Vietnam Veterans of America

Posts Tagged ‘private health insurance’

Medical Tourism is a Low Cost Alternative to the American Healthcare System

Medical patients are traveling internationally to: receive higher quality healthcare, bypass wait lines and save money.

According to the 2006 Health Confidence Survey: · 31% of Americans rated the healthcare system as poor1. · The primary cause for dissatisfaction among Americans is the increasing healthcare costs1. Currently medical travelers are seeking treatments that are not covered by insurance or are simply too expensive such as dental care and cosmetic surgery. On the other hand with 45.7 million uninsured citizens in 20072, medical tourism may offer a feasible alternative to the existing system.

The U.S. Healthcare System

The current American healthcare system is made up of both private and public insurers. What is unique about the US system is that the private element dominates the public2.

Make Your Health Insurance Plan Work for You

No matter how avidly you take care of your health, there are unexpected circumstances that can land you a day or two in the hospital. If you are not prepared and you do not have enough health insurance coverage, this can cut a great deal with your savings. Thus, it is very important that you choose the best health insurance plan that can help you in case of an emergency.

First, check out all the health insurance options that you have. Consider your family’s health needs as well when signing-up for an insurance plan. There are two types of health insurance plan that you can sign-up for: private and government health insurance options. The private health insurance is personally signed-up for by an individual. You will also have a health insurance plan when you are employed. The company will provide you with coverage as part of your employee benefits.

The health insurance coverage provided by the government may be offered on a local, state or national level. Medicare is an example of a health insurance plan offered on a national level. Medicare benefits are available for people who are over 65 years of age, and to persons with disabilities. Other government-initiated health insurance programs include: Medicaid, the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, health care benefits for the veterans and military, as well as eligible American Indians.

Healthcare: Compassion in Action

Because private health insurance is beyond the means of many Americans to afford, the government provides several forms of public health insurance. The most well known of these programs are Medicaid and Medicare, insurance money provided to the states to administer to families with a lower income, needy children, and senior citizens.

Although the federal government provides most of the money and a set of general guidelines for these programs, it is up to each state to provide its portion of the money, administer the funds, and run the programs. This is the reason for some variation of standards and practices from state to state.

Medicaid is the public health insurance program created to serve those who are disabled or who have such a low income that they meet the state criteria set for eligibility. Currently, over thirty-five million people receive some type of assistance through this public health insurance program. At one point in time, people with disabilities would lose this insurance coverage if they took a job. In 1999, however, Congress passed a law that allows these working individuals to purchase health coverage through Medicaid.

2012 Vietnam Veterans of America