Private health

Group Health Insurance Vs Individual Health Insurance In Florida

admin — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 00:44:28 +0000

If you are a small business Florida with four to fifty full-time employees, your employees might have been pressuring you on getting a term health care insurance that you would have to pay.

While it is always advisable to keep your employees happy, getting term healthcare insurance for your employees as a member of your organization may not always suit their needs and may not be cost effective for your business too.

In order to be accepted in their Florida health insurance programs, most healthcare providers require for a small business to be operating for at least a year in Florida. Eligible business must also have been paying for their quarterly taxes. Small business in this case is a company with four to 50 full-time enrolled employees.

Some health providers allow employers to get a combination of PPO plans and HMO plans – and some employees can be on PPO while others on HMO. Although they offer similar services, PPO plans and HMO plans have some distinct differences. The aim is ultimately to allow people to save on their healthcare costs through their network of physicians and hospitals. However, with a PPO, you may see your favorite doctor or visit your favorite hospital – the insurance company will pay between 70% to 80% of the total cost. HMO plans are known, and in fact, limit you to their list of providers and hospitals. PPO plans are offered in all of Florida’s counties.

If You Can’t Afford It

If you have less than 25 employees, you are not required to offer healthcare or HMO options to your employees if you go back to the Health Maintenance Organization Act of 1973.

If you are such a small organization, then you might want to encourage your employees to get an individual health insurance plan. This type of plan is not issued to individuals as employees, business owners or as self-employed people. They are issued to people individually as breathing and living people with healthcare concerns.

Individual health insurance plans have advantages over group health insurance and vice versa.

Insurance companies usually have guidelines for accepting companies into their program. Your company might not qualify to be accepted into a group health program. However, if it does qualify, the insurance company must accept all individuals regardless of their pre-existing health conditions – they even include maternity benefits. Therefore, premiums under group healthcare can be more expensive than individual plans.

Insurance companies usually offer better, cheaper rates with individual plans since they can accept, rate or decline an application for an individual plan. Maternity benefits can only be had as an option in this case.

Insurance Brokers

If you are looking forward to enrolling in a health insurance program, you should know that even if you go straight direct to the healthcare company or if you choose to find your company, the premiums are still going to be the same. Insurance providers are not allowed to sell their health plans cheaper than what their agents are selling it for.

By: Joseph Adams

Health Insurance For People Over 50

admin — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 22:37:54 +0000

For anyone between 50 and 65 years who will be looking for some health cover or is already looking, you could be in need of a lot of help. This age is crucial in that many of the body’s systems are just about ready to start failing plunging you into serious health challenges. Using statistics (a tool used extensively to create the product structures) insurance companies know that the expenditure on health for the 20 to 45 year-old group will be a lot less than for the 50 to 65 year-old group. Therefore, the premiums for older persons are higher.

Do not despair, as we are smart we will be sure to find a way. Let us look at some options available.

For those who are still working and may be looking at starting a business or going to retire, there are a few areas worthy of your investigating. Does the company you work for allow you to buy insurance through their plan? For early retirement, if the company allows, they may be able to subsidize a portion of the premiums. If there is no subsidy, you may still be entitled to group rates which are less than for individuals. If you spouse will remain in employment seriously look at joining their plan if this is possible.

Another option is COBRA or Consolidate Omnibus Budget Reconciliation ACT, for those still in employment that gives health insurance cover. Former employees and their families can continue the cover for up to a year and a half. COBRA is also guaranteed. You can not be turned down even for chronic illnesses. The downside is the cost. During your employment the employer normally meets 70% of the premium. Own your own you will cover the full premium and administration costs on top. A 1997 survey showed that on average a retired employee would pay $1,008 for family cover and $373 for the individual health cover.

Even if you are not in employment, there are some options open for you. For those with pre-existing conditions like high blood pressure or diabetes who fail to get insurance, coverage is still available through the states’ high-risk program especially set up to help this group of people. Like COBRA, the premiums are quite high.

You should also check professional organizations that you could join or already a member of or are affiliated to see if the membership offers health insurance cover. As this is a group cover, your premiums will be low.

Lastly, the health insurance scheme for individuals. There are now very good offerings in this area as providers believe the 50-65 age group has potential for growth. These individuals also have a fair income and are in good health. Companies believe that even when the oldies become eligible for Medicare, they will still opt for supplemental cover. Some of these options have monthly premiums as low as $200 for individuals in fair health, but carry high deductibles. Some advisors recommend combining opening health savings accounts (HSA) when taking out a cover with high deductibles. HSA contributions are not taxed, nor are any withdrawals made towards qualified medical expenses and the balance at year end can be rolled over to the next year.

