Small businesses pressed to cut costs to compete in the global economy are also dropping health care coverage as an employee benefit. Without health insurance many people fail to seek care when they should, and instead wait until a health problem becomes more serious before getting medical attention. People who lack health insurance don't receive the continuity of care they need because they don't have a primary care doctor to rely on. Hospitals and clinics are faced with an ever increasing number of patients who cannot pay their bills. They are forced to shift the costs of this charity care to patients with insurance, driving up health care costs for businesses and consumers.
Uninsured adults are less likely than insured adults to have regular check-ups.
As a result, they are far more likely to be hospitalized for conditions that could have been prevented. The cost of purchasing insurance in the direct pay market has increased dramatically over the past three years. B. Create Family Health Plus to provide affordable health insurance coverage for over 300,000 adults. Funding would come from both the tobacco settlement fund and HCRA funds. A major problem for health care providers and for consumers is the failure of HMOs and other health insurers to pay bills promptly and fairly.