Health Care Reform: A Subject That Raises Lofty Goals, Which Should Provide Cheaper Health Care For
August 26th, 2010 -- Posted in 772 | No Comments »
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Health Care For Illegal Aliens – Is it an Inalienable Right?
August 21st, 2010 -- Posted in News And Society | No Comments »
At a time when health care reform is causing a controversial debate, an anti-immigration group, The Federation for American Immigration Reform, correctly points out that illegal aliens could participate in the proposed national health insurance exchange.
This insurance exchange compares health insurance plans and informs everyone which is the most economical for them with the features that are most desired by them. In many ways it is comparable to Progressive for Car insurance. Included in the cost and feature comparison would be the new government-run plan, instituted to compete with the private sector.
It is interesting to note that illegal immigrants would be paying for their own insurance albeit the public plans just like everyone else according to Politifact.com. That is really no different than what is currently in place where illegal aliens can purchase private insurance. The difference is that aliens would not get the “premium credits” which are supposedly in place to compete with and lower the current private insurance policies.
Same Problem-Different Place
Immigrants are similarly censured in other nations. Illegal immigrants in European Union countries have been denied access to publicly funded health care and the care is limited to trauma, emergencies or conditions that pose a risk to those around them.
Article 35 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (2000) identifies everyone ’s right to preventative health care and the right to medical treatment but certain limitations were placed on this according to nationality and migration status.
In Great Britain, aliens are not charged for hospital care including emergency room visits or admissions to the hospital. However, inpatient or outpatient treatment can be charged to the nonresident with the exception of a communicable disease.
In Spain, only obstetrics, and emergency room visits as well as admissions are available to all, in concurrence with international human rights treaties. Since January 2000 with the passing of Organic Law #8, illegal immigrants are fully entitled to the same health care as citizens as long as they register. Unregistered aliens are covered if they are minors under 18.
The Italian National Health Plan provides universal coverage for everyone, free of charge, functioning under the tenet of human dignity (i.e. health care is a right for everyone in need) Illegal immigrants here may enjoy the same rights if they fill out a governmental form denying sufficient financial resources.
In the Netherlands, healthcare need is determined to be urgent or needed by the healthcare provider. Discriminatory attitudes may subconsciously influence the inability to then have access to health care.
While the whole issue is controversial and the debate is heated here in the United States, you must ask to consider the following scenarios. Should aliens who have an extreme infection be allowed to suffer and die for wont of money to seek medical treatment? Wouldn’t that put ordinary citizens at risk from exposure and contagion? In the European Union countries
Could you ignore someone on the street with fractures or in serious pain just because you are afraid they are vying for the same tax dollars to pay for medical care?
As long as people are allowed to stay within our borders, we must maintain our “humanness” and civility for without it, we are a doomed society and reverting to animal status.
By: Barbara Hales
10 Things Pre-Boomers Need From Health Care Reform
August 15th, 2010 -- Posted in Insurance | No Comments »
With several bills coming out of both houses of congress, the health care discussion appears to be far from over even though the administration wants legislation signed this year. The politics of reform are intensifying each passing day. Therefore, without regard to party affiliation, I’ve tried to identify key points for pre-boomers to consider when it comes to health care reform.
The following 10 points are in no particular order. And, I purposely do not take into consideration what other age or demographic groups may want or need. As a pre-boomer, I believe the items listed below are, or should be, the deal breakers in any health care bill offered to my generation (those born between 1930 and 1945).
1. Ability to keep current doctor(s) and be able to visit them as needed.
2. Assurance of complete and consistent health care until death.
3. Portability of insurance, because seniors do move.
4. Coverage will not be given other groups at the expense of seniors.
5. Allow competition among insurance companies so premium costs can be lower.
6. Insurance companies cannot cancel secondary coverage no matter what.
7. No extra premiums or denials for pre-existing conditions.
8. Any reform must be deficit neutral to keep taxes from going up.
9. Test proposed plan elements rather than initiate immediate, sweeping changes.
10. Eliminate Medicare and Medicaid waste, fraud and abuse, as promised.
Reducing Medicare and Medicaid funding by over $600 billion in order to provide insurance for those currently not covered is not going to fly with most new seniors, certainly not this one. Don’t you wonder how many people are truly uninsured because they can’t afford the premiums or have pre-existing conditions versus those who, for whatever reason, choose not to buy insurance or are here illegally?