By: Jack Adams

NHS Or Private?

admin — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 16:38:47 +0000

Where do you get medical care as and when you need it, without any delays or sitting around hospital corridors surrounded by patients, bored and fidgeting children, wheelchairs, old uncle Tom Cobley and all? Certainly not in the NHS and it’s a long time since we could even dream of it.

The NHS is strapped for cash, we’re told that often enough. Waiting times are a joke.

Whilst no-one minds waiting up to three months for a minor illness, where the condition doesn’t appear to be too worrying, to wait for up to three months for investigation of something more serious is another matter altogether.

You must all recognise the scenario where your hospital appointment comes through for, say, 10 September. 10 September is ingrained in your mind, until lo and behold- on the 4 September – you receive that letter from the hospital. They regret that they are unable to see you on that day but hope that the appointment for 2 November will fit in with your plans. If that date is not suitable, please ring and arrange an alternative appointment. When will that be …Christmas!

It’s enough to make you contact your GP and ask for a private referral – normally available in a very short time, but at a cost of at least £100 – and that’s just the start. It’s no joke and shouldn’t be necessary but you just have to accept that, if you can afford it, private treatment is the way forward.

It’s not just the waiting times, either. There’s the bug factor to consider. Whilst there’s no denying that some NHS hospitals have a good reputation for maintaining strict standards of hygiene, others haven’t. Bad press reports regarding you local hospitals hardly fill you with confidence.

Once you’re actually in hospital, private care gives you the chance to be treated in a clean and private environment. A private room give you the privacy to recuperate in pleasant surroundings and with a choice of food equal to a good restaurant. If you can’t put off the hoards of visitors, at least you just have the noise and germs of your own few and not those of a whole ward of people.

This is all very nice, but the real benefit of private treatment is that it’s there for you, when and where you need it. Whatever the diagnosis, you can be assured that you’ll receive expert care and treatment and hopefully be back on your feet in the shortest possible time.

There are lots of healthcare plans. A fully comprehensive one can be costly and probably you’re talking of a premium of over £1,000 per year. For that you can get on with your life knowing that whatever happens, health-wise, you’re going to get the treatment you need, fast and with no quibbling.

If this sort of cost is prohibitive then it’s possible that one of the less comprehensive ones may meet your needs. There’s basic, simple cover for the less serious conditions such as dentistry, physiotherapy and podiatry or you may rely on the NHS for this, but choose to take cover for the very best that the NHS can’t afford, in the way of cancer treatment.

Whatever your need, take some independent advice. Get on line and find an independent broker who can advise you on the types of plan available and find you the right plan from a very large choice of private health care providers.

By: Michael Challiner

Low Cost Health Insurance In Texas

admin — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 22:50:59 +0000

Texas health insurance options are pretty good if you need to get individual or family health insurance because you are self-employed or it’s not available any other way. There are different types of plans, and costs and coverages can vary quite a bit. Here’s how you can find health insurance coverage.

Like in most states, you can get health insurance in Texas that basically falls into two categories: Fee-for-service and managed care.

Fee-for-service: With this type of health insurance policy, you can see any doctor or provider you want and typically go to a specialist without a referral. The provider may bill the insurance company, or you will need to submit a claim form to the health insurance company to reimburse you for the expenses that they cover. The insurance company may cover from 80 to 100 percent of the expenses. You will pay a premium, a deductible, probably a coinsurance amount and will have a maximum yearly limit to your coverage. Texas law requires health insurance companies to pay claims promptly.

Managed care: A managed care plan uses doctors, hospitals, and other providers that are associated in a network. You would become a member of an HMO, PPO or POS network and usually have to use the providers in the group to receive benefits. This put some limitations on who you can visit for health care, but these plans usually provide an affordable health insurance alternative to fee-for-service. Also, Texas law is very comprehensive about protecting your rights when you join a network.

You should get several quotes when shopping for health insurance — at least three. In Texas, one of the easiest ways to get multiple quotes is to go online to an insurance comparison site. These sites allow you to enter your information into a “quote box” or form, and then they’ll provide you with multiple quotes from different companies or agents. Since coverages and plans all differ, make sure to see if the plan you like is giving you the service and coverages that you and your family needs.

