Health insurance is a good thing, and people who have it are better off.

How else could you afford the hundreds or even thousands of dollars it might cost for, say, an elective surgical procedure?

But insurance, she ain’t what she used to be. Thanks to some changes in coverage, patients are being asked to pay a much bigger piece of their medical bills than before, and they also have to pay it faster than before.

And that’s causing a real problem because some people can’t pay their share. But the doctors and hospitals still need to get paid.

So, what’s being done to solve this problem?

You might not like the solution.

Read the complete story Saturday on the premium website MyAJC.com.