Is health insurance unaffordable?

Sam

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http://www.sciencedirect.com/scienc...serid=10&md5=23a16ddb033a6cf3e154f342fc94da58

Abstract

In this paper, we investigate the meaning of “affordability” in the context of health insurance. Assessing the relationship between the affordability of coverage and the large number of uninsured in the U.S. is important for understanding the barriers to purchasing coverage and evaluating the role of policy in reducing the number of uninsured. We propose several definitions of affordability and examine the implications of alternative definitions for estimates of the proportion of uninsured who are unable to afford coverage. We find that, depending on the definition, health insurance was affordable to between one-quarter and three-quarters of the uninsured in the United States in 2000.
 
Affordability is a strange word since that depends on income. Is $3.00 a gallon for gas as affordable for a person making $20,000 a year as it is to someone making $200,000?

Rates are fixed despite income. That means the lower the income the more unaffordable the plan is. Poll an area that's median household income is $100,000 and you won't find a lot of people without coverage due to cost. Poll an area where the income is $40,000 and you'll find a lot without coverage. So affordabily is relative.

I might have potential client who's paying $500 a month for health insurance. I find him a solid comparable plan for $400 and he's not interested. He also might be making $120,000 a year. I find another client without any coverage. I find them a $200 a month rate and they can't take it because they only make $30,000 a year.
 
If you look at the affordability of health insurance in reference to the GNP and other factors you will find that on the whole it's affordable. It's just that people now ask what can our nation do for us instead of the other way around
 
Good point John. I remember reading the newpaper probably more than a dozen years ago where a study was conducted(don't recall the study group or the exact statistics) that concluded that the vast majority of people sick in hospitals were there because of things they did to there own bodies such as smoking,drinking,obesity,wreckless driving etc. now should we let the free market remedy all of these problems or should the govt. come in and come to my smoking,speeding,dope smoking,over eating fat ass's rescue. I certainly don't have all the answers but I will trust free enterprise over the likes of Hillary and Obamba any day
 
It's nearly impossible to punish people who clearly don't take care of themselves without getting people who got diagnosed with cancer caught up in that net.

Plus, I don't think that "punishment" for over-eating and smoking should be lack of affordable health insurance. Now the problem is compounded since they don't have coverage and therefore cost the sytem even more money.
 
My dad had lung cancer and died in 2000 of it so I have a lot of sympathy for cancer victims as do I for insulin dependent diabetics,quadrapelics and a host of other unfortunates but someone has to pay,there are no free lunch's you either pay in premiums,good ol cash, or higher taxes.
 
Whatever is worked out, there are fatal flaws that need to get fixed. Low-income workers often don't get offered health insurance so if you're a diabetic then what?
 
Plus, I don't think that "punishment" for over-eating and smoking should be lack of affordable health insurance. Now the problem is compounded since they don't have coverage and therefore cost the sytem even more money.

What do you propose then to help the people who cannot "afford" health insurance due to pre-existing conditions? Increase the type adn number of qualifying conditions to get access to a state plan perhaps or maybe increase taxes to provide funding for a different risk pool specifically designed for people who have pre-existing conditions and simply cannot afford the premium. The latter closely resembling a state risk pool.

It needs to start with education from elementary into college and not the mindset of, "let the family educate their children." Wrong answer!

When was the last time that teenagers were getting education on finances. People need to obtain education so they can make smarter decisions or at least know the outcome of bad decisions. The people who make smart decisions should not be penalized for the people who don't.
 
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