Thursday, August 14, 2008

Affordable Senior Supplemental Care Health Insurance

Affordable Senior Supplemental Care Health Insurance

by Elias Maseko

Americans are finding the cost of health insurance increasing, so that the need for affordable health care is on the rise. Companies are using rising premiums and tighter financial budgets to reduce the level of health care available to their employees. It wasn't that long ago that I had a fantastic health plan but all that has changed. Last fall, out of the blue, we were informed that our health care provider was going to be switched to a cheaper alternative.

To make the system fair to everyone, the health care provider would need to change. I am told that the new insurance package is still very good and I'm lucky to have it. I don't mind other workers benefiting but it costs me more now, almost twice as much more to have my family covered in the plan. This means, that for my company to provide a health plan to all of the employees, it is no longer affordable for us.

Lower cost cover may be available for all my colleagues now plus the company has saved money but if I want to keep my family on the plan, I will have to settle for a lower income.

OK, so my health care is still respectable but the new company that we have is not as good as our previous. The new affordable health care plan initiated by my company meant that certain workers found themselves a lot worse off financially with additional co-pays and expenses. You see, my previous plan paid my entire hospital bill just over 3 years ago when I had my little boy. Working out that same stay with the new plan would mean approximately 4,000 dollars would have to be paid by me.

There are also the co-pays to consider, another cost in addition to the hospital fees I would have to pay. Luckily there are more and more affordable health care programs being created to help those that do not have any coverage. Single mothers, families working for companies that don't offer coverage, low-income households - they are all able to get low cost or even free health care. The problem is when a small number of people take advantage of a system that was designed for those that needed it most.

Perhaps some form of means testing is needed for people so that only genuine cases have the benefit of affordable health care. I get annoyed because it's the upright taxpayer who has to finance these schemes for the needy and not the state. It is true to say that my employer is very happy because he found distinct benefits to finding a different health plan program. It worked out just fine for my employers when they switched providers but many of us are paying the price. If we are to help the worst affected, we need to start looking at long term options for Americans in providing cost effective, affordable health care.

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