Low Income Health Insurance
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There was a time in the United States when most jobs came with health insurance as part of the employment package. With changes in our economy and increased health care costs, employers are less likely to offer health insurance among its employee benefits. The quality of the low income health insurance coverage is often less than in the past.
Today, millions of Americans are having a difficult time finding affordable health insurance. Increases in health insurance premiums are outpacing the rate of inflation. A California report found an increase of 8.2 percent for insurance premiums for a family of four with an inflation rate of 3.9 percent; $54 per month is typical in California for single coverage and $302 month for family coverage. Health insurance for low income families can cost up to $12,000 a year or more. Even reasonable group prices are out of reach for many.
Low Income Health Insurance Quotes
To get a free quote on low cost health insurance, enter your zip code below and click "Get My Quotes."
State Assisted Health Insurance
Among the 46 million Americans who are uninsured, many find themselves in this unfortunate situation because health insurance is unaffordable. For some, the federal
Medicaid program administered by the states will be the best health insurance for low income families. However, low income is not the only eligibility factor for
Medicaid and the applicant must be in an eligibility category to receive Medicaid. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services provides information regarding
categories of eligibility. Click here for more information.
The Medicaid program has a waiver process by which states can propose changes to the way they administer the Medicaid program. Massachusetts for example has applied for
and received approval for a waiver so that the state will get critical funding needed to implement its landmark health care reform law. The law mandates that everyone
shall be required to have health insurance just as everyone has been required to have car insurance for many years. Under the waiver process, states have been finding
ways to expand the Medicaid program thus providing low income medical insurance for individuals and families who otherwise would not have coverage.
Health insurance coverage for low income families with children is also available. In 1997, Congress passed legislations creating the State
Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) for those families with incomes too high to qualify for the Medicaid program. All states now have SCHIP programs for low
income families with children. The income eligibility guidelines vary according to the state and subsidies taper off as incomes rise to three times the poverty line.
Medicare is a health insurance program for people age 65 and older. Although Medicare is not exclusively a program for those with lower incomes, many
Medicare recipients fall into this category. They also depend on Medicare to cover their prescription drugs.
The government provides subsidies to those in need by helping people buy health insurance. Providing low income health insurance for families is the right thing to do
and it makes sense. People with no health insurance get sick sometimes and many end up going to emergency rooms and getting free health care there because any hospital
receiving federal funds cannot refuse treatment.
The Urban Institute, A Nonpartisan Economic and Social Policy Research Organization has additional information on low income health insurance.
Click here to visit their website.
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