By: Scott Lunt

10 Outrageous Tips For Marketing a Mental Health Or Psychotherapy Private Practice

admin — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 11:25:58 +0000

No introduction, you want the the tips:

TIP #1: Put All Clients on Your E-mail List

Keep an e-mail list of your clients, both current and former. Get permission to send them a dead-simple newsletter from your private practice–one page! NOT TWO! And, heavens to murgatroid–not four.

Encourage clients or patients to print, forward, and distribute your newsletter to friends and family. Make this simple newsletter nothing more than mental health tips, seasonal stories, common sense right thinking, and articles so good that readers hesitate not to fold it up into their pocket.

If you e-mail your clients, send the newsletter to yourself and “blind copy” clients. Only your e-mail address will show to avoid violation of patient confidentiality. Don’t make a mistake in doing this procedural step.

A safer and better way is to print and mail a copy of your simple-dimple, yet punchy and powerful newsletter to your clients. Studies have shown that postal mail in an envelope is read 15 times more often than e-mail! Consider doing both.

TIP #2: Send Your Simple Dimple, Yet Powerfully Punchy Newsletter to the top 50 (and 50 only) Recreation, Mental Health, and Community Centers.

Send it to half-way houses, adult protective services, and other social service agencies. Only 50. Forget massive coverage. 50 will cost is $.44 x 50 in postage plus envelopes. The key is do this each month–no breaks. You are building powerful top-of-mind visibility and newsletter is going viral. Viral marketing is the passing along of sale information from human to the next. Recreation and community centers frequently post health and wellness information on their lobby bulletin boards, and may be happy to post your newsletter.

TIP #3: Ditto A Few Other Places

Grocery stores — try them too. Many small businesses with customer waiting areas like Jiffy Lubes, etc also post on visible bulletin boards. These include oil change and car repair centers, hardware stores, coffee shops, and more. Keep copies of your newsletter with you in your car for sudden insights and posting ideas. (Don’t forget to keep a mini-stapler in your glove compartment — one of those little red jobbers.)

TIP #4: Promote Presentation Topics That People Want And Will Eat Up

At the bottom of your simple-dimple, yet punchy and powerful newsletter, give visibility to the topics that you are willing to speak on for FREE. Get a boost by mentioning your expertise in specific terms and offering presentations with yourself as the speaker, especially on seasonal or hot topics.
Read that again. Season, or HOT TOPICS.

Do this: Go to “Google AdWords”. Find the “Key Word Tool”. Google “Google AdWords Key Word Tool”. Now, type in “Problem with” and see what comes up. Or, to the same thing with Twitter. You will find what the world is worried about. You will discover the most common searches that begin with these few words. (Writing this article for you, I just did this exercise. Problem with – brought up “men” “women” “money” “teenager” “food” etc. Now do it again, and expand. You will discover what people want hear from you. Put together five presentations that last 25 minutes each. You will promote these 25 minute presentations (not 30, but 25 minutes) at the bottom of your simple-dimple, yet punchy and powerful newsletter.

TIP #5: Keep Copies in Your Waiting Room.

Keep copies of simple-dimple, yet punchy and powerful newsletter in your waiting room. Clients will pick it up, stuff them in a purses and pockets, give them to friends, and pass them around at work. This will put your newsletter in motion with leverage. This is called viral marketing.

TIP #6: Distribute Copies to Your Doctor, Dentist, and Other Medical Practices That You Patronize.

Ask if you can place your simple-dimple, yet punchy and powerful newsletter in the waiting rooms of your doctor. (A few copies on a coffee table, for example.) Put one copy in a clear plastic, top-loading sheet protector. This shouts “DESK COPY” even without those words written on it. When clients and patients see this copy, they almost never walk off with it, thereby leaving it for scores of other people to see in the course of a month. These medical professionals who you patronize owe you. Don’t ask the nurse or the front desk secretary for permission. Ask the doctor or medical professional in the middle of the anatomical procedure you’re paying for. No, I am not kidding.

TIP #7: Cooperate and Make Money While Increasing Referrals

Offer the bottom section of your simple-dimple, yet punchy and powerful newsletter to allied professionals as advertising space that includes one line of text. These should be professionals with whom you do not compete. These professionals would love to pay you for the exposure. Trade with them so you get exposure to all of their clients and patients. You have just formed your own “linked-in” group. One or two lines of text will do the trick. Have enough space for five to six advertising lines, and widen your distribution. Everyone wins, especially you. We suggest holistic health professionals, therapeutic massage professionals, chiropractors, even vitamin stores! Your local Walgreens may buy advertising space. It will improve the “stature” of your newsletter and you can make money to cover your newsletter’s cost.

