Finding Affordable Kentucky Health Insurance – Facing the U.S. Health Care Crisis

There’s one thing everybody agrees on – America has a healthcare crisis. As for how to deal with it, opinions are divided. A new Gallup poll revealed that 47 percent of Americans want the health care law repealed and 42 percent want it to stay. Whether the law is repealed or retained, it’s risky to go without health insurance. If you live in Kentucky, make sure you find an affordable Kentucky health insurance plan before it’s too late.
Rising Proportion of Uninsured

The U.S. Census Bureau announced in September that number of people without health insurance coverage rose from 49.0 million in 2009 to 49.9 million in 2010, though the national average of 16.3 percent was the same for both years. A recent Gallup poll measuring the extent of the uninsured in the third quarter also shows 17.3 percent of the population did not have health insurance, a rate that is the highest on record. Gallup found that the percentage of Americans who are uninsured is rising in 2011 after remaining “fairly steady’ in 2010.

The new census data puts the number of uninsured Kentuckians in 2010 at 640,000, which is 14.9% of the state’s population. Over the past decade, 131,000 people have joined the ranks of the uninsured in Kentucky. Further, according to the census report, 56.6% of Kentuckians had employer-sponsored health insurance in 2010, compared to the national average of 55.3 percent. Over the past decade, the number of Kentuckians with employer-based coverage declined by more than 170,000.

Major Health Care Issues

One of the major health care issues that the nation is facing relates to the rising cost of health care. Increase in the spending on new technology and prescription drugs, the demands placed on the health care system by the higher incidence of chronic diseases, an aging population and rise in administrative costs are some of the factors responsible for the rise in health care spending.

In Kentucky, as in may other states, more and more employers are passing on a larger proportion of the cost of health care to employees. Some small businesses do not provide their employees with health insurance. Over the past few years, millions – both individuals and companies – have filed for bankruptcy due to rising health care cost.
Finding Affordable Health Insurance is Important

Given this scenario, nothing can be more risky than going without health insurance. Whether you live in Kentucky or any other U.S. state, you have an extensive choice when it comes to private health insurance. Kentucky health insurance companies vie with each other to offer a multitude of health insurance policies for individuals, families and businesses, all with varying deductibles. However, it’s usually not easy to read the fine print and understand your options. So the best way to find an affordable KY health insurance plan is to contact a licensed health insurance broker, explain your requirements and benefit from professional guidance.

As for the future of health care in America, the effort should be to build a system that makes health care easy to access and affordable for all.