Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Self-employed workers
My dad is a succesful man. He owns his own business, a construction company that also does lots of other things. I am so proud of him for what he has built from the ground up. That being said I wish there was something that could help him out. He works hard day in and day out to provide for his family and make sure we have everything we need. I wish he could afford to have insurance on himself and my mom. He just can't pay the premiums that insurance companies ask for. I want them to be able to go to the doctor without the added stress of having to wonder how much their bills will be this time. Why can't we do something about what is going on so thateveryone can be covered equally for the same price, is that seriously too much to ask?
Monday, May 5, 2008
Healthcare, Baby Boomers, and how that effects you.
There has been a lot of talk recently about how the baby boomers are going to seriously affect hte nations situation. So I researched the impact it is intended to have on healthcare. And it isn't good. The vast majority (over 60%) have been diagnosed with a serious health condition. This can range from Cancer, Arthritis, Diabetes, Heart disease, high blood pressure, or even high cholesterol. With all of these problems you would hope that they have insurance to cover it, unfortunaltely close to 7 million of them don't and haven't had since about the age of 50. As bad as this sounds for them it is only going to get worse for everyone. By the baby boomers not having the insurance to cover all thier medical costs but still needing medical attention this means that for the future there will be more healthcare issues, unstable coverage for everyone, higher medical costs (23% of them said there had been a time when they went without the needed coverage because of the cost) which could lead to major debt problems not only for the older generation. One third of baby boomers have medical bill problems or already have debt because of their medical bills.
So we've established that there are approximately 7 million baby boomers without coverage, but what about the rest of the 70 million of them. How is there coverage? Well reports say that they do not have the right coverage. About 6% (1.8 million) of them are underinsured, so they are not going to have enough insurance if something major happens in their household.
The rising price of medical coverage and the risk of it getting even more expensive has the older generation extremely worried. Half of the workers that have an income of less than $40,000 and even 42% of the families with incomes between $40,000-$60,000 claim to be worried that they may not be able to afford coverage. Most ofthem said that they are interested in early enrollment for Medicare, which doesn't help us out at all. And they have a legitmate reason to be worried, already 55% of the familes making less than $40,000 spend 5% of that income ($2,000) on out of pocket expenses and 33% spend 10% or more ($4,000 and >).
Unbelievable, how does the Government seriously expect people to make it when we can't afford the food to feed our families or the medical coverage to help them when they are sick? I want to believe that our leaders are trying to make a difference and trying to help out the little guys, but I don't think they are. At this point all I see is that they support big business and endorse the hell out of that. They may think that it's petty that we want a change but I believe it isn't too much to ask for a little help, especially now.
So we've established that there are approximately 7 million baby boomers without coverage, but what about the rest of the 70 million of them. How is there coverage? Well reports say that they do not have the right coverage. About 6% (1.8 million) of them are underinsured, so they are not going to have enough insurance if something major happens in their household.
The rising price of medical coverage and the risk of it getting even more expensive has the older generation extremely worried. Half of the workers that have an income of less than $40,000 and even 42% of the families with incomes between $40,000-$60,000 claim to be worried that they may not be able to afford coverage. Most ofthem said that they are interested in early enrollment for Medicare, which doesn't help us out at all. And they have a legitmate reason to be worried, already 55% of the familes making less than $40,000 spend 5% of that income ($2,000) on out of pocket expenses and 33% spend 10% or more ($4,000 and >).
Unbelievable, how does the Government seriously expect people to make it when we can't afford the food to feed our families or the medical coverage to help them when they are sick? I want to believe that our leaders are trying to make a difference and trying to help out the little guys, but I don't think they are. At this point all I see is that they support big business and endorse the hell out of that. They may think that it's petty that we want a change but I believe it isn't too much to ask for a little help, especially now.
