Miami Herald reporter John Dorschner wrote a story last week about the many ways private insurance companies try to keep all but the most healthy, and least risky, people from acquiring health insurance coverage. Underwriting practices, while utilized under the pretence of sound business practice, are often too harsh and leave a multitude of citizens with a full range of conditions left without the ability to acquire coverage on their own. Conditions ranging from the sever, such as diabetes and heart disease, to the relatively benign, such as skin conditions and anxiety, often result in a decline. While Obama and much of America are hesitant over the ramifications of universal healthcare, at the very least these underwriting practices need to change. Without better rules in place to offer coverage to the millions of people who aren’t in perfect health, America will never see an overall improvement in the health care industry. How can private insurance companies walk the line between protecting their business from extreme risk and offering coverage to the millions of Americans who, while perhaps not in perfect health, deserve a chance at quality and affordable coverage?

1. Bud L Says:
   April 3rd, 2009 at 11:55 am

   A federal/state government reinsurance program for the most risky insured or CPI-indexed government subsidy to insurance carriers under written guidelines. On the other hand it should be noted that China and India are rapidly evolving from a state run system to a private provider system.

2. Kirsten Says:
   April 3rd, 2009 at 1:04 pm

   Underwriting practices definitely need some modifications but thats not to say that people with extreme current conditions should be accepted. Each state should have a risk pool for these people but there should certainly be requirements that need to be met in order to be in the risk pool.