Support For Health Insurance Mandate
January 28, 2009
The health insurance has been demanding that all Americans be required to obtain coverage. This is part of the healthcare overhaul that is being planned. This idea is being promoted by a coalition of business and consumer groups and a senior senate Democrat.
According to Max Baucus, a health insurance mandate would make the market function better and reduce per person costs. According to Baucus the costs for people with no insurance is shifted to those with it and this raises costs.
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Public Health Insurance This Year: On or Off?
January 25, 2009
The biggest mystery in the health insurance world is the search for cancer cure…umm not quite, that has been relegated to number 2 in the rankings. Today the biggest mystery in health care is, Will legislation this year include a public health insurance plan. So much hinges on this question. For the insured, uninsured, government, private health insurance companies, doctors and for the exchequer.
A clue to this mystery which would have baffled Watson, if not Holmes is given by a top democrat. It seem sweeping health care bills are going to be passed. Definitely the health care plans envisaged are not going to be swept under the carpet. The bills would be crafted over the next few months aiming to pass them in the summer.
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Illegal Immigrants Not To Be Covered By Health Insurance Says Senator
January 23, 2009
The large group of undocumented immigrants would remain uncovered by the plan for universal health coverage. The cost for providing undocumented immigrants may not be directed to state and local governments. This has been put forth by the Senate Finance Committee chairman on Thursday.
Senator Baucus said at a meeting of reporters that it was too politically explosive to cover undocumented immigrants and workers. Universal health care has been set forth as a key health goal by this government. They aim to reach this goal by a mixture of incentives and mandates.
Employers Likely To Pay 9 Percent More For Health Care
January 20, 2009
Next year employers are likely to pay 9 percent more for health care. This is based on the reported projections for 2010. However the increase is slightly lower than in the previous two years. There has been an economic slowdown but medical costs are rising faster than inflation as well as wage increases.
The reason for this is that Americans are using health care services more in anticipation of a job loss and therefore their health insurance. The statistics reveal growing unemployment and lack of insurance.
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Forced Private Health Insurance?
January 18, 2009
Nicola Roxon, Federal Health Minister made an accusation that people with low incomes were being forced to pay private health insurance by the federal opposition. Malcolm Turnbull the Opposition Leader felt that everyone should have private health insurance, she said. This means that pensioners, veterans, and every family need to have private health insurance no matter what.
Former PM John Howard’s government had spent so much time in office attacking public hospitals. Now the opposition liberals were engaged in getting everyone to have private health insurance. It was made clear by the Rudd Government, that people who could afford, should contribute more. That is the health insurance news from Australia.
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Private Health Insurance: End Of The Road?
January 18, 2009
Private Health Insurance companies have made billions by unethical means, by not doing what they were supposed to be doing. Health Net is a company that is a stark example of this. Employees of this company were rewarded based on the number of individual policyholders that could be dropped from the rolls of the insured thus saving the company tons of money.
They have paid for it however in hundreds of millions of dollars in fines as well as court settlements. The man behind this scam Jay Gellert is the new chairman of America’s health insurance plans, which lobbies for private insurance companies. Private insurance companies just don’t want to compete with a public health insurance plan that would hold them accountable and keep their dealings honest.
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Child Health Coverage Expansion Recieves Nod
January 18, 2009
If you are one of those whose children need health insurance, you may be in for some solace. There are 4 mn uninsured children today in the US. The US house of reps this week voted in fovor of approving the Childrnes Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act to expand as well as renew SCHIP. SCHIP is the State Childrens Health Insurance Plan.
Now 11 mn children will be covered under SCHIP as opposed to 7 mn currently. The annual cost currently is $25 billion. Cigarette taxes will be increased by 61 percent to pay for the increase in the SCHIP costs.
Public Plan To Survive: Sebelius
January 18, 2009
Many Americans are realizing that they would be better off as far as health insurance goes if there were a public health insurance plan. As a result the insurance lobby would be unsuccessful in blocking a public plan according to Kathleen Sebelius, Health and Human Services Secretary.
