We have all heard the numbers by now; 46 million people in this country are uninsured. This is a disturbing number, but it’s important to understand who these people are and why they are uninsured. Medicare and Medicaid are government programs that have been set up to take care of many of these people, but not all of them. Government programs take money from the taxpayers and use it to cover the uninsured, but the more government intervenes; the more expensive healthcare gets for all of us. The government tells healthcare providers what they can legally charge someone on Medicare and Medicaid, but it’s not enough to cover operating costs for the hospitals and doctors so they have to overcharge the people with private insurance to cover the difference. This makes healthcare more expensive for the people who are paying and less affordable for lower income families who then have to start relying on the government as well. There are a little over 300 million people in the United States and 1 in 6 of us doesn’t have any health insurance at all because the cost keeps going up to cover those who can’t pay.
People who are 18 to 30 years old make up about half of the uninsured. Simply put, they believe they are invincible and really don’t see much of a need for health insurance. They rarely to never need to see a doctor so if they don’t get health insurance from their employer, they won’t buy it themselves at any price. The people I know from this age group that do need to see a doctor quickly realize that if they are in a lower income bracket, the government will take care of them, so why buy health insurance?
The 30 to 65 age group is the backbone of our healthcare system and this is where all the money comes from. These people are in moderate health and they are in the prime money making years of their lives. The other half of the uninsured are from this group; 11 million of them are uninsured and another 11 million of their children. If we are to fix the healthcare system and bring down costs, this is where we need to start. Low income families are covered by Medicaid but these 11 million families make a little too much, don’t have health through their employers and can’t afford to get insurance. Discount fee for service plans like Ameriplan are designed for this group. Combined with catastrophic health insurance they can provide the right cost vs. coverage to supply this need.
Those aged 65 and older are eligible for Medicare at one level or another. Medicare also covers the disabled and the government is on an eternal quest to expand these benefits to cover every procedure in existence. We are living longer lives and the older we get, the more healthcare we need. Baby boomers are just starting to hit retirement age and over time, there will be more people in this age group and less in the 30 to 65 age group. This is a recipe for trouble as there will be many more healthcare users and fewer healthcare payers. One solution to this problem is government subsidized elderly healthcare combined with tax credits to offset the premiums. This way healthcare is still not run by the government and companies can compete to offer the best rates.
There is a deep debate going on across the country about healthcare reform. Some people, like me, believe that the answer is always a capitalist solution and the government can only get in the way and make things more expensive. Others think that a socialist approach would work better with the government completely taking over the industry, offering universal healthcare and then charging the people for it. One thing is for sure; if we do nothing, healthcare costs will continue to go up and more people won’t be able to afford insurance.
Listed below are more articles related to the above article from the "Health Insurance" article category.
People interested in the above article "Does Anyone Really Need Health Insurance" are also interested in the related articles listed below:
The Minimum Loss Ratio (MLR) mandate contained within the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (PPACA) has created a myriad of compliance requirements for health plans. The most complex and potentially costly of these will be issuing rebates to members when a plan's MLR falls below the minimum threshold. Many carriers do not have the infrastructure in place to accommodate the rebate mandate.
Insurance assist the customers to look after their life as well as their family's health. In this there is a guarantee of compensation for specific period and it is specially made to protect the well-being of individual, company or other entity in the case of unexpected loss. After agreeing to the term and conditions the insurance policy creates an contract between the policy holder as well as insurance company. There are several types of insurance some of the types are health insurance, general insurance, accidental insurance, etc.
Disability insurance is considered as a good means to replace one's income when a person is not able to work due to some kind of illness. Unlike the past, loads of people are getting seriously interested in disability insurance policy. After all, it's one of the most viable ways to secure one's future when one runs out of luck.
The purpose of international health insurance is to cover relocated employees and their families for conditions that occur after the policy has begun. It is therefore important to understand what is, and isn't covered before joining. If you have a medium or large number of employees to be covered, you might be able to benefit from something called 'Medical History Disregarded' which can mean that your employees don't need to go through an underwriting process and if you're transferring from another policy, that cover can continue uninterrupted with waiting periods for things like dental and maternity benefits waived.
A number of health insurance providers have realised the importance of a health insurance guide for the entire family. They know that health insurance plans requirements are not restricted only to the old alone. Hence if you buy health insurance you give your child the benefit to enjoy extensive medical benefits without having a defined upper limit.
Don't just plan your health also plan for future you can reap great benefits with a good health advantage plus plan that allows you to seek multiple benefits from your health insurance plan. A responsible medical insurance takes into account all the possible emergency situations and makes sure that mediclaim plans and protects your future well.
Health insurance comparison helps you to be aware of the various facilities offered by insurance companies and avail all the benefits that you are rightfully entitled to. Under the various schemes available with companies who offer affordable health insurance you might enjoy multiple coverage benefits against the payment of a single health insurance premium amount.
