California Health Insurance Agencies Deny Medical Coverage To Healthy Individuals
California health insurance agencies are in the news, and not because of Governor Schwarzenegger's promises for universal medical coverage. According to
firerescue1.com, healthy individuals are being turned down or denied affordable health insurance based solely on their line of work.
Included in the list of uninsurable are firefighters, pro athletes, dockworkers, and roofers. Of those agencies who deny medical coverage based on occupation, prescription drug use is used to decide to whom they will sell individual policies. Dozens of popularly used prescription drugs may lead to rejection when these individuals are searching for affordable health insurance plans, and in fact, "eight of the 20 top-selling prescription drugs in the U.S., including No. 1 Lipitor, a cholesterol fighter that racked up $12.9 billion in global sales in 2005, make the lists of two health plans" that exclude based on occupation.
How is such a thing possible? According to the article "such restrictions are legal in California, and state regulators have no authority to stop them."
California health insurance agencies claim that they need to keep premiums down, and when risky jobs are part of the criteria, their payout could be big.
And of course, many individuals are unaware that occupation and prescription drug use could play a part in their rejection by a medical coverage plan.
In the meantime, Governor Schwarzenegger is offering up a plan that would require individuals to obtain insurance in the "same way drivers must carry automobile coverage." However, there's less information regarding how that coverage might be transformed into
affordable health insurance that would be available to everyone, regardless of what line of work they fall into.
Affordability is seen as "key" to his plan, but California health insurance agencies claim that this could actually drive prices up, as citizens share the burden of insuring today's astronomical medical costs.
Suggestions for making such a thing possible range from completely socializing medicine, to splitting costs between businesses and individuals, to subsidizing particular portions of coverage.
However it turns out, it will likely be some time before an affordable health insurance plan hits California, or anywhere for that matter, that could cover everyone without breaking the bank. Until then, people are urged to keep shopping around, and rewarding health insurance companies who offer good plans at reasonable rates with their continued business.
So what happens? People get hurt, people get sick, businesses lose money, and employees sink deeper into health coverage debt.
But some small business health insurance companies are offering employers health plans that incentivize small business. For example, in some cases a health plan may require the employer to pay half of the premium, while the employees pay the other half. Or perhaps the employer can offer several different plans, at different costs, allowing the employee to choose the kind of coverage they need and the kind of prices they can afford. Slowly, options are beginning to appear. Some states like Kentucky and Maine are even offering subsidized health insurance in order to minimize health care costs and support the growth of business.
Facts on:
California Health Insurance
Did you know...
Healthy individuals are being turned down or denied affordable health insurance based solely on their line of work.
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It's not health coverage for everyone, but it's a step in the right direction.
Of course it's best for small business owners to shop around and find a variety of options for their employees. It will not only attract new hires, but help to keep the established ones healthy, happy, and working to fuel the growth of the business.
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