Swelling ranks of US jobless yearn for health insurance

FORT WAYNE, Indiana (AFP) — For many among the growing ranks of unemployed workers in the United States, the scariest part of losing their job is losing their health insurance.

Even before the current economic crisis, 45 million Americans were uninsured. That number is expected to rise to 54 million by 2019 if changes aren't made to the system, according to the director of the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office.

One of the swelling ranks, Amy Newlin, has been getting by on her savings and unemployment benefits after she and her husband lost their jobs last fall.

But while they can cut back on dinners out, new clothes or other inessentials, the costs of treating her diabetes, high blood pressure and thyroid difficulties have risen dramatically.

"I need insulin strips to test my blood, and medicine for my high blood pressure," Newlin told AFP.

"My insulin is 80 dollars a bottle without insurance and the strips are expensive, too. It's not easy to keep up."

The Indiana woman was one of dozens who attended a meeting Thursday for uninsured people to register for government-funded health care.

Health officials held the clinic in the basement of an elementary school to deal with a surging number of applicants as a flood of layoffs forced scores of area residents off their employer-provided plans and into the peril of being uninsured in America.

Newlin arrived prepared with a folder jammed with old pay stubs, her birth certificate and all the other necessary documents to ensure she would be signed up.

But even if she qualifies, it will be some time before she's insured and any serious illness or accident could still bankrupt her family.

Health care has long been a contentious issue in American social and political life.

High costs, the exclusion of patients with pre-existing conditions and bureaucratic snafus plague the private system, which is unattainable for a growing number of Americans.

The federal government manages two health care systems: Medicaid -- for the poor -- and Medicare -- for the elderly. They currently amount to 5 percent of America's gross domestic product.

But the costs will more than double to 12 percent by 2050, under the Congressional Budget Office's current estimates.

Indiana launched a plan at the start of 2008 to cover some -- the working poor, single parents, the moderately disabled -- who are not protected by Medicaid.

Residents aren't eligible until they've gone six months uninsured, and there's a small pay-in for participants, helping to hold down costs.

President Barack Obama made health care reform a central plank in his populist platform when he ran for the White House.

And the massive stimulus package he signed Tuesday included plans to help cover the cost of temporary coverage for scores of displaced workers and possibly extend Medicaid coverage to other uninsured Americans who would not normally be eligible.

Yet comprehensive reform has been hampered by the distraction and cost of the current economic crisis, along with the loss of Obama's first pick for health secretary, Tom Daschle, who withdrew from consideration amid questions about his tax history.

Washington's political wrangling is a far way from those gathered in the colorful basement cafeteria of Indiana's Fairfield Elementary School.

Newlin, for one, doesn't hold out much hope for the government to solve anything soon.

"I don't even know if they know where half that money is going," she said of the stimulus.

Jerome and Brenda Lewis, a couple in their mid-50s, have been without insurance since October when she lost her job -- and their coverage.

They are hopeful Obama will bring change and are thankful for the work of people who organized the clinic, but turn to a greater power for balance in these unsteady times.

"Right now, by the grace of God, everything is all right for us. We keep praying that everything will be all right," Jerome Lewis said.

Hundreds turn out for job fair

By Brandon Fincher
02-14-2009

LINCOLN – Companies who were looking to hire certainly had no shortage of candidates who arrived at the old Lincoln gymnasium on Friday to participate in the Lincoln Job Fair.
Deborah Thornton, research analyst for the Talladega County Economic Development Authority, said, as expected, the turnout by job seekers and employers was large.

“So far it’s been great. We have 30 plus employers registered. I would say we probably have 200 to 300 employees who have already signed in who are now looking for jobs at the various employers’ tables,” Thornton said around 30 minutes after the doors opened.

People from all walks of life were in attendance including Reginald and Tonia Kelley, both of Oxford, who were job seeking as husband and wife.

Reginald Kelley said, “I’m getting ready to retire from the military, and I’ve been to job fairs before. In fact, I’ve participated in some job fairs, and the setup here is nice.”

Tonia Kelley added, “It’s pretty informative. We just recently relocated here, and it’s given us an idea of what’s in the area job wise.”

The Kelleys were far from the only job seekers in attendance, though. Danny Mitchell, of Cropwell, was also on the job hunt.

“I’ve just got my mind open. I’ve never been to one of these before,” Mitchell said. “So far it’s so good.”

Employers either passed out information or accepted job applications.

One of those was the Alabama Department of Corrections which was looking for correctional officers. Cynthia Nelson, with the ADOC, said she was looking for applicants that could pass the physical testing, background check and who were ready to come in and work in the state’s prison system.

Nelson said, “There are a lot of opportunities for advancement once they come in as a correctional officer trainee and after they’ve gone through the academy and established permanent status.

“Whenever we give our promotional exam or sergeant’s exam, they can take that and advance up. Once they’ve been in that classification, and if they desire to move up, they can take the next promotion.”

Nelson said the turnout was great, and there were many people who stopped by the ADOC booth who were interested in the job and picked up information to research.

“We have great benefits, and it is a career,” Nelson said.

The job fair was sponsored by the Talladega County Improvement Foundation, the Greater Talladega/Lincoln Area Chamber of Commerce, the Childersburg Area Chamber of Commerce, the Sylacauga Chamber of Commerce and the Talladega County Economic Development Authority.

Thornton said she had received calls from job seekers as far away as Cleburne, Randolph and Chambers counties who inquired about the job fair.

“We started in January with a job fair in Sylacauga. We were trying to do them every 90 days, but the needs were so critical we decided to bump it up and do it sooner,” Thornton said. “We have another job fair scheduled for April 10 in Childersburg.”

