Underinsurance is a term defining when people have insurance but, they are unable to pay their medical bills with it because it doesn't cover all procedures and visits.

Underinsurance

This phenomenon occurs when people have insurance but they still don't see a medical provider because they can't afford that part of health care. Being underinsured is when the insurance covers so little that people with health difficulties still cannot afford to seak assistance.

Boston University

There are four basic modes of paying for health care: out-of-pocket payment, individual private insurance, employment-based group private insurance, and government financing.

Modes of Paying for Health Care

8th Edition by Thomas Bodenheimer and Kevin Grumbach

Understanding Health Policy: A Clinical Approach

Our-of-pocket payments is when the person receiving health care has to pay all of the expenses themselves.

Out-of-pocket payments

Individual Private Insurance is when a person pays for insurance instead of getting it paid for by their employer.

Individual Private Insurance

This payment mode is when the job pays for the persons insurance as a way of enticing them to join their company, most large corporations are required to provide healthcare to there full-time employees.

Employment-Based Private Insurance

Government-funded health care came about when the people who needed health care the most (like the elderly and the poor) weren't able to afford health care so they had to subsidize it.

Government Financing

This node shows that Hispanics are the most underinsured population, and African Americans the second most. The Asian population and Caucasian populations have a much smaller rate of underinsurance.

Racial Discrimination in Health Care

An HMO is a type of insurance plan that's generally less expensive, with an HMO you need to have a primary care physician who is responsible for making referrals for further medical treatment.

Conventional Health Maintenance Organization

POS is more expensive than an HMO but less than a PPO, free if you use in-network providers but expensive if you go out of network.

Managed Care: Point of Service

A PPO is typically the most expensive insurance plan, but that's because it gives you the most freedom to see who you want, when you want.

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