Millennials nowadays are shafting health insurance. The increasing health care costs have made it difficult for the current working generation to afford a doctor’s appointment. In 2016, one in five adults aged 18-36 is uninsured due to the high costs. They’ve adopted risky tactics in minimizing health care costs–either stopping care early, delaying, or skipping it altogether.
Getting healthcare insurance coverage is vital, not just for millennials, but for everybody. Here are some reasons it’s a must:
Accidents can be financially devastating.
You can’t prevent every accident from happening. You could get hurt to the point that your health can’t afford to skip treatment. A dislocated shoulder, chest pains, or even appendicitis is enough to send you to the hospital. With no health insurance, your medical bills will pile up. You’ll find yourself with crippling debt.
Not only that, since you’re stuck at the hospital, you won’t be able to work. You also have no way of paying your medical bills if you don’t work. Having health insurance lets you pay for your medical bills without having to dig into your savings.
Your employer’s health insurance might not cover everything.
If you work for a company that offers health insurance as a perk, always check its coverage. It can show how much the company’s willingness to help employees when accidents happen or when they get sick. However, company insurance tends to have more limited coverage than regular insurance. Some don’t cover mental health. Others have a smaller budget for emergency room visits.
If you can’t afford to pay for your health insurance, find a company that can.
Some health insurance options cover physical therapy.
After an accident, it might be difficult for you to get back to your usual programming. Maybe you’re having difficulty walking, or you’re experiencing tremors. There are health insurance options that cover physical therapy sessions as part of their package, helping you to recover without slashing your purses.
Prevention can only do so much.
They say that prevention is better than cure, but prevention can only do so much. If you’re still forsaking doctor’s appointments to save every little cent, you might not know that you’re already experiencing symptoms from a silent killer. Some diseases, like celiac disease, are difficult to diagnose.
No Ibuprofen in the world can save you from your recurring headaches if they’re more than just a headache. Maybe your sinus is inflamed, or you have a toothache, or worse. You wouldn’t know if you don’t see your doctor.
Dying is expensive.
It is too expensive to die. If someone has a brutal accident that leaves them with only months to live, having health insurance gives them access to hospice services. The same goes for getting too old to take care of oneself or being diagnosed with a life-threatening disease like late-stage cancer. According to nonprofit Pew Charitable Trusts, palliative care not only increases patient satisfaction but also saves costs versus repeat emergency room trips.
Not having health insurance is the single worst decision any person, millennial or not, can do to themselves. Take care of yourself, not just by taking preventative measures but also by having health insurance to back you up. You’ll never know when you’ll need it the most.
