Health Care – The Middle Class Nightmare
July 27th, 2010 -- Posted in 794 | No Comments »
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Health Care vs. the Lower Middle Class
June 28th, 2010 -- Posted in News And Society | No Comments »
For many Americans, health insurance is a medical necessity and without it, many Americans would be left with medical bills that are too expensive to pay. Most people would agree that without some form of health insurance, purchasing prescription drugs would not be possible. Many Americans, such as those with diabetes cannot survive without certain prescription medications.
The upper middle and upper class citizens are generally able to afford health care, often times without needing health insurance and lower class Americans are able to obtain health care through organizations such as Medicaid, which usually pay for over-all incurred medical expenses.
So who did we leave out of this mix of American society? The lower middle class Americans who “fall between the cracks” of obtaining the quality health care they need.
Why can’t many lower middle class Americans afford quality health care? To provide an adequate answer to this question, we first need to define the American class system in terms of socioeconomics and its relationship to health insurance and the general health care system.
The working class or middle class is defined as a group of people who make up about 33% (the majority) of the population and bring home an average yearly income of $30K to $50K per year. The upper middle class also averages $55K to about $155K annually.
Compare those figures to the upper class, which make up only 2% of the population and contribute $155K to billions per year. (Source: [http://www.alamedasoc-tripod.com/handouts/soc2/Slides_Pt_2_Soc2.doc]). One can clearly see that there is a large economic gap between the classes and that income in part plays a significant role as to why many lower middle class Americans cannot afford quality health insurance or health care.
Another contributing factor as to why many working class Americans cannot afford health care is due to the continued rising costs of over-all health care. Total health care costs, including insurance premiums have gone up drastically since 2001 and many employers are “sticking” the additional associated health insurance costs to their employees.
While many working class Americans are presented with health insurance opportunities, (usually through employment) many cannot afford the high monthly and sometimes yearly premiums associated with a health insurance plan. Other working class citizens are able to afford the insurance premiums, but are unable to take advantage of a health care plan because such a large percentage of their monthly or yearly income is set aside to pay for health insurance. This leaves many Americans left with the dilemma of making a choice between basic necessities such as paying for a monthly mortgage note, groceries or health insurance.
In essence, American society has created and contributed to a highly flawed health care system that caters to the rich, cares for the poor, yet excludes the largest percentage of its population. As a society, we need to develop new ways of coping with the changes and rising costs in our health care system and develop a method that allows the lower middle class to receive the quality health care they deserve without going penniless.
This may require a change in the American healthcare system itself or quite possibly, a change within government medical aid. Either way, one thing is certain: Without the basic necessities of life, including quality healthcare, the working class over time is sure to crumble.
By: Laura Humphries
The Increasingly Decaying State of Health Care in America
June 27th, 2010 -- Posted in Insurance | No Comments »
The rising cost of health insurance has been putting an increasingly unsustainable burden on individuals and families. Each year as premiums go up, employers are less able to contribute as much without putting a strain on the budget.
This is especially true of small and medium sized businesses, many of whom offer no contribution to health insurance premiums, forcing any employee who wants it to pay the full amount of their employer’s “discounted” rate. Since for smaller companies the premium can be well over $1,000 per month for family coverage, health insurance is out of reach for many middle class and virtually all lower class citizens.
Health care costs are rising faster than at any other time in their history. In 2007, health insurance premiums increased 6.1 percent, more than double the rate of inflation. Just in the last few years, workers are paying over $1,400 more per year for family coverage today than they did in 2000.
The average annual cost for family coverage of health insurance hit $12,100 that same year. Without an employer contribution, this put coverage out of reach for most families.
An inability to afford commercial health insurance drives many people to government programs such as Medicaid, Medicare, CHIP, and others. According to the government, these social programs are putting a strain on federal budgets as spending on health care has increased substantially over the last several decades — from five percent of GDP in 1964 to more than 16 percent by 2007. A federal study has indicated that the burden on the economy is not sustainable.
Both major parties in the government have ideas for ways to solve the health care problems in America. As you hit the polls to elect a new president or house representatives, be sure to take a good hard look at their policies and plans for health care.
There are many proposed solutions, and not all of them will improve the current situation. Be aware, and be informed when you place your vote.
By: Billings Farnsworth
Health Care Reform – Penalties For Government Officials Who Lie
June 25th, 2010 -- Posted in Insurance | No Comments »
Democrats are pushing health care reform. Bills are being crafted behind closed doors and despite the President’s campaign promise that debates would take place on C-Span and that all proposed legislation would be posted on the internet for at least 72 hours before a vote so that the public could read the bill, nobody knows the details of what will actually be voted on.
The stimulus bill was handled in the same way. There was no time to read the bill before it was voted into law.
What happens if health care reform is passed and medicare is actually cut by billions of dollars? Congress and the President claim that won’t happen.
What happens if health care reform is passed and taxes are raised on the middle class? The President promised that won’t happen and the he won’t sign a bill unless it is ‘deficit neutral’.
What happens if a ‘Public Option’ is passed and instead of promoting competition as promised, it actually results in a single-payer system that runs the private sector out-of-business?
Well, there is a simple solution. Simply include a paragraph in the bill that provides the following:
1. All Senators and Representatives who vote for a bill that results in medicare cuts, increased taxes or a single-payer system will be ineligible to run for re-election;
2. A President who signs a bill into law that results in medicare cuts, increased taxes or a single-payer system will be ineligible to run for re-election;
3. All politicians who vote or sign such a bill into law will lose all Federal benefits and pensions;
4. If it can be proved that any individual politician knew or should have known that representations regarding medicare, taxes or the public option were false, such misrepresentations would be a felony subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, a jail term of no less than 1 year.
A simple solution to a complex problem…make the politicians accountable. A link to the bill follows:
http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h3200/show
By: Michael Birzon