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Latest Trends in the Health Insurance Market
If you’ve been watching the news recently, you’d know that health insurance in the United States is a bit in limbo.
Leaders from both political parties seem to be fighting for different things when it comes to health insurance, and it remains to be seen what the end result will be. What we can count on is the system changing and evolving to meet new demands.
Having health insurance isn’t optional. The risks for things like heart disease and stroke are at an all-time high, and nobody is fully excluded from risk.
Having insurance not only makes it easier to seek treatment for these conditions, but it halts them in their tracks by providing medical intervention early on.
However, costs for insurance are also at a high. It’s not unusual for a family of four to pay over $25,800 a year for insurance.
With costs like that, it’s no wonder so many Americans are struggling to make ends meet and protect their health. These trends below are a way to make healthcare more affordable for all. Only time will tell how successful they are.
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| Img source: Assorted Doctor’s Tools |
Affordable Care Act
One of the first major trends is also a leading political issue. This federal program gave thousands of people access to affordable health coverage.
It was particularly targeted to Americans who previously had limited access to affordable coverage, such as the unemployed or those with preexisting conditions.
Today, the Affordable Care Act is still a contested issue. While it isn’t without its faults, everyone can agree it has challenges our health insurance market in some positive ways.
It’s not a perfect solution, but it’s one of the only proposed solutions to the health crisis that we’ve seen thus far. For more information on finding affordable health plans under the Affordable Care Act, visit: Navigating the Healthcare Marketplace – HealthMarkets.
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| Img source: Laptop Display Metrics |
Big Data and Insurance
Big data is the use of analytics, customer information, and other statistics to make smarter decisions. It’s also being used in the health insurance industry as a way to optimize practices.
Machine learning with Artificial Intelligence helps customers, healthcare providers, and insurance providers alike to make smarter decisions about their own coverage through big data. The average cost of health insurance is being detailed by LendEdu.
While it might sound scary, big data is a legitimate solution to the growing need for more consumer information.
Collecting data and applying it to medicine will make our lives easier and should even lead to big insurance changes. However, the industry still must determine how this data relates to HIPPA regulations.
Wearable Devices
We’ve all seen the success of the Fitbit as a way to count your steps and your heart rate. Now, you’ll find these types of wearable medical devices in just about any smartphone and smartwatch. Making it easier to track your own health and wellness is a key part of today’s healthcare trend.
This will play into big data, but it also gives average people more control over their health. It also allows doctors to keep up with their patient’s progress. Ultimately, wearable devices are here to stay and with good reason.
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| Img Source: Man on Bike |
Telemedicine
Finally, telemedicine is the biggest trend we’re seeing in the health insurance market today. Telemedicine is a simple solution to a growing problem.
People need more affordable, accessible healthcare. With telemedicine, you can pay an inexpensive fee to talk to a healthcare professional or employ the service of a counselor [such as family counseling] on your phone or computer.
Some telemedicine apps even allow you to get some prescriptions in just a few clicks. While this can’t be a substitute for long-term care, it’s perfect for smaller ailments that don’t always warrant an expensive doctor visit.
Making healthcare more accessible to everyone, even if that means building it into a smartphone app, is an exciting innovation.
As you can see, the world of healthcare is changing rapidly. Finding new ways to approach the biggest health challenges is key, and these trends above do just that. In the next few years who knows what we have in store for us?
More at: https://www.regain.us/advice/counseling/top-10-reasons-why-you-may-need-family-counseling/
