›› Health Insurance
Health insurance is
something that most people don't think about very often and yet it is
something that when comes foremost to mind when a loved one is sick.
Health Insurance coverage varies across the world, even across the
different states in the United States of America.
Health insurance is a very specific type of insurance. With this type
of insurance the insurer pays the medical costs of the insured if the
insured becomes sick due to covered causes, or due to accidents. The
insurer may be a private organization or a government agency. Health
Insurance can protect a family from financial devastation in case of
serious illness.
Today, according to statistics from the US Census Bureau, many
Americans, approximately 85%, have some form of health insurance. Many
people, about 60%, are insured through their place of employment or
through health insurance acquired personally. For about a quarter of
the population, federal or state government agencies provide the
insurance. These agencies may include Medicare and Medicaid as well as
various state funded health insurance plans.
Today, health insurance costs are rising, which is a concern to many
people. Because of ongoing advances in medical care and in technology,
medical treatment is more expensive. These advances help people to live
longer. Today there are more senior citizens than ever before as our
population is aging. The elderly population is more frail and prone to
illness thus requiring more medical care than a younger population that
is healthier. This also causes an increase in the price of health
insurance.
Health insurance costs are also rising due to personal health choices
made by individuals. Poor eating habits, smoking, drug and alcohol
abuse, a lack of exercise, obesity are some of these poor health
choices. In addition, there are still rural areas where there is a lack
of health professionals including doctors.
Today, health insurers offer discounts and incentives to people who
love a healthy lifestyle. Often, a person will provide health
information and a personal medical history when buying health
insurance. This history may address questions such as smoking, weight,
drug use, and disease history. The incentives offered by health
insurance companies today may encourage individuals to quit smoking or
make other positive changes in their lifestyle. Many times, heath
insurers will not insure pre-existing medical conditions. The medical
history provided will screen out such applicants.
Because of the concern over pre-existing medical conditions, there are
now state and federal laws that help ensure that those individuals with
pre-existing conditions can acquire or maintain health insurance, even
if they need to change plans or providers. The Health
Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a federal law
ensuring that all health insurance plans nationally have a common set
of standards. In addition, states can also have laws
regulating health plans including group health insurance and individual
health insurance. This means that the laws regulating your health
insurance protections may vary from state to state. Keep in mind, that
even with these laws, access to health insurance may not be protected
in all situations.
COBRA continuation coverage can help you if you leave of change your
job. Under COBRA, you may be able to remain in your old group health
plan for a certain length of time. This can assist you in
those times when you are between jobs or waiting for a new health
insurance plan to cover your pre-existing condition. Under
COBRA, there are limits to what you will need to pay to continue your
coverage.
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A Healthy Dose of Good Advice
