Individual Health Insurance

Individual health insurance Policies

There are thousands of people in the United States who have no individual health insurance. While the immediate problem is that those people don't have access to affordable individual health insurance, there are some secondary problems that are manifested in workplaces, schools and homes. It might seem that only the individual who is without individual health insurance is likely to suffer, but the reality is that those without health insurance usually end up costing everyone in some way.

For example, consider the family without individual health insurance coverage. While there are federal and state programs to help some, eligibility requirements are typically so strict that many people simply don't qualify. If a parent also isn't eligible (or simply can't afford) to participate in a group health insurance program through employment, the result is that a child is without an individual health insurance policy to deal with illnesses and help them grow up healthy.

Consider this scenario. A child is sick on a school morning, but the parents are already barely making ends meet. The decision becomes whether one parent stays home with the child to take that child to the doctor or to send the child to school, fever and all. While it might seem like a simple question for most parents, the fact is that some families struggle each time they lose income and the cost of a doctor's visit is simply outside their budget constraints. That probably means that the child is sent to school. After not being cared for during the day, the child's condition worsens and the parents find themselves in an emergency room that night. Because they can't afford to pay the emergency room bill either, and don't have individual health insurance, that cost will be absorbed by the hospital (and others who use the services). The child and parents will now likely miss several days of school and work, and other children have been exposed to the illness.

A United States Federal mandate has required all states to provide health insurance to children of eligible families. While this doesn't provide family health insurance, it does provide the equivalent to an individual health insurance policy for the child in the home. Because the eligibility requirements are much more lenient than most traditional services, many families qualify for this service that do not qualify for MedicAid and other federal programs.

To find out more about the individual health insurance program for children in your state, check with your area health department or your state's government website.