Locating affordable health care for Americans is not as easy as it used to be. Although there has been a rise over the last few years in providing this service to employees, a number of companies are using this as an excuse for a cost cutting exercise. My work health care plan was, until the latter part of 2006, great but now the benefits it supplied have been reduced. Out of the blue the company decided to change their health care provider because it was costing them too much.

They said it was necessary if all their employees were to have the same level of health care. Although I am just as well looked after with this new policy, I'm not entirely convinced. To some extent I do agree, but their search for another provider now costs me double the money from my paychecks to have my husband and daughter on my policy. So basically in order for all the employees to benefit where I work, I have to pay double but my pay remains the same so I am actually taking home less.

I suppose my health care plan is still good but this new company is not as good as the old one. It's all very well making the excuse that you are searching for a more affordable health care alternative but it doesn't wash when you see reducing your income but also out of pocket expenses also. I know this because my old plan paid all of my hospital expenses when I had my little girl just over 4 years ago. Working out that same stay with the new plan would mean approximately 4,000 dollars would have to be paid by me.

This figure does not take into account additional amounts I must pay out of my salary. Luckily there are more and more affordable health care programs being created to help those that do not have any coverage. Single mothers, families working for companies that don't offer coverage, low-income households - they are all able to get low cost or even free health care. Unfortunately, there are always a few that want to ruin it for the rest and this system is prone to misuse.

There are just too many people who want nothing more than the state to pay for them and make it harder for those who are in genuine need of affordable health care, trying to improve their circumstances. Although I say they can be a burden to the state, I really mean a burden to its citizens because it is the tax payer who foots the bill. My employer definitely found advantages in finding a lower cost health plan provider for their employees! All too often this happens where the only one that really benefits is the company, who seem quite happy that many of their employees will take home less. Something needs to be done in this country to offset rising costs and provide more affordable health care to those who are in need.