Bush's Administration and Healthcare Coverage for Children
So, I was doing some research about how the Bush administration has affected healthcare in America and I stumbled upon a disturbing fact. According to a February 2008 article published in Issue Brief President Bush rejected a bipartisan legislation that would have reauthorized the state Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and given states new tools to provide health coverage for an additional 4 million children.
However, the devastation doesn’t stop there. A new policy issued by his Administration is preventing more than 150,000 children from getting health care in states that have tried to increase CHIP coverage, and it jeopardizes health care for more than 33,000 children in 10 states and the District of Columbia who are currently insured through CHIP. His plans also include decreasing CHIP even more throughout the year 2009.
I don’t believe President Bush couldn’t have picked a worse time to take away healthcare benefits from children. As many people are fully aware there is a growing problem in American Healthcare. Many families are at risk for losing private healthcare due to cost. This rise in loss of healthcare will increase the number of children who are uninsured in America. Its one thing that adults in America can’t afford to have quality healthcare for themselves, but to take it away from defenseless children is another. It is my opinion that President Bush needs to grow a heart and take a look at the more important things in life.
However, the devastation doesn’t stop there. A new policy issued by his Administration is preventing more than 150,000 children from getting health care in states that have tried to increase CHIP coverage, and it jeopardizes health care for more than 33,000 children in 10 states and the District of Columbia who are currently insured through CHIP. His plans also include decreasing CHIP even more throughout the year 2009.
I don’t believe President Bush couldn’t have picked a worse time to take away healthcare benefits from children. As many people are fully aware there is a growing problem in American Healthcare. Many families are at risk for losing private healthcare due to cost. This rise in loss of healthcare will increase the number of children who are uninsured in America. Its one thing that adults in America can’t afford to have quality healthcare for themselves, but to take it away from defenseless children is another. It is my opinion that President Bush needs to grow a heart and take a look at the more important things in life.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
A New View...the Republican's Plans for American Healthcare Reform
Okay, so we’ve been over the plans for healthcare on the Democratic side of the fight for President. Now it’s time to switch gears and reveal that of Republican President Candidate John McCain. According to a website supporting the election of John McCain, the main concern of McCain is to restore the control of healthcare to the patients. He believes that healthcare should be available to everyone regardless of where they are employed or their amount of income.
McCain plans to use competition to improve the quality of health insurance. To do this he plans to develop a greater variety of plans that will better match the needs of America in accordance with price and portability.
He also plans to include plans that offer coverage outside of the individual’s employer. In addition to being able to purchase employer-based coverage, people will also be able to receive a direct refundable tax credit. The refund will be $2,500 for individuals and $5,000 for families. This will help to offset the cost of insurance. Families will have the ability to choose an insurance provider that best serves their needs. Those obtaining an insurance plan that costs less than the credit will be able to deposit the remainder in expanded Health Savings Accounts.
With making insurance plans more portable families will be able to move from job to job, even take an extended amount of time off work and still maintain the same health coverage.
McCain believes that when families are better aware of their choices as far as medical care goes they are more capable of making their own decisions. This allows them to decide against unnecessary treatment which would cause them more money. He will encourage the use of and expand the benefits of Health Savings Accounts. These HSA’s are very important for allowing families to take charge of what they pay for as far as healthcare is concerned.
It’s nothing new that those with pre-existing conditions have more difficulty purchasing affordable healthcare plans. He plans to develop policies that will ensure these individuals receive high-quality care.
McCain is also planning to institute a Guaranteed Access Plan (GAP) that would ensure patient access to healthcare. One reason he believes this program will be effective is that he plans to develop a non-profit organization that require a contract with insurers that will cover patients who have been denied insurance. Some positive aspects of this plan would include reasonable limits on premiums as well as assistance with cost for individuals that fall below a certain income level.
McCain has developed a set of initiatives that he believes will help to lower the cost of healthcare for American’s. He plans on lowering drug prices by instituting a higher usage of generic drugs. He also believes that by emphasizing the importance of preventative care, early intervention, healthy habits, new treatment models, new public health infrastructure as well as the use of information technology we can lower the cost for chronic disease care.