TIP #8: Send Hard Copies to Media Outlets Locally.

Your local community has media outlets-radio, television, and newspapers. The reporters of these outlets scramble in desperation to find any warm-bodied mental health professional that they can interview when a crisis occurs or a national news event affects the psyche of the nation. The crisis at Fort Hood is a good example. It is happening as I write this article.

Other topics include stress, downsizing and survivor syndrome, or depression and the current 2009 economy crisis are good examples. They need experts. That’s you. Send your newsletter to a reporter or “news desk” contact every month. When a pertinent news event hits, phone your contacts I-M-M-E-D-I-A-T-E-L-Y! Say, “I am expert on ____. I am available for an interview if you need it.” You may be on TV or the radio within hours. I’ve done this–believe me, it works. (You will be happy you read this article for this tip alone.) If you do a good job, and it is an a.m. radio station, ask if you can have your own hour once a month to answer mental health questions from the audience.

Keep phone numbers of media outlets in your cell phone or taped to the dashboard of your car because that is where you will be when you hear a news story you will want to crash. Call this “crashing a news story”. You’ve heard of crashing a party?

TIP #9: Send Copies to Your Competitors.

Am I nuts? No. Every mental health professional in private practice refers clients or patients to other therapists. Whom do they choose? Most of the time the choice is made based on familiarity, as much as expertise. Reputation as well. And where does a reputation come from? One place – familiarity. Don’t kid yourself. You know this is true. The name you hear the most is the best guy. Everybody thinks like this to some degree. So, exploit reality. Your name and face must come to mind. These professionals will enjoy the newsletter and you will achieve “top-of-mind” visibility. It will take six months to achieve this effect. Then, Katie bar the door.

TIP #10: Send simple-dimple, yet punchy and powerful newsletter to EAPs.

EAPs are great referral sources, but it can be hard to get an appointment with them to discuss your services. And you need more than one touch to get noticed. Let your newsletter do the talking for you. Contact the Employee Assistance Professionals Association at 703-387-1000 and discover where the local chapter in your area meets. Collect business cards and send your newsletter to these folks. If you join EAPA, you will find their addresses online. After a few issues to these folks, it will be easier to obtain a face-to-face appointment. Recipients will feel like they already know you. They will think you are a celebrity. That’s because of repetition and seeing your name and your simple-dimple, yet punchy and powerful newsletter.

By: Daniel Feerst

Florida Group Health Insurance

admin — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 08:36:52 +0000

Florida group health insurance can be an affordable and cost effective way to recruit, reward, and retain employees or it can be a profit margin compressing behemoth that will suffocate your company’s growth. Florida group health insurance is a very competitive market. The competitiveness of the Florida group health insurance market can be leveraged to the Florida small business owner’s favor by an astute Florida group health insurance specialist.

The Florida group health insurance specialist can save a small business owner in the state of Florida a sizable sum of health care expenses each year by offering group health insurance services on an ongoing basis. It should not be underestimated the value that a group health insurance specialist can bring to the table by conducting an annual pre-renewal check up on a group health insurance policy. This is just one of many Florida group health insurance practices that should comprise a comprehensive Small Business Value Proposition by a Florida group health insurance specialist.

The Florida Group Health Insurance Specialist should be an independent insurance agent (meaning that he/she can shop among different health insurance companies and find the best group health insurance policy for your company). This is contrasted with an insurance agent that is captive and can only represent one insurance company (if your yearly renewal rolls around and you are not satisfied; guess what? That is the end of the options available to the captive insurance agent).

To speak with a licensed independent Florida Group Health Insurance specialist simply request free Florida group health insurance quotes.

By: Joel Ohman

Reasonable Health Insurance Plan

admin — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 18:09:58 +0000

As the human civilization has developed over a long period of time, rapid advancement has made the life of an average human being very busy. As opposed to ancient times when every individual was taken care of by the local authorities, with the expansion of states and territories every man has to think for himself. In this day and age, when every person is stuck in the rigorous routine to earn a living for his family, one does not find the time or the finance to get a health insurance plan.

Group health insurance policies are preferred by many as the volume of risk is lesser as compared to an individual health insurance plan. Most employers give the facility of health insurance to their employees and also to their families. There are also many establishments and organizations that offer insurance facilities to their members at a discount. Many credit card companies also have good insurance plans for their customers. By becoming a member of a local health club or any such organization, you can grab the opportunity to secure the future of your family at an affordable cost.

