Some people believe that insurance companies should be able to decline health insurance to people based on fitness of their customers and charge premiums based on that. On the other hand, many people think that the insurance companies should not be able to refuse coverage to it’s would be customers. While this issue continues to be debated, in my dissertation I will show that health insurance companies should not be able to decline coverage to applicants.
Critics contend that declining health insurance to physically unfit customers helps to keep health insurance premiums down and keep prices affordable to all customers because with fewer people, physically fit customers are not footing the bill for those who are not in good health. With lower insurance premiums, more customers would be attracted to insurance companies. Having so many companies to choose from, anybody can be fully covered. Companies such as Humana are “able provide network capacity, products, and resources for innovative health benefits and services” (Humana). In addition, more customers buying into insurance companies would help to boost company sales and lead to better services provided by the insurance companies. With increased customer satisfaction made possible by lower rates, more advances can be made in terms of coverage. One such service provided would be to “meet customers where they live – to understand the challenges in your particular community and provide personal assistance” (Humana). Therefore, contenders of health insurance programs believe that lower prices and rates help to keep costs down to all customers.
On the whole, health insurance companies should not be able to refuse coverage or deny coverage to its customers who just so happen to not be in peak physical condition. These customers could be in dire need of coverage, and with no one to turn to, they could very well die. The Constitution of the United States of America states that we have the “right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”, the keyword there being life. By turning would be customers down, health insurance companies are infringing upon the Constitution. As people of the United States of America, we should not stand for this. Health insurance should be available to all people, not just those who happen to be in perfect health. A person who has a disease such as heart disease or cancer has the same right to life as a person who does not. Why should a person who has cancer suffer even more because a person in good health does not want to pay a few dollars more per month? We are all people on this earth, and we should all be there for our neighbor. Health insurance in America should be available to all, rich and poor, young and old, healthy and sick, black and white. Physical fitness should not be an indicator of whether or not to be able to receive health insurance, just as color should not be a reason to be offered or refused a job. As Americans, it is our job to fight this injustice, and make health care available to all. Even those who oppose health insurance availability to all may have a person in their life who are declined this service. It could be anyone, a mother, a father, a husband, a wife, a brother, a sister, or a grandparent.
On the contrary, advocates believe that premium prices are kept down based solely on the denial of coverage to customers who need it most. These customers who need coverage most are often referred to having a “pre-existing condition”. A pre-existing condition is a disease or condition, such as “heart disease, cancer, asthma, high blood pressure, and arthritis. ” (Health care blog). A pre-existing condition can even be something very minor such as a previously broken bone. The doubling or tripling of rates or even outright denial of coverage is completely unfair to the customers who need coverage to survive. Customers