SOCIAL ISSUES IN THE UNITED STATES
2.Insurance Costs and Quality of Health
The costs of health care have increased dramatically for consumers and insurers, particularly during the 1980s and early 1990s. For example, in 1980 Americans spent $247.3 billion on health care. By 1999 that figure had more than quadrupled to $1.2 trillion.
One reason costs have risen is that Americans are living longer than ever before, and older people generally require more health care. In 1900 the average American had a life expectancy of about 50 years. In 2000 the average life expectancy was about 76 years. During the 20th century, the number of persons aged 65 or over increased 11 times. The elderly comprised only 1 in every 25 Americans in 1900, but represented 1 of every 8 Americans in 1994. When older Americans join an insured group, the whole group’s health care risks—and costs—rise accordingly.
Advances in medical technology have also driven up the costs of health care and insurance. Medical procedures such as computerized tomography (CT) scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, and arthroscopic surgery are commonplace today, but they did not exist until the 1970s. Although such new technology sometimes allows health care providers to introduce less-invasive and less-expensive treatments, more often it provides new but expensive ways to treat conditions that were previously untreatable.
REASONS FOR HEALTH INSURANCE
TYPES OF PLANS IN THE UNITED STATES
DISABILITY INSURANCE
OBTAINING COVERAGE
FEATURES OF HEALTH INSURANCE POLICIES
SPECIFIC BENEFITS
HISTORY IN THE UNITED STATES
HEALTH INSURANCE IN
