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What are some private health insurance statistics?

some private health insurance statisticsMany people look for statistics when researching their health insurance options. Getting all the information before committing to a health insurance company is beneficial, but it can be time consuming if you don’t know what to look for or where to look for this information. There are some basic statistics to know when considering private health insurance.

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The U.S. Census Bureau is a great place to look at statistics about everything including health insurance. According to the U.S. Census in 2009 the number of people covered by private health insurance was 194,545,000 of which 169,689,000 were covered by group insurance.

People Lack Private Health Insurance

Why do people lack private health insurance?  According to the U.S. Census there were 50,674,000 people in 2009 that did not have any health insurance coverage at all. While many can’t find affordable health insurance there are also some who simply don’t want it. The rising cost of private health insurance has some people weighing the numbers.

Is it really worth the monthly premium for health insurance coverage that isn’t used or coverage that only pays out a small percentage of what is paid in? According to a New York Times article about 75% of those filing for bankruptcy due to medical bills had health insurance. The health insurance just didn’t cover enough of the bills.

By searching for the best in private health insurance today you can avoid the high costs of medical care.

Affordability of Private Health Insurance

Can people not afford private health insurance?  While affordability seems to be the only logical reasoning behind someone not participating in some kind of health insurance plan, it’s not just about the costs. According to a NY Times article on the 2009 U.S. Census out of the 50,674,000 that didn’t have health insurance in 2009 only 13,903,000 were below the poverty line.

About 9.3 million of Americans with no health insurance earn from $50,000 up to $74,999 per year and another 10.5 million earn above $75,000 per year. A large percentage of those without health insurance are between the ages of 25 and 34. There are many people out there who just don’t want or don’t care about health insurance.

Types of Health Insurance People Choose

What types of health insurance are people choosing?  In 2009, the U.S. Census reported that approximately 50.5 million people were enrolled in Medicaid managed care. According to the NY Times article, approximately 75 million were enrolled in an HMO or health maintenance organization plan.

Managed care health insurance plans seem to be the most popular type of private health insurance. HMO health insurance  usually requires those who have it to select a primary care physician. This physician is the person the insured party sees for all their medical care needs.

If other testing, physicians, or specialists are needed, the primary care physician needs to give a referral to the insured patient. This is not the case for emergency situations. The primary care physician must be within the insurance company’s network of medical care providers.

Many HMOs will also manage care through utilization reviews. The health insurance company will monitor doctors within their network to make sure they are performing the correct services for their patients.

Many HMOs focus on preventative care for their policyholders. Preventative care will be offered with lower copayments and in many cases for free. This is to keep those people healthy and stop them from developing more serious conditions, which in turn ends up costing them more money in the long run.

How a Universal Healthcare System Affects the U.S.

private health insurance statisticsHow will a universal healthcare system affect the U.S.?  Because of the number of Americans without health insurance, the government has devised a new option, universal health insurance. The idea behind universal healthcare is to have health insurance coverage for all American citizens.

Because of the increases in medical care even those who are insured are suffering. Spending on medical care increases every year to the point where many can’t keep up. Many believe that universal healthcare will offer more affordable rates on health insurance so everyone can have some kind of coverage.

While many believe the health care system in the U.S. isn’t what it should be, not everyone is behind a universal healthcare system. Stories of having to wait hours for medical services due to universal healthcare systems plague those who are unsure.

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