He plans to increase the use of technology in healthcare. He believes this will also help cut the costs the care provided.
As for programs such as Medicaid and Medicare, he believes that these programs should compensate providers for diagnosis, prevention and care coordination. He also believes that these programs shouldn’t pay for preventable medical errors or mismanagement.
A part of the plan that I found interesting was his plan to promote smokers to cease from their habit. This unique part of his plan encourages businesses and insurance providers to offer smoking cessation programs to their customers and employers. He believes this will help to improve the quality of life for American’s as well as decreasing the risk of chronic diseases associated with smoking.
As far as medical liability goes, he plans to pass a reform that will eliminate lawsuits directed at doctors who follow clinical guidelines and adhere to safety protocols. He believes that all patients should have the right to legal representation in the event that they receive bad treatment, however he doesn’t believe people should take advantage of it.
There are a few more incentives in his plan for healthcare in America; however, I have only touched on the main points. I believe that parts of his plan are strong and offer some positive aspects for people in America. I am very supportive of the fact that he has plans for portable healthcare plans. There are several people that I know personally who tend to change jobs quite often. Under McCain’s plan they will be able to take the same health insurance with them from job to job. This, in my opinion, could have a very positive outcome. There were also some points of weakness in my opinion. For example, he really didn’t touch on anything that completely focused on healthcare for children. I don’t believe he has developed a strong enough plan that will help to support healthcare for children in America.
Another aspect that I don’t believe McCain has touched on quite enough is healthcare being offered by small businesses. At the moment I work for a small family restaurant that doesn’t offer medical insurance or any other type of help with medical bills. It would really be helpful if they did. It is my opinion that McCain needs to develop a better plan that will cover those who work for the smaller businesses in America.
So, that pretty much wraps up the plans of the Presidential candidates as of now. What will actually happen in America as far as healthcare goes is still a mystery that will hopefully be solved soon after the new President takes office. Each of the candidates has developed certain plans that have some very strong incentives and positive aspects. However, they all have their weaknesses as well. It’s up to you to decide what is important and what’s not when it comes to healthcare.
McCain plans to use competition to improve the quality of health insurance. To do this he plans to develop a greater variety of plans that will better match the needs of America in accordance with price and portability.
He also plans to include plans that offer coverage outside of the individual’s employer. In addition to being able to purchase employer-based coverage, people will also be able to receive a direct refundable tax credit. The refund will be $2,500 for individuals and $5,000 for families. This will help to offset the cost of insurance. Families will have the ability to choose an insurance provider that best serves their needs. Those obtaining an insurance plan that costs less than the credit will be able to deposit the remainder in expanded Health Savings Accounts.
With making insurance plans more portable families will be able to move from job to job, even take an extended amount of time off work and still maintain the same health coverage.
McCain believes that when families are better aware of their choices as far as medical care goes they are more capable of making their own decisions. This allows them to decide against unnecessary treatment which would cause them more money. He will encourage the use of and expand the benefits of Health Savings Accounts. These HSA’s are very important for allowing families to take charge of what they pay for as far as healthcare is concerned.
It’s nothing new that those with pre-existing conditions have more difficulty purchasing affordable healthcare plans. He plans to develop policies that will ensure these individuals receive high-quality care.
McCain is also planning to institute a Guaranteed Access Plan (GAP) that would ensure patient access to healthcare. One reason he believes this program will be effective is that he plans to develop a non-profit organization that require a contract with insurers that will cover patients who have been denied insurance. Some positive aspects of this plan would include reasonable limits on premiums as well as assistance with cost for individuals that fall below a certain income level.
McCain has developed a set of initiatives that he believes will help to lower the cost of healthcare for American’s. He plans on lowering drug prices by instituting a higher usage of generic drugs. He also believes that by emphasizing the importance of preventative care, early intervention, healthy habits, new treatment models, new public health infrastructure as well as the use of information technology we can lower the cost for chronic disease care.
