Posts Tagged - ‘medical insurance’

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »
Post border

Optometrists Donated To Medical Insurance Reform Backers

Thursday, February 18th, 2010

(Image: Plutor under CC 2.0)

2009 was an eventful year for the health care industry. Political action committees (PACs) gave an especially large amount of donations to politicians who supported their views on potential changes to the American health insurance system. The top 15 alone increased their giving by 14% over the last non-election year, for a total of $11.7 million.

About $800,000 of that came from the American Optometric Association PAC, one-fifth of it in November alone. The vast majority of the vision doctors’ funds were steered towards Democrats. Their influence likely paid off in a favorable provision in both House and Senate legislation: medical insurance plans would no longer be allowed to restrict optometry care access. As a result, more business would be steered towards them.

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Health Insurance Blog, News | No Comments »

Post border
Post border

Health Insurance Reform Drug Lobbyist Jumps Sinking Ship

Thursday, February 18th, 2010

(Image: cliff1066 under CC 2.0)

Recently, PhRMA (Pharmaceutical Researchers and Manufacturers of America) CEO and President Billy Tauzin announced that he is going to quit his job. What does that mean for healthcare reform? Well, PhRMA is the largest lobbying group for the prescription drug industry. The cost of health insurance is driven up partially by the high cost of brand name drugs.

The Obama administration’s healthcare reform efforts will probably suffer even more with Tauzin’s resignation. Big Pharma was one of the key early supporters of the Democratic legislation, in somewhat of a surprise. PhRMA, whose members include major drug companies like Merck and Pfizer, agreed to $80 billion worth of discounts on their products over the next decade–in exchange for potential access to millions of potential consumers who would then have affordable health insurance.

Such back-room dealings prior to Congress beginning its negotiations last year were controversial. Politicians in both parties were skeptical of getting in bed with the industry, and the $26 million the lobbying group spent last year appears to have been for naught. There are rumors that Tauzin (a former Congressman with bipartisan connections) was forced out due to his political miscalculation. Any scaled back medical insurance legislation that may pass now will have less in it for the drug companies, but may still expect their concessions.

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Health Insurance Blog, Reform & Regulation | No Comments »

Post border
Post border

Health Bill still Following Republicans

Wednesday, February 17th, 2010

President Obama plans to show Republicans the same health bill they’ve been rejecting for months at an upcoming health summit. Mr. Obama wants lawmakers to use the current house and senate passed bills as a starting point for the health bill discussion. The meeting is set to bring Republicans and Democrats together. The President has said he wants both sides to discuss their opinions and ideas about the health bill at the summit, to come together on a comprehensive health bill.

Republicans agree the health system needs some changes and that medical insurance should be more affordable. However, they have been very open in their opposition to the current health bills. House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, have said the current health bills should be scrapped and that any negotiation should start with a blank slate.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius says the current bills incorporate many ideas from Republicans including a special pool for people with pre-existing conditions, more affordable health insurance for young and healthy individuals, and allowing consumers to shop for health coverage across state lines.

The health bill may soon be accessible for all to see. Mr. Obama said he envisioned posting a merged House-Senate bill that would address his goals of controlling costs and expanding coverage. “Now, we have a package, as we work through the differences between the House and the Senate, and we’ll put it up on a Web site for all to see over a long period of time, that meets those criteria, meets those goals,’’ the president said.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Health News, News, Reform & Regulation | No Comments »

Post border
Post border

Grandparents role in Childhood Obesity

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010

Children who are looked after by their grandparents are receiving an overwhelming amount of love and apparently an overwhelming amount of food too. A new study report published in the International Journal of Obesity, found that kids who are looked after by their grandparents are more likely to be overweight than kids cared for by childminders or parents.

The study was based on data from 12,000 children. Researchers discovered that, compared with kids cared for solely by their parents, kids looked after by grandparents part-time, were 15% more likely to be overweight. When grandparents were full-time carers, the chance of a child being overweight went up by 34%.

When children start gaining extra weight it may seem innocent enough with most parents calling it baby fat. But, there is nothing minor about the childhood obesity rate; the issue has become a national epidemic. According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey of 2007, nearly half of US children are either overweight or obese. A team of US doctors is urging parents to start screening children at a younger age and note that children with weight problems become overweight before age two. The critical period for preventing childhood obesity is in the first two years of life and for many by three months of age. Having good health insurance is key to keeping children in good health. This will ensure children have access to regular checkups and medical advice.

