One of the concerns when living in the United States is the cost of living, it is a reality that in this country you can live well, but also that a large investment is required to pay for food, housing and basic services, but what happens when someone gets sick, do you know how much does health insurance cost in the United States? In this article we will inform you.
How much does health insurance cost in the United States?
In the United States, the cost of medical and health services
is quite expensive, so much so that the hospitalization of a person can
bankrupt a family. Those people who do not have any kind of help from the
government must necessarily take out private insurance, the price of which
is also very high.
During the government of Barack Obama, a health system was
implemented with the allocation, and later the government of Donald Trump
used many resources to eliminate it, currently the law known as Obamacare,
is in the Supreme Court and If it ceased to exist, more than 20 million
people in the United States would be without health insurance.
With the new presidency of Joe Biden, the situation may return to normal because he promised to give Obamacare protection and financing. A family in the United States that does not have health insurance can spend up to $6,000 to enter an emergency room or $20,000 to pay for an uncomplicated delivery, while with health insurance these costs can be reduce by up to 50%.
The coverage of a single person for the year 2020 was an annual premium of 7,470 dollars and when it belongs to a family, it rises to triple that amount. These costs increase according to the state where you live, those who are to the northeast must pay more for health insurance than those who live in the south of the United States, to this is added the type of work or profession that If the person works, those who work in agriculture, mining, construction or manufacturing pay less than those who work in the health sector.
What should you know about the Health System about how much health insurance costs in the United States?
The first thing you should know is that in this country there
is a health prevention system, this indicates that when you go to a doctor,
he will order you to carry out those medical tests that he needs to make an
exact diagnosis of your ailment, this It implies the payment of the
consultation as well as each of the tests or exams. Be sure to read the
topic of Requirements for Residency in the USA.
If you come from a Latin country where the health system is
public and where the state covers the expenses, then you will not get used
to this American system. Everything you have to pay for a medical
appointment is roughly summarized in:
- Medical consultation: 100 dollars.
- Consultation with a specialist: $300 (depending on the type of specialist).
- Blood test: $700.
- MRI: $1,000.
- Mammogram: $300
- Ambulance transfers: $600. (if it is for a serious accident involving brain injuries or hemorrhages, this cost can be up to 300 thousand dollars)
- Appendicitis operation: $50,000
- Income for emergency at night: 7,000 dollars and if the stay is extended, 30,000 dollars.
- A helicopter transfer: $9,000.
Main Health Insurance in the United States
The health insurances that are contracted the most in the United States are the following:- UnitedHealth: It is at the top of the list of best medical insurance, it is a company that is diversified in various branches of health, they have clinical experience, state-of-the-art technology and access to a lot of health data, it has an estimated capital of more than 159 billion dollars and a market share of 14.2%.
- Kaiser Foundation: It is a non-profit medical organization and the second in the list in the United States, it has services for allergy care, audiology, cardiology, dermatology, oncology, hospice, laboratory, nephrology, therapies, pain management and pediatric rehabilitation. It also has a pharmacy service. Its capital is 93 billion dollars.
- Anthem Inc.: its mission is to provide health benefits, improve the quality of life and areas and make medical care simpler, serving more than 78 million people where 41 million are enrolled in health plans, these They can be basic or comprehensive according to the specific needs of the person. Its capital is 67 billion dollars.
- Humana: its mission is to give guidance to each person who leaves its organization so that they can improve their health. It has personalized and simple medical care for all users, and that this care is evolving not only in the person, but also in the family and in the community where they live.
- CVS: has medical services, plans and community pharmacy care, being one of the pioneers in the new comprehensive health approach, it has 1,100 medical clinics, with assistance without an appointment and 9,800 points of sale. It serves more than 22 million beneficiaries, pharmacy care for the elderly and a specialized pharmacy with an independent drug plan that covers Medicare Part D.
- HCSC: Health Care Service Corporation is a mutual legal reserve company with the largest healthcare in the United States, serving 16 million people in the states of Illinois, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.
- Centene Corp: This company provides government program care services for people who are uninsured or underinsured, with operations in 32 states and among international markets with more than 15 million managed care members.
- WellCare Health Plans – Provides care to people under government sponsorship, including families, children, and seniors with complex health care needs, including Medicaid, Medicare Advantage, and prescription drug plans. Serves nearly 7 million people in the United States.
- Molina Healthcare, Inc.: works with government-sponsored health care programs and applies only to individuals and families who qualify for these plans, has contracts with state governments with a health plan that covers various health care services for individuals and families .