For individuals, a feasible individual health insurance plan is available through several health insurance companies that offer different features suiting different classes of the society. But before getting an insurance policy it is always advisable to consult your lawyer and a financial expert in order to completely understand the different terms and conditions imposed by the insurance company. Taking the opinions of the existing policy holders of an insurance company will also help you take the best decision for your future.

Lack of affordability is a major obstacle in acquiring a good insurance policy as many delay this issue because it might disturb their budget. But what people fail to realize is that if a health breakdown is faced, then the health expenses will be far greater not to mention the physical and mental agony faced by the victim. Whether you are an individual or have a family, getting a good health insurance plan as quickly as possible should be your top most priority.

For those individuals and families that simply cannot afford a health insurance plan from a regular insurance company, governments and state authorities have started several health plans. All the necessary particulars and information should be taken from the local state insurance department. After scrutinizing your documents to test your eligibility, you may get a state sponsored health insurance program. But it is of utmost importance that all the necessary documents should be filed within the specified time period and all the procedure must be followed carefully.

By making proper surveys and collecting information from several sources, all the options should be analyzed and compared. Bringing in friends and relatives while making an important decision for your family’s future will also help as they will help you see the other side of the picture. Although, time must be spent for consideration before purchasing an insurance plan, you must take the initiative yourself otherwise you may end up delaying it for good.

By: Christopher DeNorch

Insurance Companies and Universal Health Care

admin — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 03:35:54 +0000

Insurance companies serve a very important function in our society. The purpose of insurance is to share risk. Risk is the amount of economic loss that someone is willing to assume in an activity. For instance, a bank would not loan money for the purpose of buying a house, unless the house was protected against losses such as fire, wind and other perils. That protection is provided by a Homeowner’s policy.

A loan to purchase an automobile would not be available unless the car was insured for losses by theft or collision. That protection is provided by an auto policy.

Health insurance is a policy that shares the risk of losses caused by injuries or illness. A share of the risk is assumed by the individual through a deductible or co-pay. In-other-words, if someone visits the doctor, that individual may be required to pay the first $15 or $20 of the visit. The health insurance company assumes the risk of the remainder of the cost.

That shared risk comes about through an exchange of ‘consideration’. Consideration is value. The insured pays a premium in exchange for the promise of the insurance company to pay certain costs associated with the insured’s health care. Which brings us to the controversy surrounding the government’s efforts to institute what some call universal health care.

No matter what side of the argument you are on, in favor or against universal health care, one issue has been settled. President Obama stated publicly that it is impossible to insure the ‘uninsured’ without additional costs. So, the idea that this will be a ‘deficit neutral’ policy has been debunked by the administration itself. Either taxes go up to pay for the program, or health care will have to be rationed to keep costs neutral, or bring them down.

In response to the public out-cry about a government health care program, the administration has called the insurance companies villains. After all, insurance companies exclude preexisting conditions for some period of time when an individual enrolls (however that is not always the case with group policies), and insurance companies are making a ‘profit’.

PreExsiting Conditions

Think about the concept of risk and preexisting conditions. An individual has a home that has been damaged by fire. Would a homeowner’s insurance company now write a policy that would cover the repairs to home caused by the preexisting fire? Of course not! That is not shared risk, that is bad business.

An individual has a preexisting health condition, say diabetes. Purchasing a policy that would exclude the treatment for diabetes for a limited period of time (usually two years), now results in a shared risk. The health insurance company will cover the person for other perils, and if that individual pays the premiums over time, that exclusion regarding the preexisting condition is then dropped.

Is it possible for the government to insure everyone in the United States and force insurance companies to provide policies without regard to preexisting conditions? It is possible, but not without driving the cost of health-care way up. After all, the money to pay the doctors and hospitals have to come from somewhere and President Obama stated that ‘We are out of money’. Since the government doesn’t earn money, its only source of revenue is taxes.

Profit

Insurance companies are being cast as the bad guy since companies make a profit. Which do you prefer, companies that are well run that make a profit, or a company like General Motors that required billions of dollars of taxpayer money to bail the company out? A profit is what allows companies to expand services and provide jobs. Companies that fail to make a profit, go out-of-business.

The government not only fails to make a profit, as a well run business entity should, it runs at a deficit. The latest example is Cash for Clunkers. Not only was taxpayer money used to subsidize auto sales, now car dealers are complaining that the government is not sending the checks for the Clunkers that were promised. It appears that many buyers will have lost their old cars and now face repossession of the new cars purchased since the money for the program did not actually exist.

