Health insurance myths and the truth behind them
Health insurance is certainly one of those things that raises a lot of questions and spawns many misconceptions due to its seeming complexity. And while some myths surrounding health insurance may be harmless, others can cause serious problems and lead to additional expenses. So in order to secure yourself from potential problems make sure to learn the facts behind some of the most common health insurance myths.
Myth 1: The majority of Americans have health insurance.
To much surprise of many every one out of seven US citizens doesn't have any kind of health insurance coverage. That's over 41 million people if put in absolute figures.
Myth 2: Those who don't have health insurance are mostly unemployed.
Most people assume that only people with low income don't have health insurance coverage. Yet, the statistics suggest that 8 out of 10 people without health insurance are employed and don't have coverage either because they can't afford it or their employer doesn't provide any group benefits.
Myth 3: Not having health insurance doesn't have any serious consequences on health.
In fact, having health insurance significantly reduces the risk of developing a lot of serious health conditions such as cancer simply because these problems can be diagnosed at a much earlier stage with regular checkups that health insurance plans offer.
Myth 4: You can still get health care even without insurance.
Sure you can, but it will cost you much more than with health insurance. That's why many uninsured patients tend to delay treatment and have more serious health problems if compared to people with health insurance.
Myth 5: There's no risk from not having insurance from the financial point of view.
That's a very erroneous assumption because a serious illness can lead to substantial medical costs that can cause even an average income family do go bankrupt.
Myth 6: The number of people without health insurance steadily decreases.
In fact, the number of people without health insurance has increased by almost 10 million people over the past decade as more and more buyers can't afford it.
Myth 7: Uninsured patients do not affect those with insurance.
In reality, those without insurance indirectly affect insured patients. While some hospitals tend to provide special care to uninsured people, it's the patient with health insurance who pays for these services through a higher fee the insurance company charges them with. The more customers there are in the insurance pool the cheaper health insurance gets for individual customers.
Myth 8: Only young people tend to avoid health insurance.
Fact is that 75% of those without insurance are older than 25 and often have spouses and children. Moreover, the senior age group shows the highest rates of growth among the uninsured population.