In conducting the three interviews, I was able to identify
triggers for someone to seek healthcare coverage. In one case, the person lost
coverage due to their company employer suddenly going out of business. There
were rumors that the company was in trouble financially, but the person thought
that the business would survive. It did not. Furthermore, becoming a new parent
enhanced the desire to find coverage. For another individual, their insurer
pulled out of the state, leaving them 30 days to find coverage. The third
person did not have a sudden loss of coverage, but rather realized that they
needed to be prepared for an event since they did not have current coverage.
When the need arose, the interviewees sought information
from the internet, an affinity relationship or met someone unexpectedly who
was able to provide the necessary information. For two, the cost of coverage was
a shock because it was very inexpensive, but for another the shock was finding
out how expensive it was. The discrepancy was attributed to the fact that the
individuals with the inexpensive options received federal subsidies to pay for
coverage and the other did not.
What struck me as interesting was that the issue is not
just about getting coverage. A secondary and just as important issue is getting
affordable coverage that provides the services that are desired. In some cases,
a person would probably feel as if they did not have any insurance at all if the
deductibles are high or the office visits are limited to just a few per year.
Just because premiums are affordable does not mean the person can pay to actually
use all the benefits that are available with their plan. Affordability is key. All
interviewees were aware of the need to have access to medical services and were
capable of doing research to find solutions to the problem.
Hello Lamar,
ReplyDeleteWonderful post, and I do concur with your statement that the big factor to finding coverage is the affordability. Each plan has its own benefits that has a price range, and that ultimately decides if the person will get that coverage, depending on what their needs will be. Nowadays it is fairly difficult to find the right coverage for specific needs, and the expenses are higher than previous years. Nowadays people would ask their friends what they have as coverage, to see what would better work for them, comparing different healthcare to see which one is best fit for them.