Does Better Health Take Insurance?

Health insurance is a complex and controversial issue in the United States. People without health insurance often delay or forgo necessary medical care, while those with insurance may receive better, more timely care. But does having insurance necessarily mean better health? Let’s explore this question in more detail.

What Is Health Insurance?

Health insurance is a type of insurance that covers the cost of medical and surgical expenses. There are many different types of health insurance plans, including:

Does Health Insurance Lead to Better Health?

On the surface, it would seem like having health insurance would lead to better health outcomes. After all, people with insurance can afford to see doctors and get the medical care they need. But the reality is more complicated than that.

The Cost of Health Insurance

One major barrier to accessing health care is the cost of health insurance. Even with insurance, many people cannot afford the copays, deductibles, and out-of-pocket costs associated with medical care. In fact, a recent study found that over 25% of insured Americans struggle to pay their medical bills.

Unequal Access to Care

Another issue is that not all health insurance plans provide equal access to care. People with lower-quality insurance may have to wait longer for appointments, be denied certain treatments, or go without necessary medications. This can have a negative impact on their health outcomes.

The Influence of Social Determinants of Health

Finally, it’s important to remember that health is influenced by a variety of social determinants, such as income, education, and access to healthy food and safe housing. Even with health insurance, someone who lives in a low-income neighborhood with limited access to fresh produce and safe outdoor spaces may have worse health outcomes than someone with insurance who lives in a more affluent area.

What Can Be Done to Improve Health Outcomes?

So, if health insurance isn’t a guarantee of better health outcomes, what can be done to improve health for all Americans? Here are a few strategies:

Expand Access to Health Care

One of the most obvious solutions is to expand access to health care for everyone. This could take the form of a single-payer, universal health care system like those in other developed countries, or it could involve expanding Medicaid and Medicare to cover more people.

Address Social Determinants of Health

Another important strategy is to address the underlying social determinants of health. This could involve policies like increasing the minimum wage, improving access to affordable housing, and increasing funding for public transportation and other infrastructure that promotes healthy living.

Invest in Preventive Care

Finally, investing in preventive care can help reduce overall health care costs and improve health outcomes. By promoting healthy behaviors like regular exercise and healthy eating, and by providing screenings and vaccinations, we can prevent many chronic diseases from developing in the first place.

The Bottom Line: Health Insurance Is an Important Piece of the Puzzle

While health insurance alone may not guarantee better health outcomes, it is an important piece of the puzzle. By providing access to medical care and reducing financial barriers, health insurance can help people get the care they need to stay healthy. But to truly improve health outcomes for all Americans, we need to think more broadly about the social and economic factors that shape health.

FAQs

What Is the Affordable Care Act?

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is a federal law passed in 2010 that aimed to expand access to health insurance for Americans. The law requires most Americans to have health insurance or pay a penalty, and it established Health Insurance Marketplaces where people can shop for insurance plans. The ACA also includes provisions to protect consumers from insurance company abuses and to improve the quality of care.

How Does Health Insurance Work?

Health insurance works by pooling risk among a large group of people. Everyone pays into the insurance pool through monthly premiums, and when someone needs medical care, the insurance company uses the pooled funds to pay for it. Individual insurance plans vary in terms of deductibles, copays, and out-of-pocket limits, as well as in terms of the doctors and hospitals covered.

Can I Get Health Insurance If I Have a Preexisting Condition?

Prior to the passage of the ACA, people with preexisting conditions could be denied coverage by health insurance companies or charged higher premiums. Under the ACA, insurance companies are required to cover people with preexisting conditions and cannot charge them more than healthy people.

What Happens If I Don’t Have Health Insurance?

Under the ACA, most Americans are required to have health insurance or pay a penalty. The penalty for not having insurance in 2020 is $695 per adult or 2.5% of household income, whichever is higher. However, there are some exemptions to the penalty for people who cannot afford insurance or who have other hardships.