Losing Health Insurance - The Middle Class
By Toni King
The middle class is losing health insurance. This according to the US Census Bureau August, 2007. The number of households without insurance with incomes of $75,000 or more grew by 1.4 million. What was once a problem for the poor is now a problem for 9.3 million Americans.
There are several reasons for this. Many companies are scaling back the benefits they offer to employees. To insure the employee may be a reasonable amount, but to add the wife and children causes the premiums to become unaffordable. After the insurance premiums are deducted the take home pay is decreased a sizeable amount. Companies also are hiring temporary employees or contract workers with no benefits at all.
Cobra premiums are usually too high for the temporary unemployed.
Outpatient services are at an all time high because of modern technology. Without the benefits of health insurance many people are not able to afford tests necessary for evaluation of conditions. Left untreated these patients cannot receive the care needed.
To collect unpaid medical bills, health care providers often obtain judgments against the patient including filing liens against their home.
There are solutions to the above problems. Temporary health insurance plans are usually less expensive than Cobra; an employee can get an outside policy for his wife and family rather than paying the expensive rates of group insurance; and changing plans to cover major illness instead of the little medical bills can reduce premiums.
Have an experienced health insurance agent research your available options. You do not pay extra in premiums to use the agents help.
Toni King is a licensed independent insurance agent for the states of Tennessee and North Carolina.
She represents several different insurance companies and helps her clients choose what is best for them. Free information and insurance quotes at http://www.theinsurancehelp.com
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