I feel like there's been a subtle shift in the wind as it relates to healthcare issues. I checked my mail this morning and got my "Val-pak" coupons (yay me) and I was shocked at the difference in composition these coupons had to previous paks. There were more coupons for carpet cleaning/maid services. There were more home improvement coupons. And I actually got 2 coupons for health insurance. One from Anthem Blue cross/blue shield and Kaiser Permanente. Both talked about how I could get affordable health insurance for my family. WOW! And it got me thinking.
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It's not the first time I've seen advertisements for health insurance before, but it was always rare and never included actual costs. This is the first time I've encountered a direct mass-marketting campaign that basicly outlined prices per person based on age, gender, etc. It's as if there has been a shift where insurance companies are conceding that people aren't getting their health insurance from work as much anymore and trying to sell to individuals directly. But this isn't going to be a good solultion for most people for the following reasons:
1) Some exclusions apply: these insurance policies require a medical evaluation and people can be flat out denied by the insurance companies as having too many health problems. The people who need insurance the most still won't get it. Plus what if they accept it but add more fees depending on quality of health? Do smokers pay more than non-smokers? Do overweight people (more than half the population) pay more than properly weighted people? Do laborers pay more than people who work in offices?
2) This is a trend of things to come: Are insurance companies providing an expectation for people to pay for their own insurance, and giving companies a way to avoid providing it for their employees entirely?
3) How're we going to pay for this? Stagnant wages and increased costs have already caused people to spend money they don't have to maintain their quality of life. How are they supposed to find the money to pay for health insurance?
It was just a strange thing to see in a pack of coupons. What's next?