By: Arthur Cooper
Submitted: 2010-12-21 08:40:25 | Word Count: 664
It is a sad sign of the times that low-income senior citizens often do not have health insurance. It can come down to a basic life-choice that has seniors having to decide: groceries or medicine? What can you do for low income health insurance for senior citizens? Healthcare reform seeks to address this issue, by mandating coverage for everyone, including the elderly, those with pre-existing conditions, and those considered “high risk” by insurance companies. Currently, insurance companies are under no obligation to cover those they consider too risky a bet; they even drop coverage on people who may have held policies with them for years, simply because they feel the cost-benefit ratio no longer lands in their favor.
The majority of low-income families in America do not have health insurance at all, or they cannot maintain premium payments in this declining economy. Often, employers pick up the tab on health insurance. But for low-income families, they are often part-time workers who are ineligible for coverage, or they cannot afford the partial premiums and usually high deductibles that employer plans include. Lower income individuals and families tend to have poorer health than those with insurance, further burdening an already fatigued medical system. With no preventive medicine practiced, often a person will let a condition go undiagnosed and untreated to the point where it not only can be life-threatening, but extremely expensive to take care of.
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Although there is upcoming reform to address some of these issues, several measuresare already in place that can help people find low income health insurance for senior citizens. Those who are underinsured, for example, may find help with Medicare, the federally funded plan for seniors, unemployed individuals and families, and those with disabilities. If you have Internet access, go to medicare.gov for information on how to get assistance if you don’t have health insurance or you are a senior citizen whose health insurance just isn’t covering your needs. Your local library can help you search for inexpensive insurance options, or help you get in touch with Medicare or Medicaid; the first being funded by the national government, and the second being managed by individual states.
Low income health insurance for senior citizens can be found by contacting your local government office or by doing some research and making some phone calls. There are various qualifying criteria that will need to be documented and proven before you are approved, including income and assets information to determine your net worth. You will also need to prove that you are an American citizen. It may seem like a lot of red tape, but when it comes to your health, you owe it to yourself and your families to stay as healthy as possible, for as long as possible. Also look into programs such as “Mini Medical Insurance” and low-income health insurance companies, who specialize in cases where the individual has low or poverty level income and cannot otherwise attain adequate health insurance. Ask your friends and family to help you find out how to qualify and get the best coverage available to you.For more information and advice about how to get low income health insurance for senior citizens, visit www.GeriCareFinder.com.
