More bang for your buck? The health insurance crisis....

Low cost health insurance? It may sound like an oxymoron to you, or maybe a part of history long long ago. Considering the evidence, it would appear that we are in a health insurance crisis. Health care costs are on the rise, and it is not because people are receiving better care than ever. It has been estimated that “nationwide, workers' costs for health insurance have risen by 36 percent since 2000, dwarfing the average 12.4 percent increase in earnings since President Bush took office.[1]” Also, from the same report, “The number of Americans spending more than a quarter of their income on medical costs climbed from 11.6 million in 2000 to 14.3 million this year.” 1
According to the numbers, we as a nation are in a bit of a bind. It would seem that this is a case of the costs beating out the income, as more and more Americans nationwide attempt to budget out another month or year’s premium which sucks up a quarter of their hard-earned money. This may lend evidence to the growing trend of uninsured individuals around the nation. It has even been reported to affect the workplace because “from 2001 to 2004, the proportion of workers receiving health coverage through an employer fell from 65 percent to 61 percent, according to the latest Kaiser data. That decline translated into 5 million fewer jobs providing health benefits, with the sharpest drop in small businesses.”1
This all in effect comes to one gigantic issue, increasing health care costs translates into decreasing health care in general. To illustrate, an individual, instead of visiting his doctor about a growth he has decides to withdraw and wait things out due to a lack of health insurance. As a result, the man dies six months later from some form of cancer because he is not able to afford the health care. In short, health care is becoming an amenity of the elite.The question then is how can this trend be stopped? Obama and Clinton have recently offered their views on the health plan crisis. Knowing the details before voting could very well determine your future. Another way for you to personally save money: prevention is much better than treatment. What do I mean? I mean that it is better for you to pay for a $20 copay to have something checked out rather than wait until major surgery is required to save your life. Finally, there are low cost health insurance plans out there, you just have to search for them. Google low cost health insurance, and you will see a fine listing of plans out there that can benefit you how you want. In short, there is something we can all do to save money on health care, it is not something of the past, but it will be an issue of the future.

[1] Connolly, Ceci, Higher Costs, Less Care Washington Post http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55301-2004Sep27.html 2004