Being fat is “not” where it’s at and obesity will send the cost of your insurance premiums skyrocketing.
Florida is not exactly a “small” state, not with a growing population of at least 18 million people. That actually places Florida as the fourth largest state of the Union. Just about 20 percent of the population has no insurance period. Out of that 18 million people, just about 60 percent of them are classified as overweight or morbidly obese. The facts are that if you are seriously overweight and want health insurance, you will be shelling out more money for your premiums. For example, over the last decade or so the average annual cost of Florida family health insurance has shot up over 119 percent. If your not aware obesity raises health insurance rates for short term medical plans, life insurance, disability or Long Term Care.
Think about that for a minute. One hundred and nineteen percent is a major increase in health insurance premiums. While some of the reasons for the increase have to do with the rising costs of health care services, those are the same services that overweight and obese people are using “more” because they are not healthy. It’s a bit like a revolving door in some respects. Obesity promotes poor health and poor health promotes people needing to use the health care system frequently which increases the costs of service to “everyone” across the board. Again obesity raises health insurance rates.
For those looking for health insurance in Florida, there are three kinds of policies you can get and they are government sponsored, individual and group insurance. What you choose or are used to is generally based on your circumstances. For instance, just about 50 percent of those who have a job in Florida have group health insurance through their place of work.
In cases like that, everybody has the same insurance and no one can be denied. Generally speaking, the employer also pays the premiums – either partially or wholly. Also, if you lose your job, COBRA says you get to stay insured for 18 months so long as you pay the whole premium on your own.
For those that have individual health insurance policies, they might be denied if the insurance company thinks you are too high a risk to insure. Individual insurance is not like group insurance where everyone gets the same policy. Individual insurance means every policy is unique to that person. That means you get to choose what options suit you and tailor make a health insurance plan that works for you. When it comes to premiums however, they are largely set according to actuarial tables based on your hobbies, occupation, age, sex, present health conditions, and any pre-existing conditions.
The bottom line here is that to find what you need in terms of health insurance in Florida, speak directly to a knowledgeable local insurance broker. They are able to give you a much wider choice of options open to you than what you may find on a website. In addition, the personal touch is something that can never be underestimated. That is what good service is all about. For more information please give us a call at 954-282-6891.
