Having health insurance should be a must, but unfortunately, not all US residents have access to these programs. While it is true that there are both private and government-funded alternatives, the prices are not always as affordable as might be expected.
Obviously, determining whether the policies are cheap or expensive will depend on the purchasing power of each person, so it is a relative aspect. For this same reason, we want you to know how much health insurance costs in the United States , and that is what we will show you below.
Advantages of having health insurance
But before talking about the prices of this type of policy, we want you to know why it is so necessary to hire one of them in the United States. Although it seems logical, the truth is that many people are unaware of all the support they can receive by having the services of these companies.
- Cover hospitalization expenses.
- Attend consultations with various specialists.
- Choose a preferred doctor.
- Respond to emergencies in the shortest possible time.
- Access specific care for specific diseases.
It is important to note that uninsured medical expenses in the United States are extremely expensive . Exactly, it is possible that a hospitalization could cost more than 6 thousand dollars, while a delivery can exceed $20,000, as long as there are no complications.
However , these prices can decrease considerably when those affected have access to insurance policies , since these companies usually cover partially or totally (depending on the contracted plan) medical situations.
Insurance providers in the USA
Now, what are the types of insurance that residents of the United States can opt for? As we have just mentioned, the coverage may change depending on the characteristics of the plan , and in this part of the article we want to focus on the providers.
In this sense, you should know that it is possible to opt for health insurance in the United States through 3 ways: by employers, by private companies and by the federal government . Below we will explain, in more detail, what each alternative consists of.
through employment
The highlight of this point is that, precisely, most of the country’s residents access the services of insurers thanks to their employers.
This is because US laws place special emphasis on the protection of workers, and therefore this is an essential requirement for a company to operate. Regarding the payment method, the contracting companies usually deduct a small amount directly from the payroll of their employees.
Of course, this money is the one that is paid to the health insurance providers that provide their services to the certain companies. Likewise, taxes also contribute to the payment that will go to health insurance.
By private companies
For its part, this is the traditional way (that is, the one used in most of the world), and it is nothing more than contracting policies directly from the companies that offer them. In this sense, insurers have numerous options that cover all aspects related to individual or family health.
It should be noted, then, that this alternative is the most expensive in the United States , since there is no type of subsidy that can lower the prices of the plans (unless some companies offer discounts, of course).
To choose this option, you simply have to contact a representative of the chosen company to then select the plan and payment method that best suits you.
government aid
Finally, we have to mention the programs that work thanks to the money collected from taxes and other non-profit organizations and, therefore, tend to help the populations with less purchasing power in the United States.
Exactly , we mean Medicare, Medicaid, Tricare and other similar programs , where you will only have to pay a small amount of money to contribute to the policy. The amount may vary depending on each alternative, but it is not as high as private insurance.
Of course, it is not about insurance that is accessible to everyone, since to be beneficiaries it is necessary to meet some eligibility criteria that can be quite demanding.
Aspects that influence prices
In addition to the providers, it is essential to highlight the other characteristics that influence the total cost of medical policies in the United States, and for this reason we want you to know them. Although they may be more or less than the ones that we will mention, the most common thing is that the companies pay attention to the ones that we will explain.
company size
Obviously, this point only applies when it comes to insurance obtained through the employer, and in this regard you should know that the companies that have more workers are the ones with the best price policies . Exactly, this is because the contracting parties can opt for better plans within the insurers.
salaries
As expected, insurers must tailor their plans to the wages received by the people who apply for them.
That is why any client will be able to find policies to suit them without major setbacks , although, of course, those with lower salaries may have more limited benefits in their insurance.
Place of residence
We previously mentioned that there are states with laws that require their residents to hire plans for, for example, civil liability. And like these, there are other laws that specify the minimum and maximum that an insurer can charge for its services.
Within this same section we have to mention that the risks (such as traffic accidents or environmental phenomena) that occur in a region are also elements that are taken into account to set the price of insurance.
In this sense, you should know that the states that have the highest incidences of danger are also the ones with the highest policies. Likewise, the type of areas also influences the determination of prices and, exactly, urban centers have lower rates than rural regions.
Age
As people age, their health insurance prices also increase. Clearly the main reason for this is that the older they are, the more complicated the risks that can arise.
Although the minimum age range in which the cost of insurance premiums begins to increase may vary in each company, the most usual thing is that from the age of 55 the rates are higher.
Health history and habits
Obviously, we cannot fail to mention that health history is also part of the aspects that determine the cost of the plans. This is because, for example, a 25-year-old person without vices does not have the same medical risks as another person of the same age, but who smokes and drinks alcohol regularly.
In this sense, this is just one of the many examples that insurers take into account, and the same applies to the study of previous illnesses. Also, if they have chronic or hereditary conditions, the cost of the policy will most likely be higher than for a healthy person.
plan category
Health insurance, in turn, is divided into several types that provide a wide range of options that the client can choose according to their needs and those of their relatives (if applicable).
Another thing that we must explain is the concept of deductible, which is nothing more than the money that the insured must pay before the chosen medical policy begins to be used in the clinic or hospital. This is because, in the categories that we will detail, this meaning is elementary.
That said, below we will explain the plans that insurers usually offer.
- Bronze: the first plan you should know about is this, and it stands out because its rates are not exactly high, but the amount of its deductibles is. That is why most of the people who opt for this choice are young or do not have major health complications, since they are not likely to go to the hospital on a recurring basis and only want to have support in case of suffering an injury or condition. unexpected.
- Silver : in this case, the amount that is paid monthly is usually higher than that of the plan that we have just explained, although it also entails some expenses that will have to be paid by the insured. However, we cannot ignore the fact that the federal government can apply some reductions in the total cost if it is a shared policy, and to access this benefit it is essential to have this option contracted.
- Gold : This is another of the alternatives offered by insurance companies, although it is not always an affordable option for everyone. This is because the cost of the premiums is higher, while the expense that the insured must bear is not so excessive. Therefore, it is an ideal alternative for people who need medical services on a recurring basis and who, in addition, can pay the rates proposed by insurers.
- Platinum : the last category that we will mention is also related to the one that we have just explained because its premiums are high and, therefore, the medical benefits that the insured can have are also greater. Also, the deductibles are extremely low, so almost all health expenses will be borne by this type of plan, as long as the client agrees with the high monthly amounts that they will have to pay to the insurer.
US health insurance costs
After explaining all the above aspects, it is clear that determining the exact cost of health insurance in the USA is not an easy task, since it can vary considerably depending on the context. It is precisely for this reason that we prefer to give a range that goes from $7,000 to $25,000 per year.
In the first case, we refer to individual health insurance, while the second figure has to do with policies that are taken out for larger family groups . Obviously, prices may be higher in the more exclusive plans that we explained above, but it is not the most usual.
For this reason, the ideal is for the insured to schedule an appointment with the agents of the chosen company (in case they want to take out private insurance).
They can also ask, specifically, what the details of the policy are (if it is a plan offered by the employer) to have more reliable information about it.