The notion that more than a half a trillion dollars in saving can be achieved by reducing waste, fraud and abuse is highly questionable. And if it were true, why didn’t the government take steps to realize these savings before the current debate heated up? So someone needs to identify the problems and fix them now.
There have been many implied promises but no guarantees that seniors will not be placed on some kind of rationing or other changes which result in reducing the quality of our health care in the years ahead. So we must be skeptical until the details are revealed.
In the meantime, keep the pressure on our representatives in Washington. Ask how they intend to deal with the above 10 points, plus any others you can think of. If we are respectfully persistent with questions, maybe the politicians will get the idea that pre-boomers are serious about our health care coverage. However, should they not be responsive to our needs, then we don’t need them any more. And we’ll vote for someone who is willing to listen to the generation of new seniors.
By: Don Potter
Health care reform opponents look to courts to stop it once reform becomes law
August 11th, 2010 -- Posted in 684 | No Comments »
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Personal Health Care Reform – 4 Ways You Can Improve Your Health Care Now
August 10th, 2010 -- Posted in Health And Fitness | No Comments »
While the national debate on health care reform continues, many of us have probably forgotten that there are still many ways that we can take health care into our own hands. And while the debate outside our homes centers around care once we are ill, here are 4 ways we can stay focused on preserving our health while we are well, which will have a direct and positive impact on your own health and well being.
Take What You Eat Seriously–Read the ingredients on the package. Try avoiding products that contain long ingredients with incredible spellings that are impossible to pronounce.
Opt for fresh foods rather than those with chemicals added to keep them fresh. Organic foods are best because chemicals are not used in any part of the process that gets it to your table. And the food just tastes better too.
This new way of eating may mean more frequent trips to the market, but eating food that taste good and is good for you is one of life’s joys that should not be missed. When fresh foods are impossible choose frozen products rather than canned as many canned foods are high in salt.
Choose Natural Products–Make the “go green” a way of life. This may take a while to accomplish, but as they say, Rome was not built in a day. Opt for vinegar and water and other natural products to clean. Use environmentally friendly lawn products that won’t contaminate ground water. Use natural pesticides rather than those that are chemically based.
There are many websites available with great ideas and products that are just as effective and better for everyone health. You’re probably thinking you don’t have time to invent the wheel, and you won’t have to if you do just a little research on the vast number of green products on the market today. Get your children to help. They’ll love dragging you to the cutting edge of eco-friendly living.
Take Good Preventative Care–Go for annual checkups and have the mammogram, Pap smear, prostate, blood pressure, blood work, weight, cholesterol, eyes, and heart and lung examinations done. Yes they are inconvenient to schedule and are often way more than a pain in the neck, but a good offense still remains the best defense when protecting your health.
Clear the Air–All of the suggestions mentioned so far are great, but if you can’t breathe none of them will make a difference. The importance of keeping the air that you breathe clean cannot be underestimated. The amount and quality of oxygen your body receives directly impacts everything else you do.
Because our homes are so well insulated, airborne pollutants such as household dust, mold and mildew spores, dust mites, pet dander, bacteria, and viruses become trapped with no way out. Filtering the air with a high efficiency particle arresting (often referred to as a HEPA) air purifier is the only effective way to constantly provide you and your family with air that is truly fresh.
Cleaning your air with constant filtration keeps your lungs clear and lessens the chance of respiratory conditions such as asthma and allergies, and helps those in your home who may already have conditions that these airborne triggers aggravate. It is incredibly cheap insurance for good health.
By: Debbie Davis
Universal Health Care – Ethical Issues in Health Care Reform
August 9th, 2010 -- Posted in 612 | No Comments »
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Low Income Health Care Reform: How Working Families are impacted
July 30th, 2010 -- Posted in 708 | No Comments »
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Health Care For Golden Boomers
July 29th, 2010 -- Posted in Home And Family | No Comments »
The Baby Boomer generation is about to become the Golden Boomer generation. For the most part these Americans are active and healthy as they enter their golden years, but they may be hard pressed to find healthcare providers and health professionals that are able to meet the demands of the large numbers that are becoming eligible for Medicare and becoming a growing burden on an already over-taxed healthcare system.