This does not bode well for a government run health care system.

Tort Reform

Doctors and hospitals must practice defensive medicine. People will sue for anything. Tort lawyers use a ’shot-gun’ approach when filing a malpractice lawsuit. All doctors, nurses, technicians and hospitals involved in a case are named as a defendant, whether that party had any actual responsibility for the claimed injury and damage.

We need a loser pay system, which provides that anyone who brings a lawsuit and loses, is required to pay the other side’s attorney fees and expenses. That would do away with most frivolous lawsuits and bring the costs of health care down.

Big Government Solution

Government should be required to live within its means. It does not, and the government, not insurance companies, is the villain in this scenario.

The founding fathers did not foresee a large, powerful centralized government. That is what was the war of independence against England was all about. The US Constitution delegated specific powers to the Federal Government, and it does not specify taking over any private sector industry.

Medicare and Medicaid are government health care programs on the verge of collapse. Even President Obama admits Medicare cannot be sustained. No program can be sustained when it runs at a deficit and all government programs run at a deficit.

Universal Health Care will run at a deficit from day one and that is just bad business.

By: Michael Birzon

Affordable Health Insurance for the Unemployed

admin — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 16:32:13 +0000

For many people, one of the many benefits of being employed is having an affordable health insurance package of some sort offered to them through their employers. Of course, not all employers offer affordable health insurance packages to their employees, nor are they legally required to, but many do. And those employees who do get affordable health insurance packages through their employers? Well, we will just imagine they are quite happy.

Yet, there comes a time in many of our lives when we find ourselves unemployed; and when we are unemployed, we no longer have all of the nice little perks our employers offered us, such as affordable health insurance packages. However, just because we are unemployed and without health insurance packages does not mean we’re going to stop getting sick or injured and requiring those health insurance packages.

Is there a way for the unemployed to get affordable health insurance?

Yes. One option for unemployed people is to purchase a short term health insurance package. Although you must pay for the short term health insurance, which usually last anywhere from six to 12 months, most of them are considered affordable and perfect for those individuals who have found themselves unemployed or laid off.

These short term health insurance plans are designed to provide you and your family with affordable health insurance while you are in between employment. This means they are also designed to offer you many of the same health services your previous health insurance package offered you and your family.

After all, your health needs do not change just because your employment status changes. Many short term health insurance plans offer visits to the doctor, hospital services such as surgery as well as inpatient and outpatient procedures, prescription discounts, dental and vision services, and sometimes even chiropractic care.

If you’re looking for affordable health insurance for the unemployed, begin your search with short term health insurance plans.

By: Elizabeth Newberry

The Price Of Affordable Health Care

admin — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 01:06:53 +0000

We all need medical help at some time in our lives and we also want the security of knowing that our children will be cared for, should they fall ill or suffer an accident. In developing countries, a lot of people struggle to buy the drugs and medicines they need and have to rely on charity. There is a campaign in the West to persuade pharmaceutical companies to make their products available at prices people can pay in poverty stricken communities. Sometimes, these companies will only put the high cost branded drugs on the market. They have also been known to flood the market with past their sell date products. Affordable health care is out of reach for a lot of people.

It can also be difficult for developed countries, especially when someone has a long-term illness. Most people need to have some sort of private health insurance to meet their needs. The problem is that a lot of families prioritize their money to be spent on rent and food, leaving little left for anything else. Affordable health care often comes at the expense of something else.

In general, the population is living longer. This is putting enormous strain on every country’s health system. There are more people living into their eighties and nineties and they have several medical problems. At the same time, middle-aged people are falling victim to heart disease and strokes. The debate rages as to whether the state should provide health care or if it should be left to the responsibility of the individual. It might work better as a blending of the two.

The UK is lucky in having a welfare state. Medical care is free at source. There are exceptions to this, involving dental and ophthalmic charges. There is also a standard charge for prescriptions. This welfare system has to be paid for through direct and indirect tax. Americans don’t enjoy a welfare state but they pay less tax on gasoline etc. Affordable health care is swings and roundabouts.

Private health care is available in the UK as well, for those who wish to pay for it. This means you get treatment a lot quicker and can be admitted to a private hospital on a chosen date for operations. The divide between private and state provision causes a lot of argument, with some people believing that no one should be able to jump the queue because they can pay to do so. Private patients also take doctors away from National Health Service patients. Everyone is agreed that affordable health care for all is a desirable goal but no one seems sure on how to go about it.

By: John Wellington