Many people in the USA are looking for more affordable health care owing to the continued increase in premiums. While increased premiums are part of the reason, many employers are reducing the level of cover due to budgetary cutbacks. Before this year, I had great health care with my company but it has reduced this year so I know this is the reason.
How do I know this, well because I am one of those people affected and despite a very good job, before 2006, the health care package at work was first rate. Out of the blue the company decided to change their health care provider because it was costing them too much.
To make the system fair to everyone, the health care provider would need to change. I suppose some people are better off and perhaps I should not sound ungrateful. The problem is that in an effort to find a less expensive insurance, having my husband and daughter on the policy is now costing twice the amount it did before. So basically in order for all the employees to benefit where I work, I have to pay double but my pay remains the same so I am actually taking home less.
My health care may still be very good despite the fact that the old company was much better than this new one. To my mind the whole point of providing this new affordable health care scheme was a cost cutting exercise for the company which just meant greater expense for some of their employees. My last policy took care of all the hospital stay when I had my little boy nearly 3 years ago. Compare this to the new health care plan and I would be out of pocket by over 4,000 dollars.
This figure does not take into account additional amounts I must pay out of my salary. Fortunately, more affordable health care scheme are being started to help those less fortunate. For workers in companies without health care plans and single mums for instance, this is a God send. I applaud the set up of these programs but not enough is done to stop those that wish to take advantage and ruin it for others.
Perhaps some form of means testing is needed for people so that only genuine cases have the benefit of affordable health care. Although I say they can be a burden to the state, I really mean a burden to its citizens because it is the tax payer who foots the bill. Ok, so some of the employees where I work have benefited but the real winner was my company. Less take home pay was the result of my companies health provider switch with many of its workforce the ones seeing less money to take home for their families. Something needs to be done in this country to offset rising costs and provide more affordable health care to those who are in need.