Health Care Over 7 million baby boomers lack proper health insurance
The United States spends far more on health care than every other nation in the world. It seems almost inconceivable that the U.S. remains as the only industrialized nation in the world that doesn’t have universal health care for its citizens. Meanwhile, access to quality health care is declining while costs are constantly increasing. Every political debate over the last few presidential elections, spanning over two decades, has focused heavily on the health care crisis in America. Yet, politicians provide no solutions, leaving the growing baby boomer population to wonder what is going to happen.
The current crisis within the health care industry needs to resolve so that access to national health care is more affordable and efficient for the aging population. Over 7 million baby boomers lack proper health insurance at least since the age of 50. Access to health care in the U.S. still largely depends on the quality, and cost, of health insurance. Those who lack proper health insurance are forced to go without routine health care, and utilize the emergency room for serious illnesses. This, in turn, drives up medical costs for everyone else, because hospitals transfer those costs to the overall price of care at the hospital.
Out of pocket premiums have steadily increased every year, driving more and more American citizens into the category of the “uninsured.” Baby boomers who attempt to purchase their own health insurance often struggle to pay the premiums, and when the insurance is utilized, coverage is severely limited, and co-payments are typically high. The self-employed typically have it the hardest. They have no employer to cover part of the insurance costs, and typically health insurance for the self-employed is usually inferior to plans that are sponsored by larger corporations.
Politicians continue to struggle to come up with a solution for the healthcare crisis in this country, however as long as the influence of large pharmaceutical companies and the health care lobbyists pressure those politicians, a solution will not be forthcoming any time soon. Meanwhile, the baby boomer population is aging into a health care environment that can’t support even their basic health care needs.