1. Working for the Coverage
Health insurance is such a basic need for people in the United States, so many families must work several jobs, one to pay the bills and one to provide the family with health care benefits. As the economy changes however, not all employers offer health insurance. Going to work for someone else no longer carries the automatic benefits and even jobs that come with benefits must be compensated by employee contributions. Free health insurance is a rarity.
2. Roulette of Risks
While the numbers of Americans living without health insurance continues to skyrocket into the millions each year, the risks of not having insurance are as real as ever. A sudden illness or injury can push middle class working families into bankruptcy from which they may never recover. People who cannot afford the specialist's bills ignore early detection of serious health problems. Once diagnosed, uninsured people with serious ailments often will not receive the proper care to treat their condition, creating even further risks and complications.
3. Peace of Mind
Even if you never have a medical crisis in your family, the peace of mind you get from having good medical insurance coverage is, to borrow a phrase, priceless. Insurance carriers prey on the fear factor to sell their products, but contracting a serious illness and having no way to pay for treatment is frightening. Finding some level of insurance coverage for your family, whether through an employer, a group plan or independently, can save you stress that in itself could lead to health problems.
4. Straining the System
Health care costs continue to rise, as people who do carry health insurance must absorb much of the loss created by the uninsured. Because they can't seek help when problems first arise, the numbers of sick and injured patients who are cared for in emergency rooms is at an alarmingly high rate. Inpatient hospitalization also increases when preventative measures are not taken. The mortality rate of children without health insurance is nearly double that of their insured, and healthy, counterparts. More adults die because of lack of proper medical care in one year in the United States than all the people who perish from diabetes.
5. When There's no way to Afford it
By law, public hospitals cannot turn people away from emergency rooms. If you are experiencing extreme pain or believe you have a life-threatening disease, do not hesitate to go to an emergency room for treatment. If you are unable to pay at the time of treatment, the hospital will send you a bill. It's true that you may be turned over to a collection agency if you don't pay the bill, but hospitals are usually willing to work out payment plans before they send a bill off for collection.
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