SOCIAL ISSUES IN THE UNITED STATES
Health insurance protects people from financial loss caused by the high cost of medical care. The cost of a one-day stay in a hospital—excluding the cost of all other health care services—can exceed $1000 in some parts of the
By combining, or pooling, the risks of many people into a single group, insurance can make the financial risks associated with health care more manageable. Experts can reasonably predict the health care costs of a large group, even though they cannot know in advance how much health care will be required by any given individual. Through insurance, each person who buys coverage agrees to pay a share of the group’s total losses in exchange for a promise that the group will pay when he or she needs services. Essentially, individuals make regular payments to the plan rather than having to pay especially large sums at any one time in the event of sudden illness or injury. In this way, the group as a whole funds expensive treatments for those few who need them.
TYPES OF PLANS IN THE UNITED STATES
OBTAINING COVERAGE
FEATURES OF HEALTH INSURANCE POLICIES
LEVEL OF COVERAGE
SPECIFIC BENEFITS
HISTORY IN THE UNITED STATES
HEALTH INSURANCE IN
