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 are 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 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 $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 stay 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.
Regards, Coyalita
B.H.R.S.
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