Health insurance in the United States

Health insurance in the United States is a system that provides coverage for a portion of the cost of an insured individual's health and medical expenses. It is a major component of the broader healthcare system in the country.

Overview

Health insurance in the United States is primarily provided by the private sector, with government programs providing coverage for certain populations. The system is characterized by a mix of private and public funding, and a reliance on employer-sponsored insurance plans.

History

The concept of health insurance was introduced in the United States in the late 19th century, but it was not until the 20th century that it became a common feature of the American healthcare system. The first employer-sponsored group health insurance plan was created in 1929 by teachers in Dallas, Texas.

Types of Health Insurance

There are several types of health insurance in the United States, including:

• Employer-sponsored health insurance: This is the most common type of health insurance in the United States, covering about half of the population. Employers often cover a portion of healthcare expenses in an employee benefits package.

• Individual market health insurance: This is health insurance that individuals buy for themselves or their families, typically through the Health Insurance Marketplace.

• Medicare: This is a federal program that provides health coverage for people aged 65 or older or with certain disabilities.

• Medicaid: This is a joint federal and state program that provides health coverage for people with low income.

• CHIP: This is a state and federal partnership that provides low-cost health coverage to children in families that earn too much money to qualify for Medicaid.

Challenges and Criticisms

The health insurance system in the United States has been the subject of numerous criticisms and challenges. These include high costs, lack of access to coverage for many individuals, and the complexity of the system. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, was passed in 2010 in an attempt to address some of these issues.

List of health insurance companies

• 1199 SIEU
• AARP
• Accident Fund Insurance Company of America
• Aetna
• AmTrust Financial Services
• American Family Insurance
• American International Group (AIG)
• American National Insurance Company
• Amerigroup
• Bankers Life and Casualty
• Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association
• Bright Health
• Cambia Health Solutions
• CareSource
• Centene Corporation
• Cigna
• Cincinnati Financial Corporation
• Compass Rose Benefits Group
• Conseco
• Coventry Health Care
• Delta Dental
• Elevance Health
• EmblemHealth
• Erie Insurance Group
• Fidelis Care
• Fortis
• GUARD Insurance Group
• Geisinger
• Golden Rule Insurance Company
• Group Health Cooperative
• Group Health Incorporated
• Hanover Insurance
• Harvard Pilgrim Health Care
• Health Net
• HealthMarkets
• HealthPartners
• HealthSpring
• Highmark
• Horace Mann Educators Corporation
• Humana
• Independence Blue Cross
• Kaiser Permanente
• Kaleida Health
• Liberty Medical
• Liberty Mutual
• MEGA Life and Health Insurance
• Main article: Medicare (United States)
• MassHealth
• Medical Mutual of Ohio
• Medicare
• Merchants Insurance Group
• Missouri Employers Mutual
• Molina Healthcare
• Mutual of Omaha
• Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company
• New York State Insurance Fund
• Oscar Health
• Oxford Health Plans
• Penn National Insurance
• Physicians Mutual
• Premera Blue Cross
• Principal Financial Group
• Puerto Rico State Insurance Fund
• Sentry Insurance
• Shelter Insurance
• Society Insurance
• State Compensation Insurance Fund
• State Farm Insurance
• State Farm
• The Hartford
• The Norfolk & Dedham Group
• Thrivent Financial for Lutherans
• United American Insurance Company
• United Heartland
• UnitedHealth Group
• Unitrin
• Universal American Corporation
• WellCare
• Workers' compensation
• Zenith Insurance Group

See Also

• Healthcare reform in the United States
• Healthcare in the United States
• Medicare (United States)
• Medicaid
• Children's Health Insurance Program