Right now MSN is giving an overview of problems Americans are facing.  According to NPR, the news is talking about the mortgage crisis, the stock market, and the war.  However, what is the biggest challenge facing the average american?  The answer is the rapidly rising cost of health insurance. 

This article looks at many different challenges facing Americans.  The fact that small business owners are having trouble affording any plans to offer to their employees.  Or how more someone’s insurance no longer covers their doctor’s services because they are “out of network”.  Or an elderly couple whose insurance covers 80% of all their care, but the 20% they are left with is still unaffordable.

The truth is that health insurance in 2007 rose 6.1%.  Which is definitely more than many people’s raises.  So it cuts into their lifestyle.  People are losing their lifestyle through rising costs(gas, food, etc), of which health insurance is one of the worse.

So what can people do?  What choices are out there?  Are we all looking at providing for ourselves with high deductible health plans(HDHP) or health savings accounts (HSA)?  Or will we follow everyone else and move towards a government organized, socialized system? 

I know I would not mind a socialized system. But I also know based on the career fields my DH and I have chosen, were we to continue with our current system we’d be better off.  Though our health insurance premiums in 1 year has gone up 25%, it’s still very reasonable.  And because of the field we’re in, naturally we have better coverage than most for a lot less money.