Share the Cost

In response to the recent articles and letters on our health care system’s insufficiencies and referring specifically to Stephen Regalado’s heart transplant: I am not trying to minimize the tragedy of this situation, but only trying to point out an issue that is going unnoticed.

I am an insurance agent who specializes in employee benefit programs for small businesses. Many of the programs I have put together for small businesses fail because of a lack of participation. In many cases when insurance is offered to an employee at a shared cost, sometimes as low as 25% of the premium or the cost of dependent coverage only, many of the employees will decline the coverage. In one case, out of the 26 employees where the employer would pay 75% of the premium, only four employees were interested. The business could not qualify for group coverage.

I am constantly amazed that people expect 100% coverage at absolutely no out-of-pocket cost to them. Many times these are the same people used as examples of the “uninsured.” There are more people in this category than we realize.

The system only works if everyone shares the cost before the catastrophe, not after the fact. If people are waiting for a free ride, think again. I’m only saying that there are available options for people. A son or daughter can take a conversion policy from a parent’s policy when they are no longer an eligible dependent. Or you can apply for your own individual policy. These policies are readily available to people without group health insurance.

But the coverage must be applied for before you are sick or injured. In the above situation, a major medical policy with up to $2 million of coverage could have been available for about $67 per month.

DIANE E. FARRELL

Huntington Beach