The study did not examine the reason children who are cared for by grandparents are often fatter. However, some believe it’s because grandparents are more indulgent with snacks and other high calorie foods while parents are often more knowledgeable about healthy eating. This is such an important issue because kids who are overweight are more likely to develop health problems such as diabetes and heart disease. The cost of medical insurance will also be affected for those who are overweight. Health insurance companies often view overweight individuals as a greater risk and will increase the cost of health coverage.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Health News, Healthy Living, News | No Comments »

Post border
Post border

H1N1 Virus Quietly Claiming Lives

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010

Talk of the H1N1 virus seems to have simmered down recently, but the reality is the virus is still very much alive, and has already claimed thousands of lives. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) have confirmed that 2,498 people have died from the virus. However, they believe there are many more unreported H1N1 deaths. The agency estimates that between 8,330 and 17,160 people actually have died from H1N1.

It is challenging to get an accurate look of the number of flu cases in the US because many people with flu don’t have affordable health insurance and many don’t seek medical care and only a small number of those are tested. More people who are hospitalized or die of flu-related causes are tested and reported, but under-reporting of hospitalizations and deaths often happens. For this reason CDC monitors influenza activity levels and trends and virus characteristics through a nationwide surveillance system and uses statistical modeling to estimate the burden of flu illness (including hospitalizations and deaths) in the United States.

The virus is not over yet, it’s expected to continue for several months. CDC officials are recommending everyone get the flu vaccination especially those over the age of 65 because they are at higher risk of serious complications. If you do not have medical insurance it’s important to get coverage. In the event that you fall sick, health coverage will ensure you receive needed care. However, flu vaccines to protect against 2009 H1N1 are widely available even without health insurance.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Health News, Healthy Living, News | No Comments »

Post border
Post border

Autism Babies Linked to Older Moms

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

Researchers have made new discoveries about what is causing some children to develop autism. A new study found mothers older than 40 were about 50 per cent or 1.51 times more likely to have a child with autism than mothers aged 25 to 29; the risk for fathers older than 40 was 36 per cent higher than for men in their late 20s. Although the fathers age can be a contributing factor a mothers age is far more relevant.

Researchers have been perplexed with autism for some time now. Some scientists have linked the disorder to different factors including child vaccinations, environmental toxins, heredity and genetics. However, they have not found any single cause for autism. Even mothers with adequate medical insurance can find themselves in this position.

According to the Autism Society, autism is a pervasive development disorder that affects between 1 in 100 and 1 in 110 children in the US. It starts before the age of 3 and is characterized by repetitive and restricted behaviors and deficiency in social skills and communication and is thought to be linked to abnormal brain development that probably starts in the womb.

Researchers still need to figure out what it is about older parents that puts their children at greater risk for autism and other adverse outcomes, so they can we can begin helping those mothers who are at risk. In the meantime, health professional suggest mothers said it’s important to note that the increased risks are small and that most babies born to older mothers do not develop autism.

Researchers said the overall low risk for autism “may be the most important take-home message especially for prospective parents. However, expecting mothers who have health insurance get better care during their pregnancy, and have a much better chance of delivering a healthy baby. It is essential that all expecting mothers have adequate access to doctors for health advice and care.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Individual, News | No Comments »

Post border
Post border

Google: Broadband Good for Health Care

Monday, February 8th, 2010

(Image: dullhunk under CC 2.0)

An increasingly popular trend in health care is the virtual doctor’s visit. Blue Cross Blue Shield health insurance has pioneered one such program in Hawaii. Patients will be able to consult with their doctors more conveniently. In addition, experts will be more accessible–especially to those living in far-flung rural areas. Medical insurance companies are fans of the trend because it has the potential to cut overhead costs. Meanwhile, many patient advocates believe the virtual visit can improve the quality of care.

Google policy analyst Derek Slater also thinks that online consultations could change the face of the medical insurance system of the United States. However, it will be nearly impossible for them to take effect without improved broadband infrastructure. The U.S. has fallen behind many other developed nations in our speed and access to broadband Internet. Slater thinks that health care will see improved efficiency if those improvements are made. It is a potential avenue for cost savings in healthcare reform, while spurring job creation due to the needed construction of broadband lines.

