Health Insurance

At the most fundamental level, a patient and a provider are engaged in an economic transaction. As recently as 100 years ago, patients could generally afford to pay out of their pocket for all health care services. However, as medicine and technology progressed, so has the cost of medical care. The resource intensity of modern medicine has driven up costs such that an average person cannot afford to pay for medical services by himself or herself. Health insurance addresses this economic concern. Health insurance adds an additional transaction to the exchange: An individual or his or her employer pays a premium for an insurance plan, and the insurer reimburses the health care provider. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 58 percent ...