Why Affordable Healthcare Is Out of Their Reach
The
latimes.com has recently released an article addressing the growing number of middle-class individuals who can't find affordable healthcare. Why?
Health insurance for self employed individuals is dwindling fast, leaving most without the kind of coverage they need for themselves or their families.
According to the article, "a major source of health insurance for people who work for themselves is disappearing, casting thousands of contractors, freelancers and solo practitioners into the ranks of the uninsured with little hope of obtaining new coverage."
Affordable healthcare was once available to them via health plans offered by professional associations. But, as medical costs have gone up, groups representing self employed individuals have either stopped offering benefits, or been dropped by the insurers.
This is why, among uninsured workers, nearly 63% are self-employed or work in small firms.
This is why health insurance for self employed individuals is now harder to get than ever, with insurance agencies charging much more than they would for employer based insurance. Why? It's easier to provide affordable healthcare to a group of people, since odds are that most will stay healthy and only a few will get sick. The odds aren't nearly as good when covering an individual, which leads to higher rates and less coverage.
As a result nearly 1/3rd of the uninsured have family incomes of $40,000 or more, and more than 2/3rds of the uninsured are in households with at least one full-time worker.
Facts on:
Health Insurance for Self Employed Individuals
Did you know...
A major source of health insurance for people who work for themselves is disappearing?
|
Some relief can be found in new options for health insurance for self employed people, namely "cafeteria" style plans that let individuals pick and choose what kind of coverage they need.
But until
affordable healthcare is available to everyone, the health insurance "gap" will only get wider, and a lot more people will find themselves without the medical coverage they need.
Current Topic:
Recent Topics:
Past Topics:
