Private health insurance is a common form of healthcare payment in the united states. what are some of the advantages and disadvantages of private health insurance?

Advantages:

1. You Choose Your Doctor.

In the private healthcare system you often have more flexibility in choosing a doctor as well as a medical facility. For patients that want the same doctor all the time, this can be a very important advantage of this type of system.

2. Shorter Wait Times.

If you are having a surgery that is necessary but not life threatening, there are often long wait times. In a private health insurance system the patient will often have shorter wait times because the medical facility is less busy. And even if there are a lot of people waiting, you can often bypass the line by paying a little bit extra for faster medical attention.

3. Improved Facilities

Unfortunately, because the public system is funded with government money it does not have access to as much funds as the private sector one does. This means that public hospitals and health care facilities are often overcrowded, and lacking certain comfort amenities. Private health care facilities, on the other hand, are usually well maintained, with private wards, private bathrooms, phones, TVs, and better tasting food.

Disadvantages:

1. Private Health Insurance Costs More than Public Health Insurance

While the US government might be saving a marginal amount of money by having a private healthcare system instead of a public one; there is no doubt that American citizens are paying a lot more money to get a decent level of private healthcare coverage than they would be required to pay in a public system. Most Americans are paying around $200 or more for their monthly health insurance premium plus a copay and deductible. Public system costs: under $100 monthly with no copay or deductible.

2. Private Health Insurance Creates Inequality

Unfortunately when health care insurance is privatized the healthcare providers and insurance companies are always thinking about their bottom line. This means that if you are willing to pay, you can get priority treatment. In the public system everyone is treated equally, money or no money; order of treatment is based on severity of medical condition and who was there first.

3. Private Health Insurance Seldom Covers All Medical Services.

When getting a private healthcare insurance quote you choose the health insurance plan that best suits your needs and fits into your budget. Unfortunately no health insurance plan is perfect so policyholders are forced to pick and choose what health benefits are most important and which ones they think they can do without. If you choose incorrectly, this could leave you with huge policy gaps that force you to go without treatment or pay the high costs

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