Health Insurance Keeps You Healthy

Everyone knows having health insurance helps protect you and your family against the high costs of medical emergencies and catastrophic or chronic illness. Did you know your health insurance policy works to actually keep you healthy? A couple of recent studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). One study finds people without health insurance do not take advantage of health services as often as the insured, and the second study finds having health insurance actually increases the likelihood you will receive a follow-up appointment after medical treatment.

Health insurance leads to medical care

The basic premise of this research from Yale University is obvious – if you have health insurance you are more likely to utilize medical services. More than 45 million Americans, almost 20 percent of the non-Medicare population, do not have health insurance. Across all income levels, the uninsured do not take advantage of basic medical services that can help prevent more serious problems down the road.

Those without health insurance most likely don’t get preventative services like cancer screening, don’t get the recommended treatment for chronic illnesses like diabetes or arthritis, and don’t take steps for cardiovascular risk reduction. With health insurance you are much more likely to keep up with your basic medical care to help minimize, or even prevent, health problems.

Health insurance increases your medical care

This study from Regions Hospital and HealthPartners Research Foundation in St. Paul, Minnesota, came to a somewhat surprising conclusion – if you have private health insurance, either personal or employer-based, you are much more likely to receive a follow-up appointment within a week for an urgent medical condition than someone who is uninsured or even people covered by Medicaid.

Clinics contacted as part of the study would screen callers to determine their insurance status 98 percent of time and would only determine the severity of the caller’s condition 28 percent of the time. The lesson here is if you have private health insurance you are much more likely to receive the best possible medical care.

These two medical studies published in JAMA illustrate just how important having health insurance can be for you and your family’s health. Whether your employer offers health insurance or you are looking for an individual health insurance policy, be sure to take your time and compare health insurance quotes to find a policy that best fits your family’s health insurance needs and saves you money. Begin your search with a resource that allows you to compare health insurance quotes to find the best deal for the policy you want. An independent online resource where you can compare health insurance quotes from a number of health insurance providers is a great place to start.