This initiative about health care insurance offers a tax deduction for those who have pay for their own health insurance, or for those who have to contribute to what their employer pays. There will be a standard deduction for single or family when it comes time to file your taxes. If this initiative were law this year, I would be getting a refund on my taxes instead of having to pay in. However, even if it's not available yet, I hope I have it to look forward to the next year. Every little bit helps of course.
It is getting more and more expensive to have health care insurance for your family. The insurance we get to my husband's employer used to be completely free. Now there's a small amount taken out of each of his paychecks in order to pay the difference. Over the course of a year this really adds up. This is becoming more and more common around the country. Even though most of the costs of our health care insurance are provided by our employer, it has become so expensive that they can no longer shoulder the costs all on their own. I am grateful that we have it, and I am grateful that what we must pay is a relatively small amount. I realize that there are many others who do not have this luxury.
Many states have programs for health care insurance if you cannot afford on your own. You may not be able to get health care insurance for your entire family this way, but at the very least, you may be able to get sure children covered. This is perhaps the most important issue when it comes to health care insurance, and if this type of program is available in your state you should take advantage of it. Though we all hope that our children will remain healthy, it is always good to be prepared in case the worst might happen. The cost of one serious illnesses enough to break the average American family.
Individual Health Insurance Costs
The cost of individual health insurance has gotten out of hand in recent years. It's gotten to the point that many small business owners are no longer able to offer low cost health coverage to their employees. This has driven many individuals and families into the private sector to buy insurance, where they'll pay substantially more than if they had been able to continue buying through their employers group benefit policy. This has made it almost impossible for some people to afford health insurance anymore.
It's a bit easier to cut corners on an individual health insurance plan than it would be for a family policy. Here's why.
An individual can usually tuck away a few dollars so that they're able to pay 100% for their doctor visits, rather than using the policy. This will enable these individuals to raise their plan deductible to a much higher level, which, in turn, will substantially lower their monthly premium payments. The resoning behind this is to get the cost of the plan as low as possible so the individual doesn't have to go without long term health coverage.
Most people only visit their doctor 1-2 times per year anyway and if you are able to put away around $250-$500 then you shuoldn't have any problems. You'd have to pay a good sized co-pay each year until your deductible was met anyway, so this gives you an alternative option for lowering your individual health insurance costs. The choice is, of course, up to you.
Both Alison White & Joe Stewart are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.