No Affordable Health Insurance Means No Treatment
June 2008
In the last four years, medical insurance costs have grown significantly all across America. So it comes as no surprise that the number of people who are forgoing necessary health care and treatments is on the rise too.
The Center for Studying Health System Change reported this week that thanks to a lack of affordable health insurance, as many as 20% of US residents may have skipped important medical care. This number is up from 14% in 2003, and will only get higher as we continue to struggle with our health care system and uncontrolled medical insurance costs.
And sadly, 17% of residents who do have insurance still didn't get the care that they needed. Why? Because they are under-insured, meaning that though they've found an affordable health insurance plan, it doesn't cover them enough, and they're just as likely to skip care as those who don't have coverage at all.
It used to be that Americans were covered by their employers. But today, rising costs mean that business owners can't afford to offer medical insurance to all their employees. And even when they do, they usually can't offer much, or extend that coverage to families, without driving their own business under.
As a result millions of Americans search for affordable health insurance for themselves or their loved ones. The best thing to do is to shop around aggressively, and get a lot of health insurance quotes from different agencies. This will make it easier to find a plan that works with your budget.
Also, keeping an eye on your deductible and out of pocket costs is important too. Many of the under-insured are stuck in a situation where they can't afford to go to the doctor because they can't afford to pay their deductible, even though they're paying a health insurance premium every month.
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