This week I’m attending the Marketing, Outreach & Distribution on the Health Insurance Exchanges conference in Scottsdale, Ariz. The most intriguing session — maybe the most interesting of any recent conference I’ve attended — was a May 30 panel of 20-something men and women who spoke candidly about the challenges of finding health coverage…and in understanding the value of it.
All eight panelists are employed, though some just part time, and about half have some level of health coverage. Although they understand the risks of not having insurance, they are confused by the myriad choices and frustrated by the jargon used by carriers. They struggle to see value in paying monthly premiums for something they probably won’t use.
Beth, a school teacher who goes without coverage during the summer months, noted that the cost of paying cash for an urgent care visit was equivalent to the copay required for a doctor visit. Tom, a construction worker clad in a t-shirt and baseball cap, is uninsured, but worries about being injured and not being able to afford the medical expenses. He said he had been injured in a car accident and faced a $400 bill for prescription drugs. “I didn’t have $400,” he said.
While they all knew that a significant health law had been enacted, none of them had heard about exchanges or the federal premium assistance that might help to make coverage more affordable to them. They were optimistic about the ability to compare health plans, but they were skeptical that something operated by the government would be any easier to navigate than the existing system.
The panelists agreed that they would be willing to pay between $60 and $100 a month for health coverage. And while they said they would like to buy coverage from an insurer they knew, they place a great deal of value in how plans are rated (by companies such as eHealth, Inc.) and in reviews from current enrollees...particularly their peers.
http://aishealth.com/blog/health-reform/young-invincibles-offer-candid-look-challenge-finding-insurance-value
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