Affordable health care is becoming a concern to many Americans nowadays. Many companies are now increasing the charges, for providing this service to their workers or cutting back on the level of cover. This situation happened to me not that long ago at the company I work for when every employee's health benefits were reduced. Last fall, out of the blue, we were informed that our health care provider was going to be switched to a cheaper alternative.

They said it was necessary if all their employees were to have the same level of health care. I suppose some people are better off and perhaps I shouldn't sound ungrateful. The new insurance company may be cheaper for the company but it isn't for me because to have my husband and daughter in the plan costs double what it did with the previous provider. This means, that for my company to provide a health plan to all of the employees, it is no longer affordable for us.

I suppose my health care plan is still good but this new company is not as good as the old one. Many workers saw their paychecks reduce when this new affordable health care scheme come into force. You see, four years ago, I gave birth to a little girl and of course my old insurance paid for the whole of my hospital stay. I sat and worked out the cost of this new plan and if I were to stay in hospital now and have a baby it would cost around 4,000 dollars out of my own pocket.

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. Some people are even able to get free health care, also single mothers or families where an employment scheme isn't available are having the opportunity to join low cost plans. The problem is when a small number of people take advantage of a system that was designed for those that needed it most.

Those less well off are in need of these affordable health care schemes but they are also used by those who are intent on living of the state and do not actually contribute to society. We all have a responsibility to help those less fortunate but those who abuse the system put extra financial pressure on the rest of us. 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. In the long term we really need to do something in America to help those in need find affordable health care.