Affordable Health Insurance: Yeah Right
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by: JoeBoyd
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Word Count: 480
Health care costs in the United States have risen far faster than has the ability of the average American consumer to pay them. Unless you are fortunate enough to have an employer who still pays for your health insurance, you may have to pay as much as $500 a month in order to be covered in the event of a catastrophic illness. If you need a long stay in the hospital, you will be faced with thousands upon thousands of dollars in medical expenses; not including the cost of medications, which are also on the rise.
The government has made tax breaks available to small businesses who enroll their employees in group health programs, However, these incentives have gone largely unused, since most small businesses simply cannot afford this cost, which the tax breaks do little to offset.
As a result, it is the American citizenry who are left in the lurch. Having to pay for one's own health insurance can mean having to choose between food and insurance coverage. There is almost no such thing as affordable health insurance in this country anymore. If you have a serious medical situation, you might have to declare bankruptcy as a result.
If your income is at or under the poverty line, you may qualify for a form of affordable health insurance. In most states, federally funded programs exist which can provide medical coverage for serious illnesses or injuries. While you will receive lifesaving care, you will not be able to receive procedures which would be available to persons with full coverage. The premiums for these plans are on a sliding scale and are based on household income and size. These programs do provide something like affordable health insurance, but do not provide what anyone would really term quality health care.
Cuts in health insurance funding have been ongoing. These have been characterized by the elimination of some items in the list of services which are considered necessities. In 2006, the federal government mandated that state agencies reduce their costs. States responded with arbitrary cuts in programs - dental procedures were reduced to coverage only of emergency services. Also as part of this mandate, the administration slashed dental services for Vietnam veterans in order to provide care to Iraq veterans. This has led to Vietnam vets, whose teeth have suffered as a result of exposure to Agent Orange being reduced to pulling their own teeth with pliers! This failure of our health care system is nothing less than a national disgrace.
Affordable health insurance is something which many of us are thinking about, particularly with a Presidential election almost upon us. This is a rich nation; there is no reason we cannot provide health care for every citizen. All Americans must demand that government stop paying lip service to this important national issue and give the health care to every American, regardless of income that they deserve.
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