Medical Membership for the Older Workforce: Why Is It Important?
People today can expect to live longer. Many countries are experiencing population growth in terms of size and proportion of older persons. Even the WHO (World Health Organization) estimates that by 2030, one in six people worldwide will be 60 years or older.
People living longer is great, but what is not great is the impact of the accumulation of a wide range of cellular and molecular damage over time. Such effects can lead to a gradual decrease in mental and physical capacity, increased risk of disease, and ultimately, death.
As people age, they become more at risk for diseases like high blood pressure, diabetes, osteoarthritis, and mesothelioma (learn more about this rare disease from MesotheliomaGroup.com). Another way to help manage the medical costs of these diseases is by getting medical membership.
If you’re a middle-aged or elderly worker, what benefits can you get from having medical membership? Why should you even consider getting one?
This article discusses the benefits that older workers can get from having medical membership but also includes explores the reasons why getting a medical membership is essential for older workers.
Read on to learn more about the benefits of medical membership and why the older workforce should consider getting one.
The Benefits of Medical Membership on the Older Workforce
Some organizations provide group health insurance for their workers as part of the employment package. In some cases, these policies’ coverage can extend to the employees’ direct family.
But if the employer doesn’t offer such coverage, what alternatives do employees, including elderly workers, have?
One excellent alternative is medical membership.
Members can gain access to medical care and services at a discount through medical membership. Such a program can help the uninsured, underinsured, and those with high-cost insurance policies access health services for a low cost. Not only can medical membership benefit an indiviual, but also medical memberships can be used for families. Parents can put their children on a medical membership program.
Through ProHealth Medical Membership (PMM), members can receive basic healthcare coverage for various conditions like:
- Colds
- Fever
- Flu
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Anxiety
- Arthritis or joint pain
- Acute and chronic conditions
For those without affordable healthcare or insurance, a medical membership may be right for you.
Another benefit of medical membership is that healthcare providers can spend less time filling out insurance paperwork. This benefit gives these providers more time to attend to their patients.
Medical membership also provides members an alternative insurance coverage with free or discounted healthcare services.
One study showed that continuous insurance coverage could lead to fewer deaths before age 65.
This finding suggests that as an insurance alternative, medical membership can contribute to lower death rates and improve health status.
Medical membership also provides substantial flexibility for provider-patient communication because providers no longer need to figure out how to bill the patient.
In other words, it’s a win for the provider and patient.
But that’s not all. Because of its relatively low cost, medical membership can be a practical alternative for uninsured individuals who want to be covered or whose policies have high deductibles.
Some health insurance plans have many inclusions and, thus, have higher premiums. For elderly or low-income workers, such costs can be challenging to maintain.
Through medical membership, older members can access various medical services without digging too deep into their pockets.
For low-income or older workers who still want to explore their options, the following insurance programs can provide medical coverage sufficient for their budget and needs:
- Medicare: This program is a federal health insurance service for people 65 or older. Medicare is also appropriate for people with specific disabilities or end-stage renal disease (ESRD).
- Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage: This program provides Medicare members with prescription drug coverage. All members are eligible for this coverage, but they must apply for a Medicare-approved insurance company plan.
Each plan’s costs and covered drugs can vary, so interested seniors must review these variables before applying.
- Medicaid: This plan is a joint federal and state program offering Americans free or low-cost health coverage. Elderly, low-income, or disabled individuals can qualify for Medicaid.
Benefits vary from state to state, but most program coverages include behavioral health, dental care, hospice benefits, telemedicine, and other mandatory benefits.
Why Do Older Workers Need Medical Membership?
As people age, they become more exposed to the risk of developing age-related diseases. These health conditions include:
- Cardiovascular diseases
- Diabetes
- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Osteoarthritis (breakdown of cartilage in the joints)
Getting a medical membership covering these diseases can help ease the financial burden of hospitalization for these conditions.
Older people should also be concerned about the rise in diseases. In many urban areas with relatively high progress, people are often exposed to pollution and other unhealthy lifestyle issues. Additionally, those living in suburban and rural areas can experience these risks. In these situations, the probability of contracting diseases can increase.
By purchasing medical membership, senior citizens can receive free or discounted medical services if they get sick, but also these citizens can go to the clinic to prevent sickness, for example getting the flu shot.
To apply for PMM, fill out the member application form and pay the required membership fees.
Aside from gaining coverage for basic healthcare services upon approval, you can also gain access to a worldwide network of licensed medical specialists and professionals.
For more information about medical membership or other ProHealth services, fill out the online contact form or visit ProHealth’s walk-in clinics at Pensacola, Florida, or Gulf Breeze, Florida.
References
- Ageing and health
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ageing-and-health
- Health Insurance and Health at Age 65: Implications for Medical Care Spending on New Medicare Beneficiaries
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1702516/
- What health insurance programs are available for aging and/or low-income people?
- Benefits
https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/benefits/index.html
- Age-Related Diseases and Clinical and Public Health Implications for the 85 Years Old and Over Population
