Insurance Information

Why Does Health Insurance Cost So Much?


Why does health insurance cost so much? Year after year, many of the articles that appear in print detail the specific factors driving the cost of healthcare.

These factors include: general inflation, advances in drugs and other medical devices, rising hospital and doctor expenses, government mandates, increased consumer demand, litigation, fraud, and cost shifting.

The basic answer is that a magic bullet to solve the cost of insurance does not exist because the real difficulty is controlling the cost of healthcare. A simple way to dramatically decrease the dollars spent on healthcare is to reduce the demand for healthcare.

I have seen estimates that up to 40% of all healthcare related expenses result from preventable conditions. These preventable conditions are caused by lifestyle choices such as tobacco, obesity, stress, lack of exercise and poor diet.

Most of us, myself included, make lifestyle choices everyday that eventually increase our demand for healthcare. We are never going to be able to totally eliminate all lifestyle related healthcare costs. However, improved lifestyle choices would cause a dramatic reduction in demand. This would then result in a similar reduction in the dollars spent on healthcare.

Lower demand for healthcare would result in lower health insurance costs, increased productivity, and reduced absenteeism. If your organization has not done so already, your organizational leaders need to seriously consider the benefits of health promotion and disease prevention programs. Your return on investment will most likely be as high as 2:1 in the first year.

Michael Ertel is the President of Ertel & Company, Inc. and has over 15 years of experience in the health insurance business. He is the founder of MedicalInsuranceNow.com which is an internet based service that assists individuals, families, and small business owners by providing side by side comparisons of health insurance alternatives and the convenience of applying for health coverage online.


MORE RESOURCES:

Waiting-list cuts drive health insurance sign-up
Stuff.co.nz, New Zealand - 7 hours ago
... director Claire Austin said a similar one per cent increase had been reported across the industry following years of declining rates of health insurance. ...
More People Turn To Health Insurance newswire.co.nz
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Swissinfo
Swiss Re says integration of Insurance Solutions unit beats ...
Forbes - 8 hours ago
ZURICH (AFX) - Swiss Re said the integration of its recently acquired Insurance Solutions business exceeded the group's own expectations with the Swiss re ...
Swiss Re profits up on fewer claims MSNBC
Swiss Re First-Half Net Rises 16% on Fewer Claims (Update2) Bloomberg
Swiss Re Posts 16 Pct. Rise in Profits Houston Chronicle
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Modest proposal: health insurance for every person
San Francisco Chronicle,  USA - 12 hours ago
Medical insurance for every American is a laudable goal. Politicians at every level are lined up in support of it. But an equitable ...
by James W. Brook Lew Rockwell
Long-Term Care and Medicaid Planning FinanceVisor.com (press release)
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Swiss Re eyes Lloyds TSB insurance arm
Reuters.uk, UK - 6 hours ago
LONDON (Reuters) - Swiss Re (RUKN.VX: Quote, Profile, Research) has made moves towards a bid for Scottish Widows, the insurance arm of Lloyds TSB (LLOY.L: Quote ...
Swiss Re eyes Lloyds TSB insurance arm Scotsman
Swiss Re in bid move for Lloyds TSB's Scottish Widows - report Forbes
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Captive insurance industry turns 25
Rutland Herald, VT - 17 hours ago
The industry is captive insurance and 25 years ago state officials saw the potential to attract a business that was still in its infancy — an industry that ...



Deseret News
Pet insurance gaining popularity in US
Longview Daily News, WA - 17 hours ago
... One worry she didn't have was the vet bills. Teddy and Rosie had their own insurance. ... "Obviously, you want medical insurance for your children. ...
Sure, but what’s Fido’s deductible? Wilkes Barre Times-Leader
Insuring pets: Does your dog or cat need coverage? Deseret News
Pet insurance is gaining popularity in the US Press-Enterprise (subscription)
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When duty calls, so does life insurance
Charlotte Observer, NC - 17 hours ago
Life insurance is a sign of adulthood. First you can vote, then buy beer. Soon you have a family or a mortgage or both. Next up: life insurance. ...
Beware if buyer is betting on your death St. Petersburg Times
'Go for a term policy with maximum tenure' Rediff
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Lawmakers considering insurance session; governor not
Shreveport Times, LA - 17 hours ago
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Insurance, Insurance Commissioner Race Critical For New Orleans ... Bayou Buzz
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Texas Insurance Firm Defrauded 57,000 Military Personnel
Consumer Affairs - 22 hours ago
The Securities and Exchange Commission has filed suit against a Waco, Texas, insurance company and its affiliates for targeting American military personnel ...
Colorado consumers part of alleged military insurance scam Rocky Mountain News
Alleged scam costs insurance firm $70M London Free Press
Military personnel to benefit from insurance settlement WALB-TV
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STC, NCCI insurance deal
AME Info, United Arab Emirates - 13 hours ago
The Saudi Telecom Company has signed a medical insurance deal on behalf of its employees with the National Company for Co-operative Insurance, reported Arab ...
Al Baraka gets Takaful cover AME Info
Parents unsure on GEMS policy AME Info
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