(Akiit.com) Some of the latest changes to health insurance laws make it much easier for small businesses and the self-employed to cover some of the costs that their staff need to cover themselves. After the executive order signed last October, this plan offers those kinds of business owners the chance to band together to buy insurance. However, despite these pending changes, an injury can still be one of the most disastrous things to happen to the average American worker. Here are some of the reasons why.
The state of healthcare costs
With the Affordable Care Act still in effect, but less effective than ever, sky-high healthcare costs are a primary concern amongst working individuals, families, and business owners. The costs of paying for treatment after an injury can eat into your budget considerably and are one of the leading causes of debt right now. You can read here for some tips on how to help cut those costs, such as ensuring that you stay in-network with your healthcare providers and asking for discounts when seeking treatment.
You need to know your rights
There’s a significant issue with many employees not knowing their rights when it comes to a workplace accident or injury. Many fear that seeing a doctor or making a claim after a workplace injury or illness might jeopardize their job. While workers’ compensation laws do change from state to state, being protected from retaliation by an employer is one of the rights that is universal across all states. If you are injured at work, or you’ve been made ill and you suspect it is because of work, your employer cannot legally stop you from seeking treatment or making a claim.
Ensuring your protections will do what they promise
Around half of all US workers have some form of disability insurance, with 41% of employers offering long-term disability coverage. This is an essential consideration, given that 1-in-4 people are likely to be disabled when they reach 62. However, a rising problem in insurance is that of being denied the coverage you deserve. Read here for more information about how these denials tend to happen. Many denials are not legally justified, but workers can get so burned out by the process of applying that they simply give up. Standing up for your rights and getting legal help when needed is essential.
Errors a-plenty
Another huge barrier in getting the health insurance coverage you need is the prevalence of medical bill errors. You can click here to see how to identify some of the most common errors. Many of them can raise your costs, bump up your premiums, and even cause insurance providers to reject a claim entirely.
Healthcare costs, complications in the insurance process, and the legal troubles involved in filing claims can all make an accident much more stressful and costlier than it has any right to be. Besides waiting for the new changes to roll in, workers need to be aware of the dangers and how to handle them.
Staff Writer; Larry Poole