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Health Insurance Quickguides

A Brief Health Insurance Overview.

What is Health Insurance?

Health Insurance is a legal agreement to provide and/or pay for the medical care that you may require due to sickness or injury. The extent of the agreement is described in the health insurance policy issued by the insurance company or entity that you are insured through. It's important to note, if there are medical services that are not “covered” by your policy, these services will not be paid by your insurance company, and you will have to bear the cost of these services yourself.

Where can you get Health Insurance?

Although various options are offered by state and Federal governments (if you qualify), the broadest range of options are available from private insurers under various plans, with costs to the insured being based on the specific options chosen. Depending on a variety of factors including age, citizenship, area of residence, your present health and your financial circumstances, there are a range of private and public health insurance programs that you may be eligible to participate in.

It's no wonder then, that health insurance can seem complicated and confusing, with seemingly different rules and regulations for every state.

Most people obtain their health insurance through their employer or as a dependent in a family health insurance plan. The federal and state governments also fund certain public health insurance plans. However, even with these government programs, there are still tens of millions of people without adequate health insurance in the United States.

Why are so many people without Health Insurance?

Because health insurance costs have continued to rise relentlessly year after year, employer funded health insurance plans have become more and more expensive for employers to offer, and for a great many workers, benefits have been cut or eliminated, shifting more of the financial burden onto the worker. Many workers can't afford the extra financial burden, and therefore go without health insurance. Also, when job's are eliminated or lost, employer funded health insurance is discontinued.

Another reason is that some Americans make just enough money to no longer qualify for Medicaid (One of the most important Federal health insurance programs), but simply don't have enough money to buy health insurance, and therefore slip through the cracks so to speak.

These are many other reasons to consider, but basically, affordability is a big factor in the reasons that millions of Americans are without health insurance.

What are the consequences of no Health Insurance?

Without adequate health insurance, you run the risk of not being able to pay for the medical treatment and medications that would be required in the event of serious injury or illness. You also run the risk of depleting your financial resources to deal with such a scenario and perhaps even facing bankruptcy.

Research has shown that uninsured adults are more likely to die earlier than those who have health insurance, and the uninsured are more likely to suffer serious health problems, partly because they tend to wait too long to seek treatment or preventive care because of the extra costs that they cannot bear themselves.

What should you do?

The answer to getting the health insurance coverage that best meets your needs, is to take some time to educate yourself on the specific options available to you in your particular circumstances. This will mean finding out which state or Federal programs you are eligible for, and thoroughly reading and understanding the specifics of any policy that you are intending to purchase. Keep in mind, you won't be covered for anything that isn't specifically outlined in your policy.

You would also be well advised to obtain several quotes before you purchase, through a quote service like kanetix, as there can be a wide range of prices for essentially similar health insurance policies. Click here: Health Insurance Quotes to get started.


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