Affordable Health Insurance: Yeah Right
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Today, health care costs in America are patently ridiculous for the average wage earner. Unless you are lucky enough to have employer-paid health insurance, you can easily shell out $500 a month to protect you in the case of a life-threatening event such as cancer or a massive heart attack. Should you require an extended hospital stay, you can expect your bill to amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical care, not to mention ongoing requirements of prescription medication costs which may amount to hundreds of dollars for a single prescription, which you need to refill every month.
Government incentives are now available to small businesses. These tax breaks were intended to induce small businesses to offer group health plans, but few have taken these up. It is just too expensive for most small business owners - the tax breaks do not cover the extra expense involved.
This has left consumers in a bad situation. If you have to pay for your own health insurance, this can often literally mean having to choose between food and health insurance. In this country, there really is no such thing as affordable health insurance. You may well have to declare bankruptcy if you have to pay for a medical emergency.
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.
With a new crop of candidates aspiring to the Presidency, affordable health insurance is a hot issue. This rich nation should address the issue of affordable health insurance with more than lip service. All of our citizens deserve decent health care without regard to income.