Health insurance coverage
As most developed countries continue to move from a manufacturing-based economy to a service economy, and employee working patterns continue to evolve, health insurance coverage has become less stable. The service sector offers less access to health insurance than its manufacturing counterparts. Further, an increasing reliance on part-time and contract workers who are not eligible for coverage means fewer workers have access to employer sponsored health insurance.
With health insurance premiums on the rise, many small employers cannot afford to offer health benefits to their employees. Companies that do offer health insurance, often require employees to contribute a larger share toward their coverage. As a result, an increasing number of people have opted not to take advantage of job-based health insurance because they cannot afford it.
How does being uninsured harm individuals and families?
- Lack of health insurance coverage compromises the health of the uninsured because they receive less preventive care, are diagnosed at more advanced disease stages, and once diagnosed, tend to receive less therapeutic care and have higher mortality rates than insured individuals.
- Regardless of age, race, ethnicity, income or health status, uninsured children were much less likely to have received a well-child checkup within the past year. Research shows that almost 50 percent of children without health insurance coverage did not receive a checkup in 2003, almost twice the rate (26 percent) for children with health insurance coverage.
- People without health insurance coverage end paying "up front" -- before services will be rendered. When they are unable to pay the full medical bill in cash at the time of service, they can be turned away except in life-threatening circumstances.
- About 20 percent of the uninsured (vs. 3 percent of those with coverage) say their usual source of care is the emergency room.
- Studies estimate that the number of excess deaths among uninsured adults aged 25-64 is in the range of 18,000 a year. This mortality figure is more than the number of deaths from diabetes (17,500) within the same age group (10).
- According to one another study, over a third of people without health insurance coverage have problems paying medical bills. The unpaid bills were substantial enough that many had been turned over to collection agencies - and nearly a quarter of the uninsured adults said they had changed their way of life significantly to pay medical bills. What additional costs are created by people without health insurance coverage?
- It’s estimated that America spends nearly $120 billion per year to provide uninsured residents with health services, often for preventable diseases or diseases that physicians could treat more efficiently with earlier diagnosis.
- Hospitals provide about $35 billion worth of uncompensated care a year.
- Another $38 billion is paid by private and public payers for health services for the uninsured and $26 billion is paid out-of-pocket by those who lack health insurance coverage.
- People without health insurance coverage are 30 to 50 percent more likely to be hospitalized for an avoidable condition, with the average cost of an avoidable hospital stayed estimated to be about $3,300.
- The increasing reliance of the uninsured on the emergency department has serious economic implications, since the cost of treating patients is higher in the emergency department than in other outpatient clinics and medical practices.
Getting everyone health insurance coverage will save a lot of money.
The impacts of living without health insurance coverage are severe. Many uninsured individuals postpone needed medical care which results in increased mortality and billions of dollars lost in productivity and increased expenses to the health care system.
There also exists a significant sense of vulnerability to the potential loss of health insurance which is shared by tens of millions of other people who have managed to retain health insurance coverage. Every person should have health insurance coverage, participation should be mandatory, and everyone should have basic benefits because like we have seen above its benefits are awesome.
Health insurance quote
A sudden illness or an accident will never ask for permission to come visiting. It is in such cases that the importance of health insurance stands out like the moon in a summer night. The cost of medication in our civilized world is never about to come down neither, that makes diagnostic procedures, prescriptions, and the numerous follow up visits to the hospital a costly affair.
This are reasons sufficient for one to consider the benefits of different health insurance quotations offered by the many companies that specialize in that field. Be reminded that health insurance isn't a privilege but a necessity, but how do you get one? A good question to ask, because there exists a number of factors that you ought to pay attention to, in regard to health insurance quotations.
These are especially important due to the big number of companies offering this vital service. Extra caution is very important when selecting which health insurance service provider to settle for. Most health insurance companies give totally different policies in their health insurance quotes. CAUTION here is to ensure that you don't receive a placebo quote from a company offering it.
The incredible growth of health insurance cost in the last few years is the explanation as to why people are getting more interested in sampling health insurance quotes from different service providers. The high disease incidence has been cited as the major contributor to the different health related factors such as absence of exercise, unhealthy food preference, rural-urban migration of health-care professionals, excessive alcohol use, dormant lifestyle characterized by modern lifestyles.
Health insurance quotes began appearing in 1694 by Hugh the Chamberlain. By the last of 19th century, health insurance was limited to disability coverage only. These days health insurance quotes indicates what the insured is entitled to should he/she choose to be insured. The insurer is responsible for taking care of the insured medical bills in case of the insured becoming sick or is involved in an accident of sorts covered by the health insurance.
There are number of governmental and private organizations agencies that provide health insurance services. Health Assurance quotes may come from government-sponsored or private companies. Government based health insurance is offered on state, local and state level. Health insurance cover quotes could come from a managed plan.
This sort of health insurance is inclusive of their own health care professionals and hospital associations which could quickly avail health care to their members if the need arises. The shortcoming of this kind of plan is that a charge is applied if you visit a hospital or doctor outside the network. A fee-of-service based plan's health insurance quotation offers payment for the doctors and hospital bills accrued.
The insured pays a monthly premium remittance. Two kinds of fee-of service plan exist. One is an indispensable health insurance which pays room and care in confinement, plus the cost of surgical and diagnostic procedures and prescriptions. The other care plan pays for the cost of long term illness or injuries.
Excerpted from the book Health Insurance And Health Savings Account Made Easy by Wings Of Success.
This excerpt has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Download this book on Boostlane:
https://boostlane.com/p/boostlane/736/health-insurance-and-health-savings-account-made-easy/
Rate This Post
Rate The Educational Value
Rate The Ease of Understanding and Presentation
Interesting or Boring? Rate the Entertainment Value