He plans to increase the use of technology in healthcare. He believes this will also help cut the costs the care provided.
As for programs such as Medicaid and Medicare, he believes that these programs should compensate providers for diagnosis, prevention and care coordination. He also believes that these programs shouldn’t pay for preventable medical errors or mismanagement.
A part of the plan that I found interesting was his plan to promote smokers to cease from their habit. This unique part of his plan encourages businesses and insurance providers to offer smoking cessation programs to their customers and employers. He believes this will help to improve the quality of life for American’s as well as decreasing the risk of chronic diseases associated with smoking.
As far as medical liability goes, he plans to pass a reform that will eliminate lawsuits directed at doctors who follow clinical guidelines and adhere to safety protocols. He believes that all patients should have the right to legal representation in the event that they receive bad treatment, however he doesn’t believe people should take advantage of it.
There are a few more incentives in his plan for healthcare in America; however, I have only touched on the main points. I believe that parts of his plan are strong and offer some positive aspects for people in America. I am very supportive of the fact that he has plans for portable healthcare plans. There are several people that I know personally who tend to change jobs quite often. Under McCain’s plan they will be able to take the same health insurance with them from job to job. This, in my opinion, could have a very positive outcome. There were also some points of weakness in my opinion. For example, he really didn’t touch on anything that completely focused on healthcare for children. I don’t believe he has developed a strong enough plan that will help to support healthcare for children in America.
Another aspect that I don’t believe McCain has touched on quite enough is healthcare being offered by small businesses. At the moment I work for a small family restaurant that doesn’t offer medical insurance or any other type of help with medical bills. It would really be helpful if they did. It is my opinion that McCain needs to develop a better plan that will cover those who work for the smaller businesses in America.
So, that pretty much wraps up the plans of the Presidential candidates as of now. What will actually happen in America as far as healthcare goes is still a mystery that will hopefully be solved soon after the new President takes office. Each of the candidates has developed certain plans that have some very strong incentives and positive aspects. However, they all have their weaknesses as well. It’s up to you to decide what is important and what’s not when it comes to healthcare.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Finishing Up the Democratic Side of the Argument...
So, here’s the deal with Obama and his plans for healthcare in America. According to a website promoting the election of Barack Obama, his plans include the ability to cover uninsured American’s. He plans on doing this by guaranteeing eligibility of coverage to all American’s. He assures that no American will be turned down because of any illness or other pre-existing conditions. This plan will cover all essential medical expenses, which also include preventative care, maternity, and mental healthcare. It will also be similar to the plan offered to the members of Congress. It will offer affordable co-pays, deductibles and premiums. His new plan will be easier to enroll in and require less paperwork. Individuals will be able to move from job to job without having their healthcare plans changed.
The National Health Insurance Exchange is another part of Obama’s plan. This plan is designed for those who want to purchase a private healthcare plan. It will make healthcare more affordable and accessible to individuals by ensuring fairness to all who are enrolled in their plans. Insurers would have to issue every applicant a policy, and charge fair and stable premiums that will not depend upon health status.
Businesses that are not currently offering healthcare plans or are not making some type of contribution towards the cost will be required to contribute a certain percentage of the payroll toward the National Health Insurance Exchange. However, smaller businesses that meet certain tax revenue thresholds will be exempt from this requirement.
Healthcare coverage for all children in America will be required. Young people under the age of 25 will be allowed to remain on their parents plans.
As for the individuals who do not qualify for programs such as Medicaid and SCHIP but still need help financially will receive a subsidy from the government that is income-based. Eligibility for these programs will be expanded.
Plans that are offered through State Plans will still be allowed to make their own rules as long as they meet the minimum standards of the National Plan.
