Question about Health Insurance in the USA?

Question

If you are not insured will you not receive emergency treatment in A and E? Do you have to pay for this? HOw do they make you pay?

What about if you have cancer or need long term care for a degenerative illness?

Do many people die in the USA because they are unable to afford treatment?

Also I heard that the incedence of TB and pneumonia among the poor in the USA was on the increase because they have no access to healthcare is this true?

Sorry I know this is a lot of questions maybe i should split them up next time. :-)

Answer 1

No emergency department will deny you service because you cannot pay. You will be billed for the service. If you are not working, or are low income, you can apply to social services for Medicaid. If you are employed, don't qualify for Medicaid, or just don't answer when bills are sent, the facility may attempt to collect its fees by getting a court order to garnish your wages. There are also organization that fund people who make too much for Medicaid, but not enough to pay their bill. Hill Burton is one. Most health care facilities will try to work out a payment plan with you. If you pay on time, they won't bother you.

There are public health facilities that deal with low/no income long term patients. Their services are paid for from tax dollars.

No, not many people in the U.S. die because they don't have health insurance or can't pay. Mostly it would be because they are afraid to seek treatment and ask for help.

TB does exist in the U.S.! The incidence of TB is higher among the poor because in the states, TB is commonly seen in jails. Most people in jail don't have jobs or income. Because prisoners are so close together, and the less than splendid air circulation, it is easily passed from person to person. All prisoners receive medical attention and medication when they need it. It is usually paid for from tax dollars.

Most jobs offer health insurance at an affordable rate, but smaller businesses may not.

Hope that helps.

Answer 2

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RE :Question about Health Insurance in the USA?
If you are not insured will you not receive emergency treatment in A and E? Do you have to pay for this? HOw do they make you pay?

What about if you have cancer or need long term care for a degenerative illness?

Do many people die in the USA because they are unable to afford treatment?

Also I heard that the incedence of TB and pneumonia among the poor in the USA was on the increase because they have no access to healthcare is this true?

Sorry I know this is a lot of questions maybe i should split them up next time. :-)
Follow 5 answers

Answer 3

Simply put, if you are not insured you will have to pay for your healthcare. In some cases, people are considered uninsurable and cannot get individual health policies.

The uninsurables include those with cancer, HIV and diabetes as well as overweight or extremely tall people. In some states there are now "high risk" health pools for the otherwise uninsurables but it is very expensive to obtain. The only other way these groups can get healthcare insurance is through their employer. Group plans cannot deny coverage.


TB and pneumonia among the poor are most likely due to improper personal healtchare and hygiene more than acess to healthcare. There are safety nets in place to help many of the poor.

Answer 4

Tuberculosis is nearly unheard of here in the US. Pneumonia is a complication that anyone is prone to.

You cannot be denied treatment by an ER. You are billed, and you either pay or you don't. As far as I know, they can send you to collections but cannot damage your credit if you go to a public ER. If you go to a private sector ER, they can ruin your credit.

Most states have a program for the underinsured uninsured with illnesses such as cancer.

There are state programs for underinsured uninsured children, as well. They're quite good, actually. I was on Arkansas' child health program, it was nearly as good as Tri-Care before dad took me off of it to try and get back at my mom.

There are alot of options out there, you just have to do the footwork to find them. Most people are too lazy to do the foot work and go to their public offices to find help.

Answer 5

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