Saturday, March 14, 2009

How does health insurance in the United States work


How does health insurance in the United States work?
Oh and was the bill that Obama signed really a healthcare reform? How so? Doesn't it just force people to buy health insurance? Thank you in advance. (links to websites are appreciated!)
Government - 5 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
poorly
2 :
for me. it works well
3 :
pretty much you get a bill in the mail every month and pay it. unless you get it through your employer then a low fee is taken out of your paycheck, ussually about $10 or so. sometimes employers dont take it out though. but once you have it you get a little card with your name and account information. when you get sick you just take the card to the nurse at the front desk and she processes your card and sees what if your plan covers what ever it is you had wrong with you. if they're is a deductible (money you have to pay) then you pay it and the insurance company takes care of the rest. no obama really hasnt come up with a health care reform that makes it through congress. the only thing he's changed thats worth mentioning is if your 24 live with your parents and go to college you can be put on there plan.
4 :
Health insurance in the US is a joke. Every month you pay what is called a premium. This is just to have said health insurance. Premiums are usually a couple hundred dollars a month to a lot more. Next, you now have health insurance. Yippe. Now you get sick. You have to go to the doctor for treatment and tests. But because it is early in the yr, you haven't paid your deductible yet. So now you have to pay for all treatment and test out of your own pocket (along with that monthly premium, don't forget that). A deductible is a set amount that must be paid BEFORE the insurance company will pay one penny. Deductibles usually start at around $500 a yr. Can be several thousand, depending on the policy. Once you have paid your deductible out of your own pocket, then and only then will the insurance company pay anything towards your medical care. Now you have been making your monthly premiums, and finally was sick enough to pay your deductible (has been a bad yr so far lol). Now you get sick again. This time you have met your deductible, and now have to pay the co-pay. This is the portion of any medical bill you are responsible for, even though you pay those monthly premiums, and met that deductible. The average co-pay is 20%. Meaning the insurance company pays 80% of the bill, and you pay 20%. But some insurance will only pay 60%..some 70%...some 90%. Varies by company and policy. Now if you are sick enough to need to go into the hospital and need to stay there for an operation ...well that co-pay you have to pay is usually enough to financially break most people. 3/4 of bankruptcies in the US are due to medical bills, and 50% had medical insurance. Now something else that often catches people with medical insurance off guard. The insurance company has the right and ability to deny any treatment and/or services they wish. You have paid that premium each month, met that deductible...now you need and operation for X reason. You find out the insurance company won't pay for it. Makes you want to seethe. The health care reform is supposed to stop insurance companies from refusing to cover someone if they have a preexisting medical condition. It is also supposed to stop them from refusing to cover a lot of treatment and services. Kids up to the age of 24 are supposed to be able to remain of their parents policy. If a person cannot afford health insurance, then they would qualify for aid from the government to help purchase health insurance. Everyone should have health coverage. If someone gets hurt or seriously ill, how would they pay the hospital bills? If they can't..guess who ends up eating the bill? The tax payers. Truth
5 :
You can find health insurance quotes online that are pretty inexpensive. http://healthinsuranceconnection.info/ has a short form you fill out and you can get rates from a bunch of different providers.