Obama plans to help patients by implementing the requirement to utilize disease management programs. In doing this doctors will be provided with better information to help patients while patients pay lower costs. He will also require that all hospitals and other healthcare providers to publicly report such things as preventable medical errors, nurse staffing ratios, hospital-acquired infections and disparities in care.
He will ensure quality care by tackling disparities in healthcare, addressing differences in access to health coverage and promoting prevention and public health. He will strengthen anti-trust laws to prevent insurers from overcharging physicians for their malpractice insurance. He also plans to promote new models for addressing errors that improve patient safety, strengthen the doctor-patient relationship and reduce the need for malpractice suits.
Part of Obama’s plan is to increase the use of technology by making health records electronic as opposed to paper. He claims that by doing this it will cut down on healthcare costs by better coordinating care, measuring the quality of healthcare as well as medical errors.
Another plan to lower the cost is to increase the competition in the insurance and drug markets. His plan will force insurers to pay out a reasonable share of their premiums for patient care instead of keeping an excessive amount of the money they receive for profits and administrative costs. He will lower prescription drug costs as well as increase the use of generic drugs as opposed to the higher priced name brands.
Obama is very supportive of helping those with disabilities.
Obama is very supportive of mental health care. He will ensure that the coverage for serious mental illnesses is provided on the same terms and conditions as other illnesses and diseases.
My opinion over Obama’s plan is kind of fuzzy at the moment. I believe the fact that no American can be turned down regardless of their illness or pre-existing conditions is a very positive aspect of his plan. I have this opinion because it hits pretty close to home for me. As most people know by now, I am almost six months pregnant. When I found out the great news I didn’t have a job, which meant I didn’t have any health insurance. The bigger problem with this was that even if I got a job that offered insurance my maternity still wouldn’t be covered because it was pre-existing. Therefore it has been very difficult for me to receive much help as far as medical care goes.
Some weaknesses to his plan, in my opinion, are his desires to lower the eligibility of receiving Medicaid as well as not requiring small businesses to offer some type of healthcare plan. Judging by observation it is already pretty easy to get help through Medicaid as long as you don’t have a job or a family. I mean, how much more can you lower the standards? As far as the small business thing goes I don’t see that it will help much, especially around here. There are several small businesses in our area which are occupied by several types of people. Most of these people can’t afford healthcare because those who work for small businesses don’t make enough to purchase healthcare. If these businesses are exempt from offering affordable healthcare to their employees then how is that going to change anything? Those people are still going to be unable to purchase healthcare.
Okay, so we’ve made it through the plans for America on the democratic level. Next time we’ll explore that of Republican Nominee John McCain…
The National Health Insurance Exchange is another part of Obama’s plan. This plan is designed for those who want to purchase a private healthcare plan. It will make healthcare more affordable and accessible to individuals by ensuring fairness to all who are enrolled in their plans. Insurers would have to issue every applicant a policy, and charge fair and stable premiums that will not depend upon health status.
Businesses that are not currently offering healthcare plans or are not making some type of contribution towards the cost will be required to contribute a certain percentage of the payroll toward the National Health Insurance Exchange. However, smaller businesses that meet certain tax revenue thresholds will be exempt from this requirement.
Healthcare coverage for all children in America will be required. Young people under the age of 25 will be allowed to remain on their parents plans.
As for the individuals who do not qualify for programs such as Medicaid and SCHIP but still need help financially will receive a subsidy from the government that is income-based. Eligibility for these programs will be expanded.
Plans that are offered through State Plans will still be allowed to make their own rules as long as they meet the minimum standards of the National Plan.
Obama plans to help patients by implementing the requirement to utilize disease management programs. In doing this doctors will be provided with better information to help patients while patients pay lower costs. He will also require that all hospitals and other healthcare providers to publicly report such things as preventable medical errors, nurse staffing ratios, hospital-acquired infections and disparities in care.
