Business View

Affordable Health care plan for everyone

Many people in the USA are looking for more affordable health care owing to the continued increase in premiums. Companies are using rising premiums and tighter financial budgets to reduce the level of health care available to their employees. Before this year, I had great health care with my company but it has reduced this year so I know this is the reason. They informed everyone that owing to the increasing cost of providing health care, they were going to use a new, less expensive provider.Unfortunately, the old system didn't benefit everyone in the company but the new one would, it was claimed. I don't doubt that many people will say that I am still doing alright and shouldn't complain. The new insurance company may be cheaper for the company but it isn't for me because to have my husband and daughter in the plan costs double what it did with the previous provider. Lower cost cover may be available for all my colleagues now plus the company has saved money but if I want to keep my family on the plan, I will have to settle for a lower income. The advent of  shower water filter would also improve water quality and therefore have safe water in the home.I liked the previous company and so far I am not as impressed with the new one although the health care plan doesn't seem that bad. For many of us, higher out of pocket expenses and less in our paychecks is the only result of this pursuit of an affordable health care plan. My last policy took care of all the hospital stay when I had my little boy nearly 3 years ago. Whereas if I were to have that same stay in hospital today it would cost over 4,000 dollars.There are also the co-pays to consider, another cost in addition to the hospital fees I would have to pay. There is obviously a market for these schemes because more and more affordable health care options are becoming available. Those less fortunate can now get free health care more readily and workers without health care are able to join special schemes. The problem is when a small number of people take advantage of a system that was designed for those that needed it most.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. Financially speaking, my company saw the real advantage to this switch and some of the employees. However, their money saving technique wasn't good news to employees because suddenly we were making up for their cost cutting endeavor - by seeing less money in our paychecks. If we are to help the worst affected, we need to start looking at long term options for Americans in providing cost effective, affordable health care.