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Group, Health Insurance Blog, News | No Comments »

Post border
Post border

Dear Mr. President, Explain your Health Bill

Monday, February 8th, 2010

Mr. President, please tell us what your health bill is all about. This seems to be what the public is calling for. Many are down right confused about exactly how he plans to make medical insurance more affordable and how his plan will lower surging healthcare costs. Opposing views and political pundits have blurred the lines between what’s real in the more than 200-page bill and what’s not. However, President Obama seems to be standing by while the opportunity to explain and pass the bill goes by.

Ordinary Americans without the power to change the law aren’t the only ones waiting for President Obama to explain the health bill, Congressional leaders are frustrated too. Senator Al Franken apparently recently laid into White House senior adviser David Axelrod during a tense, closed-door session with Senate Democrats.

Franken criticized Axelrod for the administration’s failure to provide clarity or direction on bringing affordable health insurance and the other big bills it wants Congress to enact.

President Obama has pushed for more transparency where the health bill is concerned. He has also called for a public debate on healthcare reform for Americans hear Republicans and Democrats ideas. “If we can go step-by-step through a series of these issues and arrive at some agreements then procedurally, there’s no reason why we can’t do it a lot faster than the process took last year,” Obama said.

Whatever, the reason for the health bill confusion if the President doesn’t act fast the bill may never be understood and may never pass.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Issues and Opinion, News | No Comments »

Post border
Post border

Health Insurance and Rationing: Many vs. One

Monday, February 8th, 2010

(Image: tiarescott under CC 2.0)

How much would you be willing to pay for a couple to screen their child for a rare genetic condition? Would you want your medical insurance pay $4.7 million? That’s the amount it costs to prevent one child from being born with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). SMA is incurable and cannot be treated; a child born with it will never be able to move at all. There is an accurate test for it, but routine screening would end up costing your health insurance nearly $5 million to save one child from that fate. That’s because the SMA gene is carried by relatively few Americans and has no symptoms, meaning that the general population–as opposed to just those considered high-risk–must be tested. 11,000 women must be tested at $400 a pop to prevent one case (either by terminating the pregnancy, or using donated sperm or embryos to conceive). By contrast, it costs a relatively frugal $260,000 to provide a person with SMA lifetime care.

The idea of a single child being born with that condition is horrifying. Health insurance companies or the government using cost-effectiveness tests and rationing techniques to decide on health care is scary; cold, hard numbers hold a child’s fate in their hands. Decades worth of studies have shown that, perhaps counter-intuitively, the image of one individual’s suffering is more striking than the suffering of untold masses. Our minds find it easier to feel empathy on a smaller scale. A recent study from the American Journal of Public Health estimates that about 45,000 Americans die each year as a result of going without family health insurance, yet fewer people are willing to risk an increase in their medical insurance rates to prevent their deaths. Proponents of healthcare reform have an uphill battle psychologically; President Obama has attempted to give a name and face to the plight of several uninsured Americans in recent speeches, but his specificity appears to have had little impact.

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Family, Health Insurance Blog, News | No Comments »

Post border
Post border

Family Health Insurance Steers Pregnant Women Towards C-Sections

Friday, February 5th, 2010

(Image: Andrea Fregnani under CC 2.0)

It was recently found that almost one-third of the pregnant women in the United States give birth by Cesarean section, a far higher rate than other developed nations. While C-sections are often necessary, they are nevertheless surgical procedures that can harm both mother and child. Many doctors believe that they be performed in only 10% of pregnancies at most.

A common misconception is that American women choose to have C-sections–sometimes even scheduling them–but that is actually relatively rare. Another explanation for the high Cesarean section rate in the U.S. may be our health insurance system. Unlike many other countries, family health insurance reimburses physicians and hospitals with a flat fee for the birth, regardless of how it is performed. Some doctors may unconsciously steer their patients towards a C-section, since medical insurance doesn’t offer an incentive for them to perform longer vaginal labor instead. To the contrary: some medical insurance companies actually have higher reimbursement rates for C-sections!

Meanwhile, most hospitals can charge far more for a Cesarean section birth, which gives them more opportunity to pad their maternity care profit margins. In addition, doctors may also be performing C-sections in order to lessen the risk of a medical malpractice claim being filed against them; physicians tend to be sued for failing to take action more often than taking the wrong action. Breech babies (which are in the wrong position for vaginal birth) can sometimes be turned around through changes in positioning and waiting, but time pressures and legal concerns reduce the likelihood that an obstetrician would take that risk. All of those factors combine, and the cost is passed onto the new mother through her family health insurance premiums.

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Advice, Family | No Comments »

Post border
« Older Entries
Newer Entries »