What should be done about the americans paying good money for health insurance but still underinsured?
lіkе fοr example ,000 deductibles, regular doctor visits nοt covered, οnlу a small discount οn generic drugs οnlу etc….уου know аll sorts οf incentives nοt tο gο see thе doctor fοr preliminary οr routine normal early detection type stuff bυу уеt paying astronomic monthly premiums????
Try to find a more affordable and effective insurance company maybe is an good option ,provide some information here http://www.HealthInsuranceIdeas.info/free-online-health-insurance.htm for your reference.
surely not universal health care that is government run.
Get the government out of the health care industry, and let free market reign. Only then, when the consumer drives the cost will we see true health care reform.
It’s idiotic to pay for health insurance and then not have to money for medical care.
If health insurance is made mandatory, more people won’t be able to afford medical care for the reasons you mention.
Hmm, let me think of an example: your car insurance doesn’t cover oil changes, buying tires, or even that brake job; those are routine maintenance that you pay for. Why, then, should your health insurance pay for regular doctor visits, tests & x-rays, & generic (i.e., "low-level") drugs? Most of those things could also be considered "routine maintenance," too, couldn’t they? The reason to have any insurance is to protect you financially from a big, expensive claim ($50,000+, for example), but most people expect to use their health insurance and think they shouldn’t have to pay for health care (I mean, c’mon; you don’t run your car into a tree so you can collect on your car insurance). I guess it all depends on how you define "underinsured" … the fact is, most people (about 85%) have pretty good coverage if they get hammered with a huge claim, but (because of our poor savings rate) have a hard time coming up with the money to pay for the "lower end" expenses (like, say, a doctor visit at $150, lab test while there for another $110, then the antibiotic prescriptions for another $135).
Tell me, is the r-e-a-l problem the cost of health "insurance" or is it the cost of the health "care" itself?
Arthur brings up some good points. But our asker is asking valid questions.
The real answer is – costs ARE skyrocketing, and as a result, MANY Americans can no longer afford adequate health coverage. The costs of health care are skyrocketing. It is currently 16% of US GDP, and by 2040 it will be 30% of US GDP. The average rate of increase on personal insurance policies are 10% PER YEAR. We simply can’t keep this up. We’ll all go bankrupt.
Unfortunately, the free market solution right now is ONLY private, for-profit insurance. Because of the for-profit motive of insurance companies, many Americans face EXACTLY the situation our asker is presenting. Medical bankruptcies now account for 2/3 of all bankruptcies filed. Of those filings, 75% HAVE INSURANCE.
So do we really have a system that is working?
I understand the askers perspective. From my own personal experience, my family’s out-of-pocket expenses for insurance and prescriptions total $10,000 per year, and we still have a $15,000 deductible. One serious illness, and with the loopholes in our policy, we will be one of those who file for bankruptcy.
So while I realize there are strong feelings on both sides, I am glad the issue is getting some attention in Congress. And it’s not just getting attention from the Democrats – there is also a Republican Congressional committee working on the issue.