| zwright@houstonfirstcapital.com 2006-03-30, 12:11 am |
| Heart Disease
No policy will cover you for Heart Disease diagnosed before you applied for the policy.
With more than 41 million people uninsured in America today, the lack of health care benefits has a widespread effect on American society.
However, this number does not accurately represent the many additional Americans who went without insurance for any part of that year. According to a new study by Families USA, about 74.7 million people under the age of 65, or approximately one-third of A
mericans, were without health insurance for all or a part of 2001 and 2002. Of this number, nearly two-thirds were uninsured for six months or more and nearly one-fourth of all those without insurance did not have insurance for the entire two-year period.
Most Americans know the uninsured population is increasing, but they do not realize that many of those without insurance are their friends and neighbors. Approximately 80 percent of those without insurance are U.S. citizens and about one-third of uninsure
d adults have incomes of $50,000 or more. The fastest-growing income segment of the uninsured earns more than $75,000 a year.
In fact, 70 percent of those without health insurance are gainfully employed and a full two-thirds of Americans under the age of 65 receive health insurance benefits through their job or that of their spouse or parent.
The effects of going without health coverage are widespread. When one member of the family lacks health insurance, it results in the decreasing health, emotional well-being and financial stability of the entire household. Fifty-eight million Americans ar
e uninsured or live with a family member that doesn't have insurance, and thesefamilies pay on average more than 40 percent of their medical expenses out-of-pocket.
Individual health also suffers, often far more than many people realize. Even being uninsured for just one year appears to actually diminish one's health. Americans without health insurance are more likely to die prematurely than those with
insurance, attributing lack of insurance to 360-600 premature breast cancer deaths, 1200-1400 deaths among HIV-infected adults, and 1400 premature deaths to hypertension [http://HEART.AMERIPLAN-HEALTHCARE.COM] each year.
Uninsured people also are less likely to have routine checkups and screenings, and therefore are more likely to be diagnosed with a disease in its later stages.
Beyond individuals and their families, communities also pay a high price for the uninsured. Areas with high rates of uninsured individuals are more likely to reduce hospital services, divert public resources away from disease prevention and surveillance p
rograms, and reallocate tax dollars to pay for uncompensated medical care.
Americans are looking for solutions, right now. They have a need now. Waiting on the Government is not the answer and those that suffer with pre-existing conditions need solutions.
Commentary provided by,
Zane Evan Wright [Multiple Sclerosis and Uninsured]
http://HEART.AMERIPLAN-HEALTHCARE.COM
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