Health Insurance – What the Big Deal is All About

Health Insurance – What the Big Deal is All About

There has been much hype in the media lately about health insurance costs and coverage and the need for health care reforms and lowered expenses. Debate aside; this is an important issue for many Americans, as the costs of medical expenses continue to rise, whether it is pharmaceutical costs, or the average billing fees in a physician’s office. Health insurance will vary widely from company to company, and there are not yet any nationally required forms of health insurance for individuals. Many people have none at all, some have minimal, and others have coverage enough for any kind of catastrophic health problem.

Health insurance may seem like an added expense when you are healthy, until you have to get blood work done, or have x-rays taken. Then you will see how the bills can quickly add up, leaving you with unexpected expenses. Health insurance is there to help provide against the prohibitive costs of many of the medical procedures that are routine, from the examination to the prescriptions. No one expects to become ill – it just happens, and eventually everyone will need to visit a doctor at some point. Health insurance is your financial safety net against mundane and extreme medical costs related to your treatment.

There are many forms of health insurance. Private, or insurance that you pay for yourself through an independent company, work health insurance, that which is offered through your employer, Medicaid, which is provided by the state or federal government to the elderly, and a Medical Card, which covers low income people. Not all insurance will provide the same coverage, and some may cover most of the costs, while others only cover a small percentage, and even that can vary by medical situation. Some hazardous jobs may require you to have insurance, but most will not and leave it up to you.

If you have no health insurance, you need to carefully weigh your options before you get it. There are literally thousands of different health insurance companies, and each one has different policies. Consider what kind of coverage you may need. If you have chronic health issues, you may need a fuller coverage, or if you simply want to be able to afford your prescriptions, you may need something that focuses the benefits in that area. Avoid the pitfalls of having the wrong kind of insurance, and shop around at as many companies as you can in order to find the right kind.