To the uninsured: Should you wait for universal healthcare?

You have elected not to buy health insurance because your employer doesn’t offer it or it seems like a huge waste of money. Why should you buy in if you are healthy?

Aside from the obvious reason of protecting yourself from financial ruin, there are additional reasons to buy health insurance now (even if only a high deductible plan) rather than wait for the government to deliver a national healthcare program that might make it more available and affordable to a few of those who are currently uninsured.

• National healthcare, if it ever comes to pass, will likely not be viable in the near future

• In the proposed healthcare bill, “affordable,” subsidized plans will depend on your income. Make room in your budget now for a bare-bones catastrophe type policy, and you might be able to upgrade to better coverage if a healthcare bill passes.

• A significant break in coverage (more than 63 days) can puts you at risk of developing a condition in the interim, and falling into the “pre-existing condition clause” in which you’ll face higher premiums or the inability to obtain insurance.