Health Insurance Articles
How Affordable Health Insurance Coverage Is Available For Obese People
2010-09-23
Recent statistics have revealed 66 percent of the American population is overweight. It's reported that 1 in 50 are obese. A person is categorized as obese if they are 100 or more pounds above their recommended body weight. Obesity does not discriminate between young and old; it affects everyone from toddlers to the elderly. Obese people are at a much higher risk for health conditions, including diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers. Unfortunately, health insurance coverage is thought to be nearly impossible for obese people to obtain at a reasonable rate.
For many years, health insurance companies have charged hundreds of dollars more to cover obese people than their lighter counterparts. It is obvious why obese people pay more: obese people require much more medical care and attention-therefore requiring the insurance company to pay more on their behalf. But it is the fact that they require more medical care that makes it so important to obese people that they have access to quality health insurance coverage at a reasonable rate.
As the obesity epidemic continues to grow, people are slowing changing their attitudes toward the situation. Health insurance coverage for obese people used to be available at premiums that no average income could afford, especially as many obese people are under or unemployed. But times are changing and more and more insurance companies are offering reasonable coverage for reasonable rates. There are now health insurance policies that cover obese people for under $500 a month.
Most of the health insurance coverage that is offered through these companies is limited and some don't cover preexisting conditions. All of them require re-application for renewal. Renewal periods range from six months to three years. As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Access to health insurance may be the ounce of prevention that obese people need to prevent later onset of diseases through access to early screening and regular doctor visits.
There are also many programs available now to help educate overweight and obese people and assist them in their weight loss goals. Taking advantage of these programs and using them to lower their body mass index (BMI) and improve their health would help make health insurance much more affordable for them as well. There are even some health insurance plans that provide resources for these types of programs.
Combining regular medical care with community resources to promote better health, people can help themselves not only pay less for health insurance coverage, but also live a longer, healthier, happier life.
