Problems With Health Care Insurance
- Health care insurance provides a certain degree of relief against health care costs.Health image by Greg Carpenter from Fotolia.com
The cost of health care is constantly on the rise. Many Americans spend thousands of dollars annually in emergency room visits, blood tests, surgeries and medication. Heath care insurance is vital for both individuals and families, as it provides a certain degree of financial relief against medical emergencies. Health care insurance is a contract that protects against medical costs at a health premium--monthly or yearly fees. Health care insurance has numerous benefits and some problems, which must be weighed appropriately before a particular health care policy is purchased. - Private health care insurance is costly. According to EHealth Insurance, individual insurance rates start at approximately $32 a month and go up to $200 per month, as of September 2010. These rates are higher for tobacco users and students who do not have a regular source of income. As of September 2010, health care insurance for a small family (father, mother and one child) starts at $140 a month and goes up to $760, according to EHealth Insurance. These rates can cause a considerable dent in an individual's or family's monthly expenses.
- Insurance companies are profit-making entities. Their primary function is to maximize income-generating potential. Health care insurance companies generate income by levying monthly or annual health care premiums and other charges associated with health care policies. Many health care insurance companies make it difficult, if not impossible, to provide insurance to individuals with pre-existing health problems. A pre-existing condition is one that was treated or diagnosed prior to the health insurance policy. Possible exclusions include sexually transmitted diseases, self-caused injuries, vision correction, war injuries and experimental treatments. People with these, and other similar problems, are often overburdened with the costs of medication and treatment.
- Most health care policies are designed to cover curable and short-term injuries, illnesses and medical conditions. Many health care insurers will not cover incurable and long-term medical conditions. Those that provide coverage for such conditions may do so at additional costs and fees.
Incurable and long-term medical conditions that are commonly not covered or covered at high premiums include dental work, drug addiction, alcoholism, cancer, hepatitis, heart disease, back problems, high cholesterol/high blood pressure, kidney and liver diseases, mental health disorders, stroke, respiratory diseases (lung disorders and asthma) and AIDS/HIV. - Most health care insurers do not cover standard treatments, such as cosmetic or elective surgeries, emergency surgeries, critical conditions and pregnancy. Health care insurance typically does not cover contraceptives, obstetrical health care provider fees for babies delivered at home.
