Health Insurance – Protection against the Unexpected

Health insurance in the United States has recently undergone some close scrutiny as many people are trying to find good insurance and are unable to afford it. According to a report by the CDC, almost 60% of the people in the US have a form of private health care. However, these statistics can be misleading, as even those with insurance still sometimes have high medical bills. Health insurance usually allows you to make a payment, or premium every month in order for the company to provide a certain amount of coverage on day to day medical expenses and emergency expenses.
These will vary according to the company, and even the policies within the company. For example, you may choose to have a higher deductable rate in order to keep your premiums down. This lets you have a lower monthly payment. This means that if you do need a particularly expensive procedure; you will have to pay more out of your pocket before the health insurance will cover the rest. Some policies will only cover a certain percent of a given procedure, such as 80%, and you will cover the rest, and others will pay certain things at 100%, but not others. This can be confusing at times.
The reason that so many people are finding it more beneficial to have some form of health insurance, however slight, is due to the vastly increased prices of having procedures done. An office visit to a doctor can average around $100.00 per visit, while specialists may cost several hundred dollars. When you add in any lab work or x-rays, you may be looking at a very expensive medical visit. Hospital stays and surgeries are even more expensive, and can be ruinous for those without insurance. The problem that many uninsured people run into involves the cost of emergency medical procedures.
Most hospitals within the U.S. are required by policy to accept all patients, even if they cannot pay. In the case of emergencies, this is a great policy, as this means everyone gets life-saving treatment. However, those without insurance are statistically likely to have some kind of emergency treatment, even if it just stitches. However, if it involves catastrophic treatment, this means the patient could be in debt for tens of thousands of dollars. Having health insurance can help protect you against all of the unexpected things and allows you to afford the treatment that you or your family may need.