To top it off, now they have to worry about ObamaCare and a questionable economy that has put them all at risk of being unable to enjoy their retirement to its fullest. Add to that the increase in life expectancy and the number of relatively older American citizens will continue to multiply. And while the numbers of the aged continue to rise, the number of geriatricians, those who take care of the elderly, is declining, which may possibly result in a healthcare crisis for our aging Baby Boomers that will be intolerable.
So, what is the answer to this looming problem? How in the world can Boomers expect to deal with these growing problems when the policy makers have waited far too long to address a failing healthcare system, only to ram it down America’s throats in a desperate effort to keep a campaign promise? Did anyone hear anything in regard to ObamaCare about how the needs of an aging America will be met? We obviously need to at least train the healthcare workforce in the needs of an aging populace, but how do you make that happen when so many doctors will suffer the negative repercussions of health care reform? How do you keep doctors from leaving and how do you attract new doctors, when those who have depended upon the Medicare system, and have therefore catered to the elderly, are faced with a decline in Medicare reimbursement? Instead of an increase in geriatricians, Boomers can expect to see a marked decrease in the number of specialists in this area, which is already mightily stressed and understaffed.
Unfortunately, with the advent of the new health care bill, the future is unpredictable when it comes to medical care for the Golden Boomers. They can only hope that with the coming elections their representatives in congress will hear their pleas and will understand that as this remarkably substantial number of Americans age and as their health fails that the economy of this United States may fail right along with the Boomers. The number of Boomers is not insignificant, nor have their numbers ever been so. They have shaped the world and the decline of the U.S. population of Boomers, if that is allowed to happen, will also be felt worldwide.
By: Joseph Stutzman
What President Obama’s Health Care Reform Will Mean to You
July 23rd, 2010 -- Posted in Insurance | No Comments »
One thing we do know is that nothing will be certain unless and until Congress agrees on and approves final legislation, and President Obama signs it into law. Under current proposals most health care reforms would not occur until 2013. So, if you’ve been waiting for healthcare reform to go into effect before applying for new coverage, you may have a very long wait.
How Might Health Insurance Reform Affect You?
Individual and Family insurance will not go away
All the reform proposals include the continuation of Individual & Family Health Insurance, Short -Term Health Insurance, and Small Business Health Insurance.
o Health problems
All of the proposals would prohibit insurance companies from denying coverage based on pre-existing health conditions. This means anyone – regardless of their health status – would qualify for coverage.
o Coverage may be mandatory
To prevent people from waiting until they get sick before they buy insurance, there likely will be a requirement that everyone have coverage or pay a penalty for going without.
o Medical insurance will not be free
Although all the proposals seek ways to lower the overall cost of health care in our country, this does not necessarily mean that health insurance would cost less for everyone. However, in the event that a more affordable public, non-profit or private option becomes available in the future, you may cancel any plan purchased and buy the less expensive option. In reality, increased competition from either a public option or a non-profit co-op would likely result in your current insurance company lowering your rates in an effort to keep you as a customer.
o These changes will take time
If enacted, this legislation will not be implemented overnight – in fact, most healthcare reforms would not take effect until 2013 at the earliest. If a public option is included in final legislation, it would be like starting a new national insurance company from scratch. The writing of the various contracts, accumulation of the needed reserves and staffing alone will take years to complete.
o Don’t wait four years for reform to protect your health and financial security
If you have been holding off on purchasing health insurance for yourself and your family hoping that healthcare reform will create lower premiums, you will have a long wait. Protect yourself and your family from the risk of financial ruin by purchasing health insurance now. If in three or four years health care reform succeeds in providing coverage at lower costs you can cancel your existing coverage and purchase the less expensive plans.
For those of you currently uninsured because you have been unable to qualify due to a pre-existing medical condition, this legislation is good news. You will soon be able to get the coverage you need as private insurance companies will move quickly to try and capture this market.
By: Robert McMackin
