Health Insurance Coverage - Protect Your Family From Financial Ruin

Health insurance is a special sort of insurance that can protect a family from

financial ruin in case of serious illness to you or any of your family members.

That is because the insurer pays the medical costs of the insured. Most of us do

not have health insurance on our minds while we are busy living our lives from

day to day, but it the very first thing we think about when someone in our

family becomes ill or has an accident. There are a wide variety of factors

relating to health insurance coverage in the United States, and they vary from

state to state.

According to statistics from the US Census Bureau, approximately 85% of

Americans carry some kind of health insurance. Many people, about 60%, are

covered through their place of employment or through individually acquired

health insurance. Roughly 25% of the American population is insured by federal

or state government agencies, which may include various state funded health

insurance plans in addition to Medicare and Medicaid.

Of concern to many people throughout America today is the rising costs of health

insurance, which are largely due to the ongoing advances in the technology

involved in medical care - advances that help people live longer and healthier

lives. Another reason for rising medical costs is the fact that we now have more

senior citizens than ever before in our country. The more frail, elderly

population is more prone to illness than the younger, healthier segment of the

population, thus requiring more medical care.

Yet another reason for the ever-increasing costs of health insurance is the fact

that many individuals make poor choices that affect their health. These include

factors such as exercise, nutrition, obesity, smoking and other negative

behaviors. Add to this the fact that there are many rural areas that are sorely

lacking in doctors and other health professionals.

Health insurance companies now offer people discounts and incentives to make

wise choices and become healthier. Many health insurers will refuse to insure

those people with pre-existing medical conditions, requiring applicants to

provide a personal medical history and other health information. This

information may address areas such as previous and current diseases, smoking,

drug use and weight, by which providers determine one's financial risk to their

company. Those considered at high risk are screened out. On a positive note,

these considerations may encourage individuals to make positive changes in their

lifestyles, such as quitting smoking.

Recently, due to the concern over pre-existing medical conditions, state and

federal laws have gone into effect that protect such individuals so that they

can acquire or maintain health insurance even if they change plans or providers.

HIPAA (The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) is a federal

law, put into effect so that all health insurance plans, nationally, adhere to a

common set of standards. Furthermore, health plans can be regulated

state-by-state, having laws regulating group and individual health insurance

coverage. This means that the laws regulating your health insurance protections

may vary, depending on which state you live in. Bear in mind that despite these

laws, you still may not have access to health insurance in every situation.

Should you leave or change your job, you may be able to remain in your previous

group health plan for a certain period of time, under COBRA continuation

coverage. While there are limits as to how much you will need to pay to continue

such coverage, this can be of great help during times when you are between jobs

or waiting for your pre-existing condition to be covered by a new health

insurance plan.

Michael Benifez writes for http://www.LifeinPalmCoast.com, covering world of finance, mortgage loans, refinancing and insurance in Palm Coast, Florida and Flagler county. A recent article - Palm Coast Florida insurance covers insurance options for home, health and auto.

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