Since 2008, the United States of America has been in a very heated battle over health insurance. The crux of the matter: To have government-controlled care or privatized care. Those are really the only two options we have in the country.

There is no question that private health care costs are exceedingly high and only growing higher every year. But to say private insurance companies are crooks—while a great talking point for a proponent of single-payer, government-run care—is simply misleading.

For example: The average American pays roughly $2,000 yearly for a solid health insurance plan which also covers family members. With a policy such as this, little is denied. Yes, it’s very expensive, but the care is rock solid. Government-sponsored plans, on the other hand, cost upwards of $7,000 per policy and do not include any freedoms whatsoever to choose doctors or treatments.

So while we all bicker over people not having health care and how they should receive it, the only certainty we face in America is that insuring everyone is going to cost an insane amount of money.

Are we looking at 2k per plan or 7k? Either way, it is a lot of money. The government’s plans are highly controlled and drastically limited, and that’s why most people who can afford private insurance are “happy” to stick with it instead of turning it over to government.

Right now, you are probably struggling with health care costs and want to know why they are increasing so readily. Are insurance companies really that greedy? Are they sticking it to you to make up losses? Let’s go over some of the reasons your costs are climbing.

Why Costs are Increasing

Universal Health Share

This isn’t about political debate. This is fact-driven information. And America’s emergency room care bests the entire globe’s care, save ongoing diseases, obviously. For people who cannot afford to pay for ER visits and other procedures, the costs are passed on to you as a premium holder.

In short, America already does have limited single-payer care, and private industry makes sure you foot the bill – the same way it would be if government were forcing you to foot it, only your charges would show up via your paycheck instead of your insurance premium.

No One Left Behind

In other countries, premature births, transplants, dialyses, and other procedures have to get the go-ahead from government in order to keep costs down, meaning some people will simply die so that the system doesn’t bankrupt itself. In the USA, premium holders’ costs are high because doctors do not pick and choose who to save. They act first and insurance works to make up the costs later.

Inflation

Although the government does not track medical costs—nor gas costs or food costs—as “inflation” for political reasons, the fact of the matter is that inflation affects health care costs drastically, and the costs are passed on to you.

Life Expectancy

With people living longer, more money is being spent in Social Security. And government, although it says otherwise, actually privatizes much of its Medicare/Medicaid programs so that more people can be taken care of. Insurance companies eat losses as a result and then pass the costs on to you.

There are many reasons your prices are going up for insurance, but you can always do things to make sure they come down, none the least of which being preventative care.

Read around here for tips about saving on insurance and always remember to take great care of yourself so that you can save in the long run.