AAA Insurance Quotes

The involvement of the states in health insurance has strongly affected the availability of affordable health insurance plans. A common state practice that drives up the cost of health insurance, and thus increases the number of uninsured, is mandating that insurers cover certain medical providers and benefits. Most mandates increase health premiums by a very small amount, but collectively they put upward pressure on rates.

A recent United States Census study of the issue of affordable health insurance plans has found that states play an important, and often negative, role in determining whether their residents have access to a wide range of health policies at affordable prices. The Council for Affordable Health Insurance publishes a "State Health Insurance Index," which identifies and quantifies each state's health insurance environment. For example, citizens of Iowa, Utah,

In a recent study done in the States regarding health insurance coverage it was found that one of the most surprising findings of the survey was the large number of uninsured eligible for existing programs. Yet it mirrors the findings of a recent national study that found that 25 percent of the uninsured are eligible for affordable health insurance but not enrolled in a public insurance program. By increasing enrollment in existing affordable health insurance programs, many states would find their uninsured rate dropping substantially.

It has been shown that most of those who are in need of affordable health insurance are young. One study from the journal Health Affairs found that roughly 18 percent of employees who were offered coverage declined it. Not surprisingly, more than half were under 35 years of age. And 94 percent said their health ranged from good to excellent. But while they have access to employer-provided coverage, those who decline it usually do so because they can't afford the employee portion of the premium.

The Temporarily Uninsured - Most people are uninsured for relatively short periods of time,
usually as a result of job transition. The federal government estimates that about 45 percent are uninsured for six months or less. What this group needs is the ability to get temporary affordable health insurance coverage until they start a new job. Workers Facing Tax Discrimination - Federal tax policy discriminates against people who buy their own coverage in the individual health insurance market. Employers get a tax deduction for

Reformers in their concern for affordable health insurance for the masses, and critics of the current health care system often treat the uninsured as if they all face similar circumstances. In fact, people are uninsured for a variety of reasons, and any attempt to "solve the problem of the uninsured" by providing affordable health insurance without recognizing those differences will have mixed results - and may even exacerbate the problem for many.

Before elected officials look for solutions for the need for affordable health insurance, they need to understand who the uninsured are and why so many people lack coverage. With the information in hand, elected officials may be able to identify cost-effective ways to help the uninsured gain access to affordable health insurance coverage. Many health policy experts have raised questions about whether the Census Bureau's methodology of tracking the uninsured is accurate, speculating that it overcounts the number of people without coverage.