He will ensure quality care by tackling disparities in healthcare, addressing differences in access to health coverage and promoting prevention and public health. He will strengthen anti-trust laws to prevent insurers from overcharging physicians for their malpractice insurance. He also plans to promote new models for addressing errors that improve patient safety, strengthen the doctor-patient relationship and reduce the need for malpractice suits.
Part of Obama’s plan is to increase the use of technology by making health records electronic as opposed to paper. He claims that by doing this it will cut down on healthcare costs by better coordinating care, measuring the quality of healthcare as well as medical errors.
Another plan to lower the cost is to increase the competition in the insurance and drug markets. His plan will force insurers to pay out a reasonable share of their premiums for patient care instead of keeping an excessive amount of the money they receive for profits and administrative costs. He will lower prescription drug costs as well as increase the use of generic drugs as opposed to the higher priced name brands.
Obama is very supportive of helping those with disabilities.
Obama is very supportive of mental health care. He will ensure that the coverage for serious mental illnesses is provided on the same terms and conditions as other illnesses and diseases.
My opinion over Obama’s plan is kind of fuzzy at the moment. I believe the fact that no American can be turned down regardless of their illness or pre-existing conditions is a very positive aspect of his plan. I have this opinion because it hits pretty close to home for me. As most people know by now, I am almost six months pregnant. When I found out the great news I didn’t have a job, which meant I didn’t have any health insurance. The bigger problem with this was that even if I got a job that offered insurance my maternity still wouldn’t be covered because it was pre-existing. Therefore it has been very difficult for me to receive much help as far as medical care goes.
Some weaknesses to his plan, in my opinion, are his desires to lower the eligibility of receiving Medicaid as well as not requiring small businesses to offer some type of healthcare plan. Judging by observation it is already pretty easy to get help through Medicaid as long as you don’t have a job or a family. I mean, how much more can you lower the standards? As far as the small business thing goes I don’t see that it will help much, especially around here. There are several small businesses in our area which are occupied by several types of people. Most of these people can’t afford healthcare because those who work for small businesses don’t make enough to purchase healthcare. If these businesses are exempt from offering affordable healthcare to their employees then how is that going to change anything? Those people are still going to be unable to purchase healthcare.
Okay, so we’ve made it through the plans for America on the democratic level. Next time we’ll explore that of Republican Nominee John McCain…
Bill's views on healthcare
So my favorite President is Bill Clinton, part of that is because of what he done for the country, the other part is that he was in office when I was alive. I'm not saying that there weren't other great Presidents, but I can actually remember some of the changes he made in America. Okay up until this point healthcare wasn't really an issue for the candidates, nor was it for Clinton, until he got elected. Then he and Hilary got the ball rolling. I kinda think it was more her than him, but that's a different story. The idea was to have universal coverage that was affordable to everybody. They wanted this becasue they felt that the costs that insurance companies demanded were extremely too high for what the American citizens were getting out of it. In Bill's 1992 campaign to beat George Sr. he realized that although he had not come into the race believing healthcare would be an intricate part of the race he ran, it would almost be the reason he won. He saw that reforming health care and reining in costs were integral to fixing the economy, and he also needed to take care of people's urgent needs. He and his advisers developed ideas on what should be done, here is some of the things he came up with: controlling the outrageous costs, reducing paperwork and all the red tape, making prescriptions more affordable (like the $4 ones we now have), and most importantly making sure everyone was covered. Unfortunately after all of these discussions and ideas there wasn't much that got accomplished within his time as President. K-Chip was developed though. It ensured that any child who did not have heatlhcare could now have it, it was sort of like a medical card which covered doctor's visits, prescriptions, dentists, eye doctors. Almost anything you could think of. So although he didn't accomplish everything he wanted to I would say that he did a good job with the K-Chip thing. Anything he could have done would have been an improvement over the nothing we had before. And he paved the way for future Presidents to make even more changes to the healthcare system we have. He got the ball rolling.
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