An informative article detailing the future of healthcare, and alternatives to cut your costs.
General Motors recently stated that healthcare composes 20% of the cost of every new car.
According to recent statistics, 45 million Americans are “uninsured.” While this number may seem alarming, consider the fact that 100% of American’s are essentially uninsured on the 1st day of January, every year, and they remain so until they have met their deductibles—something that insurance companies are increasingly making an impossible thing to do. You owe it to yourself to find out the actual costs of healthcare in order to make intelligent decisions about what you CAN afford.
Here are some more statistics that you might find alarming:
1. In 2004, the average healthcare premium employers were charged for a family of four averaged $9,950.
2. By 2006, it is predicted that the average annual family insurance premium will reach $14,500.
3. National surveys indicate that the primary reason for being uninsured is for the simple reason that insurance is not affordable.
4. There are more Americans (50%) who are now worried that they cannot afford their healthcare insurance than there are (42%) who report being worried about not being able to afford their healthcare.
How do bills get paid?Don’t be fooled by the difference between billing and reimbursement. Your insurance company will readily send you a copy of the amount that was billed for your latest healthcare encounter. What was actually paid—if anything—however, is actually another story and it would behoove you to find this out for yourself.
Make no mistake, eventually, you will require major dental work, or you will need eyewear. Prescription costs will result in enormous bills before you will meet your deductible—if you are still even able to meet this amount at all. And until you exceed this amount, you are a cash paying patient.
But can you really afford to pay cash for healthcare?Absolutely! What you can’t afford, is healthcare insurance. What you CAN afford is a discount benefits plan. These types of plans allow the provider to discount your bill at the time services are provided. They are attractive to the provider because no billing or paperwork is involved.
If you have a family, you already know that this is true. If you are single—maybe, but why throw your money down the toilet when you can get so much more for your hard earned cash!? I have a wife and kids. To pay $6,000.00 in premiums and miscellaneous fees this year is simply unacceptable.
But what if you get injured and have massive bills? You have too much to loose. Of course you do. Hopefully, however, you are not ignorant enough to believe that your healthcare insurance company is going to bail you out under these circumstances. If for some unforseen reason you are hit by a truck and spend 2 months in the hospital accumulating millions of dollars in bills, I am afraid that you will still be in a pickle because your insurance carrier is sure to sue the trucker’s insurance carrier etc. for the next 10 years while the collectors come after you for unpaid bills. You owe it to yourself to get smart and stop giving your hard earned cash to this scandalous industry.
So, whats the alternative ?The best alternative is Discount Benefits Plans. I suggest you look at these plans as they are very affordable, and can offer immediate discounts up to 80% off of your bill. The plan that has been around the longest, and has layed the groundwork for this type of plan is Ameriplan USA.
