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Will You Keep Your Health coverage

Written by: Alston Balkcom

Article Overview: A good percentage of voters believe that the healthcare crisis in America affects and will affect someone else. They have always had health care insurance policies and feel that they always will have coverage. However, there are immense holes in our existing system and it is far too easy to fall into one of them.

Will You Keep Your Health coverage



A good percentage of voters believe that the healthcare crisis in America affects and will affect someone else. They have always had health care insurance policies and feel that they always will have coverage. However, there are immense holes in our existing system and it is far too easy to fall into one of them.

Insurance agents hear this story over and over again. A person shopping for insurance, let's call her Susan, will call looking for health insurance. Susan has worked for decades and has never been without coverage.

She lost her employment based healthcare coverage about a year ago when she became too sick to do her job. She took the COBRA option. Now she is nearing the end of her eligibility for COBRA and wants to get an individual health care COVERAGE policy.

Her condition stops her from being employable, but she feels fine. She is able to do most of the things she wants to do. Her doctor has told her that she is doing fine. From a medical standpoint she is. With good care, she will live a long life. However, from an insurability standpoint, she is not. The good medical care the doctor expects her to get would be expensive and will cost them more than the premiums they can charge Susan. Susan is shocked when she hears this.

Susan might cry. She might be furious. She has worked all her life and has played by the rules. Susan believes that she should qualify for affordable medical care.

Susan learns from the agent that there is a state-sponsored program that Susan will qualify for. However, it is two or three times the cost of the COBRA plan that she can barely afford. So although there is health insurance that she qualifies for medically, she cannot possibly afford to pay for it. Susan is out of work and has cut back on everything in order to survive.

What does Susan do? She might cross her fingers and hope that she has no major health care event until she qualifies for Medicare. She might purchase the state-sponsored program with help from her son. Either way she will probably worry about her health and her financial standing all the time.

Another call health care insurance brokers get a lot is the one from Bill. Bill's daughter Lisa has been covered byhis health care insurance policy since her birth. Lisa is now an adult and is about to be kicked off his policy due to her age.

Lisa has all appearances of a state of wellness, but she has a medical issue with her heart. She takes a high-priced medicine that allows her to do everything she wants to do. So long as she takes her Rx she's fine. No one outside of her family and very close friends know that she has ever had a disease more severe than acne.

Lisa has had health care insurance since her conception, but now cannot get affordable healthcare insurance because she has aged out of her parents' policy and is uninsurable in the private market. She is faced with the prospect of doing without her prescription and putting her health at risk. She might ask her parents to help pay for a pricey state-sponsored program . Lisa doesn't know that they can only afford to do this at the expense of their retirement. They have just finished paying for Lisa's education and had planned to put any extra money they earn over the next ten years into their retirement fund.

There are hundreds of thousands of Lisas and Susans around the country. These are People who have played by the rules and have lost their group coverage due to a disease or injury.

When medical insurance is tied into your job, if you lose your employment or you lose your health care insurance coverage. Cancer or a heart attack an accident can keep you from doing your job. When you are no longer able to do your job, chances are you will no longer be eligible for your company healthcare insurance coverage. This can mean that you die before your time because you cannot afford to pay for health care or health care coverage when you are no longer working.

The bottom line is that our current medical care system ruins the lives of hard working Americans. What Many are ignorant of the fact people of all social strata that have done what they could to keep their health coverage through their jobs can have their financial lives devastated in our existing system. You lose your health, then you lose your employment, then you lose your healthcare coverage, then you lose your house. And there isn't much you can do about it in the present system.

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Article Tags: cobra, coverage policy, existing system, health care coverage, health care insurance, health insurance, healthcare coverage, healthcare crisis, holes, individual health care, individual health care coverage, insurability, insurance agents, insurance policies, medical care, medical standpoint, percentage of voters, premiums, sponsored program, three times
Referred by: http://www.searchengineworkshops.com



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Re: Do entrepreneurs have benefit coverage? - [quote="OmnivoreInk":20rus3mw]I'm surprised this topic hasn't gotten more play. It is very dangerous for people to not have health insurance, dental insurance, etc., yet those of us who are self-employed have a tendency to not buy it because we can't afford it. I, for example, don't have any coverage of any kind. But, I'm reasonably healthy, have no kids who need coverage, etc. Perhaps a better question would be - if you don't have coverage, why not? Too expensive? You're superstitious, etc?[/quote:20rus3mw] Hi Barbara, Well I live in Ontario, so I already have free health insurance (OHIP)... but I don't have any dental coverage and I have to pay for my own drugs/medication, etc. To answer your question, I guess the reason I don't have any additional coverage is that I just don't know where to start. For instance, what's a good company to buy a plan from?
Get some media exposure - Hi Don, Is the new initiative cutting edge enough to get some good media coverage? It can often be hard to reach the hobbyists but they do often keep up to date with the latest trends and innovations through industry magazines. With Redasoft we received some great press coverage that helped sell our products to our market of research scientists. Magazines are also always looking for a good story and want to stay on top of developing trends. Have you considered going for some media attention?
Re: Do entrepreneurs have benefit coverage? - Hi Kevin, Yikes, perhaps the professional daily tooth cleaning tool isn't that pricey after all! I sure like mine and the dental hygenist does say she doesn't have much to do when I come in! I must confess I've enjoyed being on my husband's benefit plan. However, as a Coach, the same option is available to me through the International Coaching Federation. If an Entrepreneur is looking for coverage, perhaps one option would be to look at joining an organization that brings together similar services? I attended a teleseminar on insurance services last year and it seems like finding some kind of group coverage is the most cost effective option. Best wishes, Tami
No dental coverage - [quote="Tami Szabo":1am97n1c]Hi Kevin, Yikes, perhaps the professional daily tooth cleaning tool isn't that pricey after all! I sure like mine and the dental hygenist does say she doesn't have much to do when I come in! I must confess I've enjoyed being on my husband's benefit plan. However, as a Coach, the same option is available to me through the International Coaching Federation. If an Entrepreneur is looking for coverage, perhaps one option would be to look at joining an organization that brings together similar services? I attended a teleseminar on insurance services last year and it seems like finding some kind of group coverage is the most cost effective option. Best wishes, Tami[/quote:1am97n1c] Today I was actually able to find a dental office that only charges new patients $80-120 for a checkup and regular cleaning. I think the difference in price is largely attributed to the fact the clerk asked if I had coverage or not. If I said I had a dental plan, I'm sure the price would be closer to $300-350. Since when is the dental office becoming like a car shop/mechanic?? Auto shops are known to charge less if you're paying for the damage yourself, but if you go through car insurance, they'll charge about double.


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