Health Insurance Articles

Does Geography Make A Difference In Healthcare Coverage?

2009-10-03

The health insurance debate in Washington is certainly big news, and many questions have arisen as to how healthcare coverage will be handled with a public option--and how existing health coverage functions for United States citizens, especially in a struggling economy where job loss is becoming dangerously common. Of particular interest to politicians, insurance companies, and citizens seeking insurance is recently released data from the census department, which has revealed the major role that geography plays in whether or not a person has health insurance.

Census data shows a definite disparity from state to state in terms of the percentage of citizens with health coverage. Some areas of Texas, such as Houston, have over a 40% uninsured rate, while areas in Massachusetts boast an uninsured rate of only 3%. The reasons for the disparity vary, but may depend on the types of jobs and unemployment rates of those areas. Lower income consumers simply can't afford the healthcare that they may need, and families that live paycheck to paycheck find it hard to handle the sometimes exceedingly high costs of month to month health coverage. Employers may offer different healthcare coverage state to state, too, and workers are less likely to buy health insurance without any sort of backing from their places of employment. It's hoped that a public option will lead to more insurance at large, especially in areas where uninsured rates remain relatively high; and that interest in insurance will increase given the discussions happening in Washington.

That is not to say that there aren't alternatives for workers who live in poorly insured locations, or workers who can't afford to buy insurance for themselves and their families. Very often, health insurance costs can be driven down by comparison shopping. Staying with a policy for a longer period of time gives consumers more leverage when negotiating premium rates--rates are rarely determined by geographic location, though health insurance companies have been known to use a wide variety of different techniques when assessing costs. More widely used criteria include age, line of work (with high risk jobs contributing to higher premium rates), and tobacco use.

Regardless of location, it's unwise for workers to avoid purchasing healthcare coverage due to cost, if there's any way possible for the costs to be managed. Healthcare costs account for a very large percentage of American bankruptcy, even in cases where those stricken by illness are insured--families, especially, should be aware of the risks of living without insurance. The industry is hopeful that the census data will help to spread the information about the geographical disparity of American health insurance.