What’s the importance of health insurance? No one plans to get sick or hurt, but most people need to access health care services at some point in their lives. Health insurance status in the United States is varied and inconsistent – and it is changing over time. Critics argue both in favor of or against universal coverage, citing both benefits and drawbacks of coverages and their associated costs.
Assessing the impact of health insurance coverage on a person’s health is complex; health effects may take a long time to be realized, can vary based on insurance benefits/lack thereof, and are often clouded by confounding variables. Let’s begin our Case by examining the purposes of health insurance, the current health insurance status of the U.S.population, and what current research tells us regarding the use vs. outcomes of health insurance coverage.
Case Assignment
Using the information in the required readings, as well as some additional research in peer-reviewed sources, complete your Case assignment by addressing the following:
Articulate the specific purposes of health insurance.
Provide a summary of the current health insurance status of the U.S. population. Who is covered, and by what type of insurance? What portion of the population is uninsured and underinsured? What are the trends in coverages over time?
Explain how health insurance coverage affects health care utilization, disease treatment and outcomes, self-reported health, and mortality.
