Affordable Health Insurance

Affordable Health Insurance for Stroke Survivors

June 23rd, 2011

There are at least 700,000 Americans who suffer from stroke every year. Stroke happens when transportation of blood that brings glucose and oxygen which the brain needs is disrupted. When this happens, our brain cells die and our brain can no longer function accordingly. Different parts of our brain serve a different purpose. Our mind controls our thoughts, our speech, our movement and our memory. So the damage done will be dependent on which part of the brain was damaged and its severity.

The good news is that most stroke victims recover. But recovering from stroke is just half of the battle won. Twenty-five percent of stroke survivors recover with minor damage while forty percent have incurred moderate to severe damage needing further care and treatment including rehabilitation. All treatments come with a high cost. An inexpensive health insurance will be especially helpful during this time.

According to the AHA President, Ralph Sacco, M.D ““Research has found that stroke patients without affordable health insurance have up to a 50 percent higher risk of death and those who are underinsured also have up to a 50% percent higher risk of death compared to stroke patients with affordable health insurance, and patients who are underinsured also have poorer outcomes.” Some survivors either do not have health and insurance at all or they have coverage but is insufficient for them to afford all the prescription drugs and services that are necessary for their treatment.

There is hope for stroke survivors. You may apply for the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance plans being offered in every state. This program aims to provide inexpensive health insurance coverage to individuals with pre-existing condition such as stroke. One of the requirements of this program is that you are not enrolled in any health policy for at least six months. Check your state government website for more details regarding this program.

In the near future, health insurance providers will no longer be allowed to refuse or delay medical and insurance coverage to those with stroke or any other condition.

The sooner rehabilitation starts, the better the survivor’s chance is at fully recovering. Rehab are usually done in hospitals but it can also be done at home. What’s important is the frequency of the exercise and the proper execution of the exercises. Support from family and friends also play a big role. In fact it is as important as prescription drugs and rehab.