It is estimated that some 250,000 children in the state of Illinois do not have medical coverage. With the death of a Naperville high school student, uninsured families have a few affordable health care plans. [Source: http://www.allkidscovered.com/]
The H1N1 virus turned into a sickeningly expensive ordeal for the Kronish family. With a job lay-off their primary source of income was eliminated. The Cobra health benefits offered with termination seemed to cost too much for a family of four healthy children aged eight, 11, 13 and 14, on a $57,000 income.
The Kronishs’ 11-year old son had an H1N1 scare that required urgent medical attention. Emergency room doctors ran tests, which lead to an overnight observation. Nerved by the sequence of events, the rest of the Kronish household was vaccinated. In the interim, forgoing Illinois health insurance cost the Kronish family the same amount it would cost to insure the whole family for a year $3875. The Kronish family remains uninsured and saddled with a new hospital bill. With any luck, they won’t endure another medical emergency, imposing additional financial duress.
Between the ER visit, five H1N1 vaccinations of $375, medical bills were a total of $3875, the same price it would have cost the family to maintain their cobra health benefits. Meanwhile, the Kronishs’ remain uninsured with a new hospital bill. Hopefully, they will not be struck by another medical emergency that will set them back even further, financially. In the interim, all Illinois health insurance plans are offering free vaccinations at the doctor’s office, health facility and designated companies (CVS, Osco-Drugs and Walgreens).
Sick days, doctor’s visits, and medications reflect just a few of the cost differentials between having Illinois health insurance and being uninsured. Most physicians and clinics charge $65 to $150 for a single medical visit. These fees do not include any vaccinations, antibiotics or other medical services. H1N1 is the perfect example of a simple emergency room and overnight observation can mount into a single expensive incident that otherwise an Illinois health insurance would cover.
Bookmark or visit Illinois Life & Health for more information pertaining to Illinois medical insurance. The site maintains the latest news, resources and a no obligation Illinois medical insurance quote, online.
