Articles recently published claim that high deductible health plans and HSA’s are potentially bad for your health and that they only benefit middle and upper income individuals. Could there be truth to this fact? Possibly. But more than likely NOT. They cite incentives for persons to not receive care under these formats. However, they offer no real proof of negative outcomes other than the fact that those surveyed said they did not seek care for minor ailments. Isn’t this this kind of patient based responsibility we have been asking for in trying to curb overutilzation of services? Doesn’t this put the patient back into the responsibility equation? Does this not ask for patients to exercise common sense about their ills, aches and pains? And since when is it a crime for a plan to be of benefit to middle and upper income individuals?
The bottom line is this . . . the real culprit in all of this, which is described by the writers, but somehow overlooked, is the insurance companies and their rules on COVERAGE. They continue to deny coverage to those with pre-existing conditions – they continue to deny insurance coverage to so called high risk individuals – they continue to deny coverage based on THEIR definition of the word family – they continue to drop insureds who “overutilize” services (in other words have the temerity to actually get sick) – they continue to rate small groups and others to maximize premium retention and minimize benefit payout.
Please, lets focus on the real issues and not utopian, idealistic solutions to our health care problems. Denying working families of some means, in other words the middle-class and others, of benefiting from common sense use of health services is not the answer. Forcing health insurers to return to their core business, which is overall risk sharing among the total population insured is much more of a solution along with elimination of their practices to limit and deny coverage . . . obi jo
When Insurance Is Bad for Your Health
Some health insurance plans are structured in a way that actually discourages patients from seeking medical care, writes Walecia Konrad in the latest Patient Money column. The investment firm Fidelity recently surveyed employees at various companies who had opted for a high-deductible health plan linked to a health savings account. About half of those workers said they or a family member had chosen not to seek medical care for minor ailments as many as four times in the past year to avoid paying the out-of-pocket expenses . . .
The Many Hidden Costs of High-Deductible Health Insurance
Is your medical insurance bad for your health? If you have a high-deductible plan, the answer may be yes. High-deductible health plans are essentially insurance policies that charge lower monthly premiums than traditional plans because the consumer is responsible for paying the first $1,000 to $5,000 or more in medical bills before the insurance kicks in. The plans, sometimes called catastrophic insurance, are often used in conjunction with a health savings account . . .
When Insurance Is Bad for Your Health – http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/29/when-insurance-is-bad-for-your-health
Tara Parker Pope – http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/author/tara-parker-pope
The Many Hidden Costs of High-Deductible Health Insurance – http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/30/health/30patient.html?_r=1
Families USA – http://www.familiesusa.org
Fidelity Investments – www.fidelity.com
www.condron.us
www.blogburst.com
When Insurance Is Bad for Your Health
Some health insurance plans are structured in a way that actually discourages patients from seeking medical care, writes Walecia Konrad in the latest Patient Money column. The investment firm Fidelity recently surveyed employees at various companies who had opted for a high-deductible health plan linked to a health savings account. About half of those workers said they or a family member had chosen not to seek medical care for minor ailments as many as four times in the past year to avoid paying the out-of-pocket expenses . . .
The Many Hidden Costs of High-Deductible Health Insurance
Is your medical insurance bad for your health? If you have a high-deductible plan, the answer may be yes. High-deductible health plans are essentially insurance policies that charge lower monthly premiums than traditional plans because the consumer is responsible for paying the first $1,000 to $5,000 or more in medical bills before the insurance kicks in. The plans, sometimes called catastrophic insurance, are often used in conjunction with a health savings account . . .
When Insurance Is Bad for Your Health – http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/29/when-insurance-is-bad-for-your-health
Tara Parker Pope – http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/author/tara-parker-pope
The Many Hidden Costs of High-Deductible Health Insurance – http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/30/health/30patient.html?_r=1
Families USA – http://www.familiesusa.org
Fidelity Investments – www.fidelity.com
www.condron.us
www.blogburst.com