Rising Cost of Health Insurance - Essay Example

Health insurance in America, which over half of its citizens receive from their employers, is a major source of anxiety. Prices that the nation must accept are slowly rising, but the rate of inflation and increases in wages are not keeping up. Past presidential candidates have proposed solutions such as tax credits for small businesses and people who have a low income. Another possible solution is health care being given to everyone to promote preventative care. If a change is not made, the country is in danger of worsening dramatically in matters of health and related costs.

More than seventy million Americans don't even have health insurance, and as premiums rise, so will that number. An entire family's coverage can easily be lost because of retirement, divorce, or a simple switch from full to part-time work. USA Today claims: "Employers say there is no concensus on what to do, long term, to slow health spending," which proves that an agreement needs to be met soon. This issue seriously affects many different individuals, from company owners to the middle-class.

Small business suffers especially, but often compensates by hiring young employees; eighteen to twenty-four year olds have the least health coverage in America. Some companies have "eliminated coverage for dependents, while others have canceled their medical plans altogether" (Porter). It is unfair that so many must suffer because of this cost. Two reasons health care is expensive are incredible advertisement costs and a need for advanced machines used for diagnoses. The need for costly medical machines makes sense, but it is unfortunate that countless people aren't receiving proper care due in part to the high prices of commercials.

Costs can increase over ten percent in one year, and usually do not go back down afterward. It is disappointing to consider where some portions of health insurance money are headed and how much better they could be spent. Adding to the problem, premiums cut into funds meant for employee raises. How will this possibly work years from now If wages don't increase as much as they could while the cost of coverage continues to skyrocket, even more families won't be able to afford health insurance.

This will worsen circumstances because preventative care costs so much less than waiting until an emergency comes. This will only happen more if action is not taken. Millions of uninsured children struggle without the health care they need, as do adults. Lack of preventative care is an issue in desperate need of a solution. Those who live without coverage are more often diagnosed with sicknesses when it too late. Mortality rates are significantly higher among the uninsured. Medical attention can be refused to them, even if they obviously have a sickness or injury, so long as it is not life-threatening.

In a time of need, people who can't afford to pay a monthly bill are expected to come up with money up front! Many wait until a problem is terrible before seeking help because of the cost of care. Sometimes this opportunity comes in the form of an emergency, which creates bills that can be difficult and sometimes impossible to afford. A great deal of people should have been covered in the first place so that they could have been treated sooner. America spends billions annually to treat preventable diseases that weren't caught early on.

The country should be working on early diagnoses for everyone; treatment costs much less when problems are found in their beginning stages. The rising cost of health insurance is certainly a threat. Synergy is an enormous part of the answer. Every American should work together on a solution. Whether it be tax cuts or preventative care, either would work better than current strategies, which are making coverage costlier every year. Growing premiums are not only dangerous for families' financial stability.

They are also a threat to their chances at living healthy lives. Works CitedAppleby, Julie; "Rising Health Insurance Costs Eat Up Raises"; USA Today; 04 Nov. 2002;http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/health/2002-11-03-costs_x.htmPorter, Eduardo; "Cost of Benefits Cited as Factor in Slump of Jobs"; New York Times; 19 Aug. 2004; http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.htmlres=9801E4D91E3FF93AA2575BC0A9629C8B63