The Crumbling State of Individual Health Insurance
photo credit: SkelekittenIf you are like a good percentage of Americans, you are fortunate enough to have your health insurance provided to you through your employer. This means no having to shop around for the best policy, and enjoying not needing to stress over that process. Unfortunately, more and more Americans are having to turn to individual insurance policies, purchased from insurance companies who hold all the power in determining a patient’s health care future. This dangerous trend is not only detrimental to the health insurance industry but also to the well being of our citizens.
The Power Insurance Companies Hold
If you have not ever had to haggle with an insurance company over a supposed pre-existing medical condition, then you may not be aware that this struggle exists. For many Americans forced for various reasons to purchase their own health insurance policies (often because people are self-employed or working for companies too small to have their own company benefits), a lot of legwork needs to be done.
A Story of Individual Health Insurance Gone Bad
One couple easily purchased health care plans for themselves and their 7-month-old daughter. All was well until doctors noticed that the little girl had something wrong with her hip – something the doctor said she would easily outgrow as she grew and developed. Once the couple’s insurance company caught wind of this, they immediately revoked the baby’s insurance, only to reinstate the policy once the baby had outgrown her medical condition. In the meantime, the couple was forced to pay all of their daughter’s medical costs in the insurance gap out of their own pocket, and the insurance company refused to reimburse them for the accrued costs.
Those with “Pre-existing Conditions” Being Left Out in the Cold?
The above described circumstance may leave you shaking your head and thinking “That situation seems out of the norm. Surely people aren’t being denied insurance policies for the small things?” Unfortunately, that is the case. Reports show that people have been denied individual insurance policies based on pre-existing conditions like having jock itch (no joke) or using a common cholesterol-lowering drug.
The Case of Asthma with Insurance
I consider myself incredibly fortunate, as I have suffered from asthma since the age of 10, and have always been provided health care through my employer. Were I not, however, I know that I would have a difficult time purchasing an individual insurance plan, because asthma is high on the list of common conditions people are turned away for having. Isn’t the point of having health insurance available to us, living in this free society, to be able to help maintain and possible get rid of health ailments? How are Americans supposed to do that when they are getting denied insurance left and right?
Health Insurance Revoked
Like the couple’s story outlined above, how many Americans are having their individual insurance policies taken away from them after they have already been approved and using the services for years? One woman in Southern California suddenly found herself with shortness of breath and was rushed to the hospital. She’d had Blue Cross Blue Shield of California for years, and when the test results came back indicating she had lupus (a chronic, arthritis-esque disease), Blue Cross dropped her like a hot potato.
The insurance company claimed that she had “lied” about taking anti-depressants earlier in life, as well as omitting back pain from her initial application. The back pain which her doctor told her was a side effect of her documented hysterectomy. This poor woman was left with $25,000 on hospital bills from her one stay alone, and is now forced to either pay for her lupus medication out of pocket, or simply go without, living with the pain.
Are Insurance Companies Skimming off the Top?
As all of these accounts show, the insurance companies are holding the cards. They are being allowed, through our current system, to pick and choose which patients they want to cover. One company, Tonik, offers seemingly fantastic low premiums and high deductibles. This may sound like a dream come true, but they are target toward the young and healthy who will probably have no need for procedures over $5,000. Even if you are young and reading this with enthusiasm, these types of insurance companies really left the rest of the population short changed. Those who can’t get policies like this one are left paying more, or simply have to go without insurance and leave taxpayers having to pay for their care.
What is the answer to all of this madness and insurance companies running rampant? There probably is no one miracle solution. But if American were to trend toward a more universal health care approach, as so much of the world has done already, we would eliminate people being denied coverage for their “poor” health, and those who need coverage to get better would not be denied. Idealistic? Maybe. But let’s hope it’s possible, because watching a decline like this is downright depressing.
Tags: health coverage, health insurance companies, individual health insurance, pre-existing conditions
February 20th, 2009 at 4:41 pm
[...] The Crumbling State of Individual Health InsuranceIf you are like a good percentage of Americans, you are fortunate enough to have your health insurance provided to you through your employer. This means no having to shop around [...]
February 22nd, 2009 at 3:36 pm
[...] The Crumbling State of Individual Health InsuranceIf you are like a good percentage of Americans, you are fortunate enough to have your health insurance provided to you through your employer. This means no having to shop around [...]