It’s November, which means it’s time to evaluate our family health insurance coverage offered by my wife’s company. I thought the scariness of Halloween was over. Boy, was I wrong.
It seems I’m not alone in deductible increases. One family reviewed their insurance plan and their deductible increased from $1000 to $10,000 in less than five years. If that isn’t frightening enough, recently researchers found that almost 3 million children are either not covered or under covered by their parent’s insurance company. All of this translates into a national financial crisis.
A Kaiser poll found that 28% of Americans had problems paying their medical bills. But not to worry, doctors have figured out a way to guarantee that they get paid. They are now offering credit cards at their offices. If you can’t pay the bill they will simply hand you an application for a new card, which is approved right in the office. Your tab will immediately be charged to it.
When options are few, this type of credit might seem like a life saver. However, when the first bill arrives, people realize that they sold their soul to the financial devil because their medical procedure now has a 19% interest charge on it. Medical professionals certainly deserve payment for their services, but not with a 19% interest charge.
They do not have the right to glut themselves on others’ misfortunes and hard times. Another family, who opted for the credit card solution, ended up declaring bankruptcy due to the minimum monthly payments and the loss of a job. Unfortunately, in this economy, most families with medical problems are a crisis away from this situation.
Halloween is over. The election is over. Health care reform is on its way. Let’s hope that it will destroy such monsters that prey on the helpless, regardless if they’re uninsured, the under-insured, or the insured.