What Is the Main Benefit of Health Insurance?

Health insurance has many benefits. Coverage can offset the financial costs of medical treatment, provide comfort in emergency situations and allow the injured to receive thorough care without being discharged for an inability to pay. Employers who offer health insurance benefits are covered by workers because purchasing individual coverage can be cost prohibitive. This is why many are forced to go without health care.

Peace of Mind

• The greatest benefit of having health insurance is having health insurance. It provides a sense of comfort that no matter what illness you may come down with you're still going to be able to see a doctor to determine the cause of your illness and create a proper treatment plan to return you to full health as quickly as possible. You also don't have to worry about payments at the doctor's office since your insurance company is billed first for your visit. You may be billed for the remaining balance of the visit if any is left after your insurance company pays the doctor.

Prescription Medications

• Prescription medications are expensive without health insurance. Even if an uninsured person could afford the visit to the doctor to get the prescription, he may be able to afford the retail price of the medication tat will help him get better. Many health insurance policies either include or allow a customer to add prescription drug coverage to a purchased insurance policy. This can turn a 30-day supply of a drug that costs hundreds of dollars into a prescription that costs $15 or $20 to fill, depending on the policy.

Medical Emergencies

• Every hospital in the United States is required to assess your condition and administer stabilizing care when you are admitted to an emergency room. If you do not have health insurance, a hospital may release you once your condition is no longer life-threatening. If you have health insurance, you can remain under observation longer and hospital staff can personally oversee your recovery process, ensuring your wounds heal properly. A hospital won't send you away if you have insurance because you have a guaranteed form of payment in your insurance company. Hospital staff can also catch any problems before they become serious, such as an infected wound site or bone that is not healing properly.

Benefits for Family Members

• Many health insurance plans allow a person to include his spouse and dependent children under his policy. Health insurance is particularly important for children, who require immunizations and checkups to ensure healthy growth. A young child without health coverage who contracts an illness may be more at risk for permanent damage than a child who has health insurance. Having family members covered by a health insurance policy helps everyone sleep better at night knowing that if an illness occurs or a medical treatment is necessary the family isn't going to have to sell the house to pay for the care.