An incredible 20% of adult Americans state that they are not able to afford acceptable health care according to the latest statistics released by the Centers for Disease Control. So, are you amongst the more than 40 million people who cannot sleep comfortably in their beds at night for fear of not being able to pay for the cost of medical treatment should you have an illness or accident? More to the point, have you got to be amongst the 40 million?
The CDC report which was published in 2007 and explored health care throughout the United States looked in detail at various aspects of health care and revealed amongst other things that:
1. 10% of people are presently unable to meet the cost of prescription medication.
2. 10% of people delay seeking medical treatment because of the price.
3. As many as nearly 1 out of 3 young people between 18 and 24 do not have a usual source of medical treatment or health care insurance.
4. 10% of people between 45 and 64 do not have a usual source of medical treatment and nearly half of these people find themselves with high blood pressure, serious heart problems or diabetes.
5. 20% of people under 65 years of age are not insured for at least part of every year, with most being uninsured throughout the 12 month period.
Many people are lucky enough to get health insurance cover for themselves and their families through schemes operated by their employer, although rising costs are forcing a growing number of employers to reduce their group health care plans or to do away with them altogether. There are however also millions of people who are not eligible for cover under their employment and who need to make arrangements for themselves. It is for this second group that health care insurance is often said to be simply too costly.
So are you right to dismiss the idea of getting health insurance out of hand simply because you feel that it costs too much? Health insurance comes in numerous shapes and sizes and, in spite of the fact that a traditional indemnity fee-for-service plan can be very expensive, there are a lot of less expensive options.
In very simple terms health insurance plans fall into two broad categories comprising disability income policies and medical expense policies. The former compensates you for your lost income if you are no longer able to work because of disability while the latter give you cover for the cost of medical treatment arising out of accident or injury.
Each of these forms of health insurance can be bought as an individual plan or separately and individual policies can again be broken down to cover particular areas like accident coverage, major medical expenses, basic medical expenses, hospital care and more.
Furthermore, cover nowadays can be provided by not simply traditional insurers, but also by various group organizations, companies such as Blue Cross Blue Shield, health maintenance organizations and preferred provider organizations, each of which provides a range of policies with payment options that suit just about any wallet.
If you are frightened by the belief that you simply cannot afford health insurance then think again. You might not be able to buy a comprehensive plan covering all eventualities but it is a sure bet that you will be able to find a plan which will give you at least enough coverage to allow you peace of mind.
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