Originally Posted by Riot
Sometimes.
The point is, first, that patients have options.
Secondly, those options depends upon the private plan you purchase. There are catastrophic only plans, limited plans, companies that don't write in certain states, etc. As you age, or if you develop any medical problems, your options become more and more limited. If you lose or quit your job, you do have the opportunity to purchase (continue) your insurance under COBRA, but good luck on paying for that, as the insurance company will now charge you as an individual for what your boss was paying for in a discounted group. If you cross state lines, you can rarely take your insurance with you - thus you start from scratch. At this point, the new insurer (even if the same "company") can bar you from coverage for anything you've previously made a claim on, or is an ongoing medical problem.
That's how the insurance companies save money. Although rates are estimated to rise 10% this year, regardless of healthcare reform.
It also depends upon the insurance company agreeing to honor the contract it makes with you. You see, it's an unregulated industry, thus, even if you have an expensive, very inclusive plan, the insurance company can choose to alter that plan at their whim. And you have no recourse.
They can drop you if you make a claim, refuse to cover you for things in your policy, rescind your policy, put cap limits on an illness, find something pre-existing in your past history to disallow current treatment (the "famous" one being talked about now in the debate is the person who was denied treatment for malignant melanoma - skin cancer - as they had had acne with treatment in their past)
Health care reform is all about increasing the options people seeking healthcare have.
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