Daily News Updates - Health Insurance News

N.C. Health Care Reflects Big Picture, Pt.3 - Not just choices, but critical ones.

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Gouging would be restricted, where health insurance providers jump the price of an entire small business risk-pool for the single enrollee with pre-existing conditions. Neither can they deny that person. The demographics of these oppressed people are the 78% of those without health insurance, if not working full-time themselves, are living in a household where some else is. From this same segment of those without health insurance, over 80% of them are either connected to a small family business of less than 25 workers or else are earning less than the 200% of the federal poverty line.

Something has to be done, warns the director of Mission Children’s Hospital, Dr. Susan Mims. Many people are falling into worse health because they can’t afford health insurance/care and so they wait too long to act. Many of these are life and death issues. Nationally, at least three major health insurance/care organizations: The health care advocacy group Families USA; The Urban League; and the National Institute of Medicine have all confirmed in studies that from 25,000 and 30,000 Americans die prematurely every year because they lack access to health insurance/care.

One major scare tactic over public-private coordinated reform has always been the fear of losing consumer choices (aka ‘Harry & Louise’ tactics). Mr. Searing is quick to point out the reform his group proposes, “…could be accomplished without reducing choice”. This objective is one of the key-points of the plan, in fact. The report states that the health insurance reform must provide “everyone more choice in affordable plans and doctors.”

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