The aim is not to drive health insurers out of business but to get them more competitive. The private market has been unsuccessful in giving affordable coverage to the Americans. Inspite of the opportunities the industry has had, Americans have not been served very well.
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Canadian Style Health Care and The American System
January 13, 2009
As President Obama readies to pass a highly controversial health care legislation later this year, there is a new, different angle to the opposition. There is a different kind of fight against changes to the status quo. The fight is now positioned as a fight against changes that would lead to a dysfunctional Canadian style single payer health system.
The fight against Obama’s proposed health care system says that it would result in health care rationing, poor treatment and long wait times that these people say is common in Canada. This is the campaign that is on in television advertising, cable news talk shows and congressional testimony.
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Should the uninsured lobby?
January 12, 2009
As a lobby there would be more members in a group of uninsured people than AARP. There are a considerably large number of them around. Health insurance or rather the lack of it is a choice for some, a personal issue and often a misfortune. When people lose health insurance their struggle is often a personal one, instead of one intended to spur political action.
During immigration debates, illegal immigrants have rallied in Washington, however the uninsured have shown a surprising lack of will. This may have very deep repercussions. Guaranteeing coverage for everyone will cost hundreds of billions of dollars and tough decisions.
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U.S. Women Are Uninsured/Underinsured
January 12, 2009
Many U.S. women have been found to be either uninsured or underinsured. They are also plagued by problems of medical debt according to a new report. The Commonwealth Fund report further states that 7 per 10 working women had either inadequate or no coverage.
The report deals with the reasons for women forgoing health care. More women say the reason is due to costs than men. Families may have a choice between health insurance payment and mortgage and credit card debt.
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The Great Health Reform Debate
January 11, 2009
This is just the beginning of the debate over health care reform. The initial bone of contention is whether a Medicare like public plan should compete with private insurers.
According to the Democratic party a public health plan is the only solution to a market that has been private for so long and has not delivered affordable and quality care. The Republican right thinks this will lead to higher taxes and a rationing of health care.
In the Medicare fee for service plan there is no attempt to manage and coordinate care or pay for that care based on the quality. If this is the public option then it is not a good idea and a step in the wrong direction.
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The Search Is On For The Best Health Plan
January 11, 2009
High level discussions are happening among the senators about a new government health plan that is in the offing. The focus as of now is three different plans that midddle income Americans could buy into. Some congressional officials say that deliberations are on in the next week, most likely on these plans.
Details of the plans have not been released. The issue under discussion is of great importance. The downturn in the economy is being looked to be countered by these health plans. Dealing with the uninsured, redoing the health system and controlling costs are all the subject of discussion.
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All Americans Insured Is A Possibility Without A Significant Spending Increase
January 11, 2009
If you carefully analyze Obama’s proposal for health care, you will realise that it is possible to see all Americans insured without a major rise in spending. 15 percent of Americans amounting to 46 million people do not have health insurance. Americans pay more money per person for health care than other industrialized countries. Notwithstanding this, Americans have poorer health, encounter more medical mistakes and also are more unhappy with their health care services than other industrialized countries.
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Obama To Skeptics – "Health Care Overhaul Is Affordable"
January 8, 2009
Many skeptics say that the health care legislation being put forward by President Obama this year will cost $1 Trillion or more. Obama is seeking to allay these fears. In the next 10 days details of plans would be given out. These plans would pay for the bulk of the new health care system. Obama has recently called for $200 bn to $300 bn in savings for the Medicare and Medicaid programs for the elderly and the poor.
The aim is that a revamp of the healthcare system will not add substantially to the budget deficit and hurt the economy. Meanwhile closed door meetings are on for the bill that will be out by August if Obama has his way. In the coming weeks, things will heat up and the administration will go all out to ensure that health care reform happens.
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