Health Insurance
Traditional Health Insurance pays for the majority of medical costs related to injuries and illness. Most plans have some form of a deductible amount that you have to pay before the insurance begins to pay. Other plans have a co-payment requirement where you pay a percentage of the cost of the bill and the insurance picks up the rest.
Many companies provide health insurance either partially or fully paid to their employees as a benefit. These group plans allow otherwise un-insurable people with existing illnesses or conditions to obtain coverage. Individual plans can be difficult to obtain if a person is not healthy or has a pre-existing condition.
The cost of health care is one of the most significan
t expenses in our Country and much debate is made over the wisdom of adopting a national health insurance model such as is found in many other Countries. What no one argues about is the fact that individuals who can afford to pay for their own health care receive a broader range of services and a higher quality of personal care.
Private health insurance can be purchased from a number of insurance carriers. 3 of the largest are Blue Shield and Kaiser Permanent and Aetna Insurance Company.
There are alternatives to traditional health insurance that provide you the opportunity to take control of your own health costs by using a major medical plan combined with a health savings account (HSA). Instead of putting thousands of dollars a year into traditional insurance premiums and perhaps visiting the doctor once or twice that year, you contribute before tax dollars to a special account that can accumulate much like an IRA. You pay your own medical costs for doctor visits, prescription drugs and outpatient services. If you become hospitalized - where the huge bills start - you pay a pre-determined deductible and then your insurance starts paying up to $1,000,000 or even more!