Will Buying Health Insurance Across State Lines Reduce Costs?
Essay Preview: Will Buying Health Insurance Across State Lines Reduce Costs?
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Theres been a heated debate in our society whether purchasing health insurance outside of your designated state could potentially lower premiums and ultimately increase the coverage across the nation. If you can purchase automotive insurance outside of state lines, why cant we follow the same principle for our own health? To be street legal in the state of West Virginia, owners are forced to purchase at least liability insurance before operating a motor vehicle. Youre given the option to choose one wherever your budget sees fit. Americans arent necessarily forced by law to purchase health insurance; however, those who arent will suffer the expensive costs if an unexpected emergency would occur.
More and more American families each day become uninsured thanks to the rising cost of health care and leave them continuously searching for jobs providing the benefits. Unfortunately, businesses have even dropped coverage for their employees due to this incline. Many face pressure when balancing the importance of being covered and the affordability. Avoiding these premiums is a risk many American families are willing to take, especially if it might involve replacing a necessity.
The latest healthcare reform proposed by President Barack Obama, the Affordable Care Act, created much unrest across the nation and left many searching for answers. Right now, in nearly every state, insurance is regulated at the state level. Many, from California to our very own, have considered allowing those within their borders to seek health insurance elsewhere and have even proposed bills to Congress. To the dismay of many, only five states have actually passed a law to allow it. Those five states include: Rhode Island, Wyoming, Georgia, Kentucky, and Maine. What makes the idea of an interstate system of health insurance providers such a grotesque approach for lawmakers?
Republicans have consistently strived for Americans to be given the freedom to do just that. Its also part of Mitt Romneys plan to replace Obamacare if hes elected into office in November. Correct me if Im wrong, but wasnt America originally founded on the idea of freedom? Roy shifts some of the blame to the pervasive lobbyists flooding state capitals across the nation. Different states have different mandates for what your health insurance must cover. In a sense, your premiums are already determined by whatever mandates your states government believes you should include in the policy. These mandates can raise the costs of premiums by 30-50 percent. By allowing residents to compare policies outside of the borders, they can search for the lowest cost available. This would force insurance companies to compete and offer the lowest prices to attract consumers. Some states even force individuals to pay the same rate, regardless to whether they might need the coverage or not. These states should allow for individuals to modify their policies rather than paying higher premiums for coverage thats unnecessary.
The opposing view is afraid that insurance companies will relinquish “basic consumer protections” just to attain the lowest price in the market. A well-informed, educated American citizen wont allow for this to happen. This parallels the idea of purchasing a television from a retail store. You sift through all the options and determine which one offers the best features at the lowest cost. This works the same for purchasing health