Finance Class
In finance class we had to compare a lot of different insurance plans
and coverage's and prices. We were given different scenarios and people
with all different kinds of locations and lifestyle choices and had to
get short term health
insurance quotes as well as long term quotes for
the same people and then compare them.
It is crazy the difference it could make depending on where you live or the choices you makes or even just your age. One of the things we had to do was look into Texas health insurance for a family of four and the dad was healthy, at a good weight, didn't smoke, had no car accidents or tickets and was young. Then we had to compare the same family health insurance for the same state and all of the same lifestyle choices and traits except the second man smoked. The rates for that man skyrocketed. It was unbelievable the difference it made. Another thing that made a big difference was someone who was really overweight. Comparing them to someone that is fit and healthy makes a big difference too.
I think one thing that is sad and although makes sense, is very unfair is preexisting health conditions. If someone is born with a health condition and requires more medical attention then they will have to pay more than someone who is healthy (even though in many of the cases they were born that way or got sick as a child and they really had no say in it and it wasn't their fault at all). In some of the situations we looked up, people who had preexisting conditions had to pay more than the people who smoked. This seems so unfair to me because smoking is a choice. You are deliberately hurting yourself and your health and even other people around you. It is so sad to me to think that a baby who has no control over their health may one day have to pay more than someone who was born healthy but decided to smoke and deteriorate themselves for health insurance.
But I guess that there are a lot of little things that go into figuring out insurance and rates and premiums and who should pay what and I am sure that there is a lot of history that they go off of, but sometimes it just breaks my heart to think about it.
It is crazy the difference it could make depending on where you live or the choices you makes or even just your age. One of the things we had to do was look into Texas health insurance for a family of four and the dad was healthy, at a good weight, didn't smoke, had no car accidents or tickets and was young. Then we had to compare the same family health insurance for the same state and all of the same lifestyle choices and traits except the second man smoked. The rates for that man skyrocketed. It was unbelievable the difference it made. Another thing that made a big difference was someone who was really overweight. Comparing them to someone that is fit and healthy makes a big difference too.
I think one thing that is sad and although makes sense, is very unfair is preexisting health conditions. If someone is born with a health condition and requires more medical attention then they will have to pay more than someone who is healthy (even though in many of the cases they were born that way or got sick as a child and they really had no say in it and it wasn't their fault at all). In some of the situations we looked up, people who had preexisting conditions had to pay more than the people who smoked. This seems so unfair to me because smoking is a choice. You are deliberately hurting yourself and your health and even other people around you. It is so sad to me to think that a baby who has no control over their health may one day have to pay more than someone who was born healthy but decided to smoke and deteriorate themselves for health insurance.
But I guess that there are a lot of little things that go into figuring out insurance and rates and premiums and who should pay what and I am sure that there is a lot of history that they go off of, but sometimes it just breaks my heart to think about it.
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