Daily News Updates - Health Insurance News

Health Insurance Still Plummeting, Pt.4 – Comparisons of the ‘underinsured’ and the ‘uninsured’.

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Another cause of having inadequate health insurance, was the pattern of being stuck without risk sharing Many were found with only small-group coverage or worse, only individual health insurance coverage. The more fortunate ones to have employee-based were stuck in low-paying jobs or being employed by smaller firms, which could only offer lesser plans. They found themselves stuck with high deductibles, while still paying more for their health insurance. As a result, this ‘underinsured’ group had a much-closer resemblance to the ‘uninsured’ than they did to their ‘insured’ counterparts when it came to the “choices and experiences” afforded them for health care. For example the study found that, over half of both, the ‘underinsured’ and the ‘uninsured’, went without needed medical care because of the cost. That is, 53% of the ‘underinsured’ and 68% of the ‘uninsured’. These are much closer together than to the distant ‘insured’ counterparts where, only 31% of those with adequate health insurance went without needed medical care due to cost. The criteria used to define ‘needed medical care’ were things like “not seeing a doctor when sick, not filling prescriptions and not getting recommended diagnostic tests or treatments”

Another example that causes those with health insurance, albeit inadequate health insurance is the struggle of paying medical bills. This is the strife of being turned over to a collection agency and the hassle and condemnation that goes with it and, further, changing a person’s whole life just trying to keep up with medical payments. The finding here was that, around 45% of the ‘underinsured’ were deemed to victims of this. This percentage is not far away from that of the ‘uninsured’ victims, which is 51%.

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