You’re One Medical Crisis Away from Bankruptcy: Read the Fine Print in Your Family Medical Insurance
Medical owing is a contributed factor in more than half of all bankruptcies filed in the United States. Many family medical insurance policies authenticate to be safety nets with gaping holes.
When an individual obtains family medical insurance, they hold they are protecting themselves and their family both medically and financially. The cold hard numbers, however, cannot be ignored. Not every family medical surety policy is adequate to provide true peace of mind – or to provide sufficient coverage in the issue of a serious illness.
A recent Harvard study shows that family medical insurance isn’t necessarily barrier from financial ruin. Of all the bankruptcies filed in the United States in 2007, the study concludes, medical in dire straits contributed to 62% of them.
The study was a joint research project carried out by Harvard Medical Imbue with and Harvard Law School. It encompasses an in-depth study of bankruptcies brought on by medical bills. Questionnaires answered by bankruptcy filers, along with their court records, made up the facts used to reach the study’s conclusions.
Contrary to common thinking, medical bankruptcy isn’t predetermined to those without family medical insurance. For the under-insured, thousands of dollars of out-of-pockets costs can lead to bankruptcy. In event, of those who faced medical bankruptcy, nearly 80% actually had family medical insurance at the start of their sickness but were nonetheless buried in medical bills.
The initial Harvard study was conducted in 2001. Since then, medical bankruptcies have increased by 50%. The hero author of the study makes the bold statement that “Unless you’re Bill Gates, you’re just one serious illness away from bankruptcy.” An booing over family medical insurance policies with meager coverage for serious illnesses was sparked by the results of the study. The unhidden question that arises from the spotlight on the wide scale problem of inadequate insurance is whether government-mandated health care rehabilitation is the answer. It’s a question that continues to raise heated debate.
One thing is for sure: the problem of woefully too little family medical insurance won’t be remedied solely by any government-run health care program. What the Harvard study and others like it pressurize clear is that the root cause isn’t whether or not you have insurance. The real issue lies in the extent of the coverage.
Unfaltering advocates are urging lawmakers to include provisions in the final legislation that would guarantee a base level of coverage to fitness insurance policy holders. Solutions being considered by the House and the Senate include minimum standards for kith and kin medical insurance and other health insurance coverage as well as a cap on out-of-pocket expenses.
Many argue that government-run health care is an distant solution to a problem that could be handled through specific legislation that targets limited benefit health insurance. They call attention to to the obvious conclusion presented by the study that health insurance in and of itself is not the answer. Having family medical security did not save hundreds of thousands of individuals from bankruptcy.
Those shopping for family medical insurance should also be informed of the fine print in their policies. The overall quality of family medical insurance should be considered. Premium costs are only one constituent that should go into the equation. If and until any minimum coverage standards are implemented, family medical insurance shoppers should take the time to indoctrinate themselves. Careful research and scrutiny of police limitations is key to securing family medical insurance that truly protects you and your household.
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