If you frequently check any world news, or social media websites, your feed has likely been crowded with posts and articles about Ebola. Ebola is a deadly and contagious virus that has begun to spread across the world due to an outbreak in Liberia. One effect of Ebola that few have chosen to focus on is its effect on insurance!<\/p>\n
A few treatment centers across the U.S. have been threatened with Ebola already. These locations include Dallas, Atlanta, and Los Angeles. Patients are contagious after they begin to show symptoms, which increase the worry for a nation-wide, epidemic. The man who was treated in Dallas lacked health insurance. However, he was still treated to ensure the virus did not continue to spread in America. His medical bills totaled 500,000 after his death earlier this month. It is issues like these that raise concern for what will happen to the health insurance industry if Ebola continues to pose a threat to our country.<\/p>\n
The Insurance Information Institute has recently issued a statement regarding the potential insurance problems that could be caused by an Ebola outbreak. Currently, many of the individuals sick with Ebola in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea do not have any form of health insurance. With this being said, there has been very little affect over the global economy thus far. On the other hand, almost 33% of Americans have life insurance. If tens of thousands of Americans become hospitalized due to Ebola, insurers could take a very hard hit. Almost every aspect of insurance could be affected by an Ebola epidemic.<\/p>\n