What does the concept of "health insurance" mean to you?

There are a wide variety of plans. Not enough data there for me to know what to expect for this person.

Where I am, it makes me think “rip off”. I acknowledge that is not the same in all countries.

Here we have an excellent public health system and a private health system that seems exorbitantly expensive for what you get. I resent paying insurance for years to cover health needs and then copping a bill for the gap between what the doctor charges and the government will fund. I sort of thought that was what health insurance was supposed to cover.

I am blessed working for a company that gives us health coverage.
I have Kaiser HMO, and I have a $20 co-payment for any service, from X-Ray, to Heart Surgery, to my perscriptions.

Unfortunately, what it means in the States is that you don’t know what it means. A single payer, government run system would be so much more equitable.

They are lucky. My husband isn’t covered at all.

I’m not understanding what you are getting at. If someone has health insurance, that means they are insured for health care. Depending on their plan, their coverage with be good, average, horrible, or nearly nonexistent.

It means feeling that if you get sick, you won’t lose everything. It means feeling like you can get care if you need it, and don’t have to worry about whether you need care or not. It means a doctor can treat you and you don’t have to play doctor. It means financial protection and that catastrophic health care expenses won’t bankrupt you.

@wundayatta, I have noticed that people think that having health insurance means that everyone has health insurance exactly like you. For example, I have a HDHP plan, which means that, except for preventive services, I pay 100% of the cost of service at the network contracted rate, up to my deductible amount ($4500), at which coinsurance of 80% for network contracted providers kicks in. Preventive services are covered at 100%. I used to have a PPO copayment plan, which had a $40 copayment, and then everything was covered at 90%. My sister has an HMO where she pays $10 per visit, and everything is covered at 100%. She thinks my insurance is dreadful, but I don’t have a choice, since it’s the only plan my employer offers, and it’s better than nothing. Talking to my sister made me think that everyone has different experiences with health insurance, and unless you’ve had a lot of different coverage types, what you think health insurance is, is generally limited to your own experience with it.

No agenda to the question.

I immediately think, “I wish I had health insurance, damn it.” Then, I wonder what kind of plan they have. I’ve had so many different plans in my lifetime (from the old BC/BS standard, where they covered X percent, and you paid the rest, to a horrible plan that was just barely better than no insurance at all, all the way up to an excellent HMO with low co-pays and everything else is covered 100%), that I would never presume they had any particular kind. I really, really wish we’d do away with the whole damn system and just go to single payer universal coverage, already.

Ah. I see. What is people’s level of awareness of the wide variety of health plans that are out there?

There are the fully insured, the underinsured and the uninsured. Where you draw the line between those categories is anybody’s guess. Single payer is the only answer that will work. Maybe Obamacare will make some dent into it. Maybe it won’t get a chance to.

Fundamental human right in Germany.

I think it is, too. @mattbrowne.

When my husband worked for the state, we had incredible health insurance. For me it covered EVERYTHING, with little to no cost to me- just small copays. Now because he no longer works for the state I had to fight to get SSD. I finally was able to get it after being refused twice and hiring a lawyer. I probably wouldn’t have gotten it when I did except for a letter written by my psychologist. That letter was golden. It, nothing else, was what secured it for me. The sad part is even though I have some insurance now through Medicare, it really isn’t great. My medicines alone cost over $150.00 a month when I’m not in the “doughnut hole”, and about $800.00 a month when I’m not. I very much wish for single payer health care. I think that the US system of insurance is barbaric. I would love to move to Canada or Eire or Great Britian, but because of my injury I can’t work and wouldn’t qualify for their health care.

In the UK it means that a person chooses to turn their back on a state run system that doesn’t seem to get the backing of it’s Government. I mean what can be more important that preserving the health of the people who voted you in right? Wrong.

It seems like we are heading towards insurance based schemes and having them compete for business just like in the States.