Health Insurance – Help With Medical Bills
Health insurance is designed to help with medical bills – members on an insurance plan pay premiums into an insurance pool, which subsequently pays towards the overall cost of their medical requirements.
When the concept of insurance became more widespread, employers began taking on the cost of these premiums so that employees could enjoy the benefits of health care without the financial burden. However, the current state of the economy and rising health care costs are forcing employers to step away from this commitment, making for an even harsher living climate for the common blue collar worker looking to simply provide for their families.
Employers Providing Less Aid With Medical Bills
For the first time in ten years, 2010 has seen employees having to bear the complete cost of their premium increase — a tragedy to be sure, particularly during a time when the economy is less than accommodating for American families. Employers are stepping back from the cost of providing for employee heath care, and are not only shifting premium cost to the employee, but are also reducing the package of benefits offered.
According to a study, funded in part by the Health Research and Education Trust, average employee family insurance plan premiums rose by 14% this past year. Employees have bore this increase, and as yet there has been no form of financial relief to cover the excess cost. Family deductible and out-of-pocket expenses have risen to at least $1,000, while the average employee is contributing over $4,000 per year in premium payments – for far fewer benefits.
As employers begin stepping back, no longer able to provide aid with medical bills for their employees, organizations like Microgiving have become ever more important to those who are unable to cover the cost of their insurance. As employees in the lower income echelons are faced with these increased costs, many will have to make one of the following choices: pay the utility bill or continue with the medical insurance. You can help relieve this choice and donate online, specifically to help with medical bills for those less fortunate.
Tags: act of kindness, charitable giving, give online, giving online, MicroGiving
7. September 2010 at 12:30 am :
Durable medical equipment is another issue. Many are able to afford their doctor but are unable to afford aid to daily living equipment or the co-pays.
Quality of life is often not seen as a “medical necessity” Safety is which is why some equipment can be obtained, but often what is low cost or is covered in full is inadequate for the person and simply a waste of money and a waste of tax payer money if something inadequate is all that can be received on Medicaid.
What tax payer wants to buy someone a wheelchair if that wheelchair is far too heavy, and cumbersome and the person can’t actually use it? You pay for that wheelchair to sit in a closet or become a piece of household furniture that the kids play with just because it was the cheapest model for that year. The person would not have known that they couldn’t use the chair in their daily life until they actually tried using it in their daily life and by then the funds were wasted and the person has to raise donations to go out and buy a wheelchair that fits their individual needs.
If you see recipients on medicaid asking for non standard medical equipment please do not automatically assume they will get the needed equipment from medicaid. They will get standard low cost equipment and the statement “you get what you pay for” is true. Lower cost equipment is just as limiting to a person as no equipment at all and worse, if wheelchairs are too heavy and bulky they can cause lower back, shoulder, elbow and wrist damage that can result in therapy, medications, surgery or the permanent damage which can result in the need for power equipment that you didn’t need before. It’s often better to reject the free medicaid equipment and raise funds for equipment that you can actually use. The person raising funds is saving the tax payers much more by refusing inadequate equipment allowed by insurances especially Medicaid or Medicare insurance.