Will Private Health Insurance Be Available To All?Sept 2007
The CDC released its yearly statistics last week regarding
health insurance coverage in America. And as the percentage of working adults without medical coverage goes up, and political pressure on this topic makes the news, private health insurance may finally be facing some exciting change.
The CDC reports that there were almost a billion visits to the doctor in 2005, and at the same time, the percentage of working Americans without insurance went up from 2005 to 2006.
Why the increase in uninsured? As healthcare premiums go up, it's become more and more difficult for employers to offer health insurance coverage. And since the costs of private health insurance have also risen, there are a huge percentage of people out there who make too much money to qualify for Medicaid, but not enough to afford coverage.
In response to the dilemma, 2008 political hopefuls are each offering their own solution to the problem, and trying to balance the need for health insurance coverage with budgetary constraints and a huge federal deficit. John Edwards recently came out with a plan for universal healthcare funded by tax credits. Both Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama have been campaigning with healthcare reform at the top of their lists of things to change, and republicans have been touting a private health insurance plan that would supposedly make the insurance market more competitive, thus driving prices down.
Facts on:
Health Insurance Coverage
Did you know...
The percentage of working Americans without insurance went up from 2005 to 2006?
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Will any of it work? It's not clear just yet, but it's clear that there's a large group of Americans who need help finding affordable medical coverage (around 15% of the entire nation, to be exact).
By working to change the situation for the better, and by keeping the spotlight on healthcare reform, there may indeed be a powerful shift coming for our medical coverage system. In the meantime, it's best for everyone to hang on to the coverage they've got, or shop aggressively for coverage that includes regular checkups. It may be some time before positive changes are actually put into effect, and regular checkups are the best way to prevent illnesses and disease that could lead to emergency room visits and medical debt.
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