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Written by Webmaster
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Tuesday, 29 July 2008 |
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Locating affordable health care for Americans is not as easy as it used to be. Although there has been a rise over the last few years in providing this service to employees, a number of companies are using this as an excuse for a cost cutting exercise. This situation happened to me not that long ago at the company I work for when every employees health benefits were reduced. Just before Christmas, the company announced some changes including the replacement of our, now to expensive, health care supplier.
The excuse was that they were trying to ensure the new package would help everyone in the company. I suppose some people are better off and perhaps I should not sound ungrateful. I don not mind other workers benefiting but it costs me more now, almost twice as much more to have my family covered in the plan. Taking a good deal less home in my paycheck to have my family remain on the healthcare policy seems to be the only option I have because almost everyone else is happy with the new arrangement.
My health care may still be very good despite the fact that the old company was much better than this new one. Increased out of pocket expenses and higher co-pays and less money in our paychecks are the result of my companys change to an affordable health care provider. I am sure of this because just over 2 years ago when I had my little boy, the stay in hospital was completely covered by my insurance policy. This new plan, under similar circumstances however, would personally cost me in excess of 5,000 dollars.
However, that amount is just for the hospital and delivery because I would also have other expenses and that just doesn't seem fair to the majority that are involved. Affordable health care options are becoming more widely available because there is a desperate need for them. Single mothers, families working for companies that don't offer coverage, low-income households - they are all able to get low cost or even free health care. Whilst I appreciate these programs because they are saving lives and helping people to grow stronger and healthier, some people take advantage of them.
Those programs should be for struggling families who are taking steps to better their futures, not for people who have no motivation and live off of the state systems and affordable health care programs. Although I say they can be a burden to the state, I really mean a burden to its citizens because it is the tax payer who foots the bill. By switching providers, it was my company that realized the true advantages of this low cost option and a number of employees. Less take home pay was the result of my companys health provider switch with many of its workforce the ones seeing less money to take home for their families. In the long term we really need to do something in America to help those in need find affordable health care.
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