for the traditional Medicare program is 40 percent lower than the average rate on the mainland.
2. Puerto Rico's Medicaid program is funded by a block grant, which is set to expire next year. If Congress does not renew the grant, the island will have to raise $1.8 billion by 2018 or significantly cut down its Medicaid benefits, leaving millions of people without adequate healthcare.
3. Most recently, Puerto Rico's only 24/7 stroke center shut its doors over a lack of funding and a shortage of neurologists. Last week, the island's only active air ambulance company suspended its services, citing more than $4.4 million in debts it simply cannot afford to pay. Now, as the Zika crisis worsens, the island' healthcare crisis will only be further strained.
For more details on Puerto Rico's healthcare system, read this article.