If you’re one of the roughly 50 million uninsured Americans, you may wonder why individual health insurance is so important – especially if you’re young and healthy. There are smart ways to save money, but skipping out on health insurance isn’t one of them. Studies show that uninsured individuals don’t receive the same quality or amount of preventive care those with insurance enjoy and may be putting themselves at greater financial risk than their insured counterparts.
- Insurance can seem expensive, but not having it can cost much more: How many people do you know with a heart condition or who have had a heart attack? Have you ever thought about what the cost would be to have open heart surgery? The answer, according to financial website, Investopedia, is roughly $324,000. Now imagine adding that amount to your monthly bills. An average mortgage payment for that amount would be over $2,000 a month —and that’s only for one procedure. Compared with the actual cost of care for any serious condition can make monthly premiums seem much more attractive.
- Being uninsured impacts everyone: People who don’t have health insurance tend to wait until their condition is at its worst and use the emergency room to get care. This results in large bills from doctors and facilities that often go unpaid. To recoup those funds, hospitals are often forced to charge more for services to everyone across the board.
- Preventive care: Those with health insurance are much more likely to use it for receiving annual check-ups and other diagnostic tests that can catch serious medical conditions early when they are still treatable. The latest research shows that people with health insurance are found to be mentally and physically healthier.
- Transitioning to a new career: More and more people attending college are those who have been out of high school for many years. Health insurance is becoming a prerequisite to attend a college or university. Some schools even require certain benefits to be covered.
- Self worth: You insure your cars, home and other material items, so why would you decide to put yourself last? Car or home repairs can be very costly, but have you thought about what it would cost to fix YOU if something went wrong?
Many struggle to pay monthly premiums, but budgeting for a health plan is well worth the time and effort in the long run. Clay Cooper is an individual health insurance telesales representative with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. To learn more about health insurance policies for you and your family, please contact an independent sales agent or reach out to Clay directly at 888.642.2276 ext. 7601 or ccooper@bcbsm.com. Photo Credit: rekre89
