Escalating health care costs continue to remain an issue of great concern for many employers and providers of health care services. Let's face it, millions of Americans cannot afford traditional insurance or they cannot qualify. So, they are going without any type of medical coverage, especially in these financially difficult times.
The United States spends more on health care than any other industrialized nation in the world and yet, in many respects, it's citizens are not the healthiest.
More than one-quarter of children without health insurance coverage had no usual source of health care, compared with 4 percent of children with health insurance.
Uninsured children were nearly three times as likely as those with health insurance to be without a recent doctor's visit.
The US healthcare system is the most expensive of systems, outstripping by over half again the health care expenditures of any other country.
Lifetime medical costs average approximately $225,000 per person.
Some 18 percent of lifetime costs for medical care--over $40,000--is estimated to be incurred in the last year of life.
Despite expenditures in excess of $1 trillion, the number of people without health insurance continues to increase the percentage of American 15.8%, approximately 47 million uninsured people. Source: US Census Bureau
The Health Care Financing Administration's analysts recently projected that, national health spending would again begin to grow faster than the rest of the economy.
The United States is the only wealthy, industrialized nation that does not have a universal health care system. Source: Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences.
Collectively, private employers and employees are the most important purchasers of health care through the insurance premiums they pay together for coverage.
Health care costs in the United States exceed 14% of the gross domestic product.
In 2005, personal health care expenditures were paid by private health insurance 36%, federal government 35%, state and local governments 11% , and out-of-pocket payments 15%. Source: National Center for Health Statistics
The average family health insurance premium, provided through an employer health benefit program, was $11,480 in 2006. Employees paid an average of $2,973 towards the premium amount. Source: Kaiser Family Foundation
About half of the bankruptcy filings in the United States are due to medical expenses. Source: Health Affairs Journal 2005
However, there are affordable options from companies that are at the forefront of CONSUMER DRIVEN HEALTH CARE.
although you can shop online, still the best way to put coverage on yourself or family is to meet with an agent discuss your family health issues and devise a plan that will be within your budget and have the right coverage to meet the needs that you have when you need to go in for treatment.
If you can see a policy as the old burger king commercial have it your way, that the way and policy can be structured so that you have the coverage you need but take out all of the part that you do not need or can't afford now. But will structure a plan so that your coverage will grow to meet your future needs and keep it where you will have coverage to meet your needs and family today.