Thornton said the sponsors had devised a list and contacted companies from Talladega, Calhoun and St. Clair counties to see if they would like to participate.

She said the job fair benefited from volunteers who manned the sign-in table and restaurants and grocery stores such as Domino’s Pizza, Carter’s Barbecue, R and B Barbecue, Jack’s, Wal-Mart in Talladega and Pell City, and Super Foods in Lincoln who provided food to feed the employers.

Thornton said she also was thankful for service group who provided information and assistance at the job fair. They were Alabama Department of Public Health’s ALL Kids Insurance, Cheaha Regional Head Start, the Coosa River Baptist Association, and FIRST Family Service Center.

Job seekers were just thankful for the opportunity to have a chance for a job.

“When you have an opportunity to participate in a job fair, you’re always looking for something, a new job or a better job. It gives you a good feel for what’s out there,” Reginald Kelley said.

Doctor and Patient Building a Healthy Community, One Child at a Time

By PAULINE W. CHEN, M.D.
Published: January 22, 2009

Like many other Americans this past Tuesday, I was moved by President Obama’s inspiring call to duty.

"Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions, who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans,” he said during his inaugural address. “Their memories are short, for they have forgotten what this country has already done, what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose and necessity to courage.”

One of the "big plans" of the Obama administration will be to revamp the nation’s health care system. But are these ambitions big enough to help the country’s smallest patients?

It has been hard over the last year not to feel that health care coverage for our neediest young people could have benefited from a “big plan.”

In May, the Commonwealth Fund, a nonprofit health policy research group, published a report that detailed striking health care disparities between states. The report found, for example, that three-quarters of children have regular medical and dental preventive care in Massachusetts, but less than half of the children in Idaho do. Whereas only 55 per 100,000 children are hospitalized for asthma in Vermont, South Carolina has a staggering hospitalization rate of 314 per 100,000.

More recently, the Kaiser Family Foundation summarized the role of Medicaid, the federal program that aids the poor, and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. Roughly 30 percent of the nation’s children depend on these programs, but another 11 percent remain uninsured.

That’s 8.9 million American children who have no health insurance.

Last year, there was a big plan to try to change those numbers. But two bipartisan attempts in Congress to expand children’s health coverage withered after presidential vetoes.

This year, it appears that a revised and more comprehensive version of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program will likely pass, supported by the new president. After the House passed the bill last week, Mr. Obama said in a statement, “This coverage is critical, it is fully paid for and I hope that the Senate acts with the same sense of urgency so that it can be one of the first measures I sign into law when I am President.”

I am thrilled by the prospect of better health care coverage for children. At the same time, however, I understand the concerns of critics who ask if we are just throwing more money at the larger problem: our broken health care system.

As the President said on Tuesday:

“The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works.... Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end.”

In at least one part of the country, North Carolina, the answer has been yes.

Since 1991, primary care physicians, administrators and state legislators there have worked to create and support a state Medicaid program called Community Care of North Carolina. The program has not only offered high-quality, patient-centered care for the state’s neediest children and adults, but has also saved millions of dollars in health care costs.

Based in part on the idea that each patient should have a “medical home,” the Community Care program assigns each Medicaid patient to one of 14 community health networks. Each network in turn is organized and operated by physicians, nurses, hospitals, health departments and departments of social services.

Patients receive primary care and preventive health measures coordinated by the various professionals in their network, and physicians and others receive fees for their services. In addition, each network receives $3 per patient per month to help implement additional programs like after-hours office care, nurses on call and community-based care coordinators for patients with complex issues, including children with cerebral palsy or cystic fibrosis.

North Carolina, in conjunction with independent consulting groups, has documented the savings for state taxpayers with this innovative program. In asthma management alone, Community Care of North Carolina saved an estimated $3.5 million dollars over three years. With diabetes care, the program saved an additional $2.1 million dollars over the same time period.

The most striking difference, however, between Community Care of North Carolina and other state Medicaid programs is the complete absence of insurance companies. Most states partner with an insurance company to deliver care to Medicaid patients; any residual profits go to the insurance company. But in North Carolina, state Medicaid administrators and health care providers manage the program exclusively and then funnel profits directly back into patient care.

I recently spoke to Dr. David Tayloe, the president of the American Academy of Pediatrics and a practicing pediatrician in North Carolina. Dr. Tayloe has been actively involved with Community Care of North Carolina since its inception.

“We have been able to have an effective collaboration between state government and physicians,” Dr. Tayloe said to me over the phone in a deep baritone voice that accentuated his rich Southern accent. “We basically have a not-for-profit administrative program for Medicaid, and the real winners are the children and the families.”

I asked if there might be something different about North Carolina compared to other states, something that made it possible to run a program like Community Care.

“If you look at the fundamentals of the program,” Dr. Tayloe replied, “they could be adopted by other states. There’s nothing holding a state back from saying ‘We want community-based care.’ Any state Medicaid program that commits the dollars to it can do it.”

“We’ve done it for 17 years,” he added, “and we’ve saved a lot of money for the state. No one in our general assembly even thinks about going to another system of care anymore.”

I asked Dr. Tayloe what had inspired him to become so actively involved with his state’s Medicaid program. He paused to think, then talked about his father, who had practiced pediatrics in North Carolina for over 40 years, and about his own lifelong desire to care for any child that walked into his practice.

“With the shortage of primary care physicians in the U.S., we are at risk of allowing our system of health care to deteriorate such that our most needy and deserving children do not have access to good pediatricians,” he added via e-mail the next morning. “This is what Community Care of North Carolina is all about — paying for a system that assures patients access to the best in primary care — a real medical home.”

He continued, “I envision a medical system in which the poorest at-risk children have access to the best and the brightest we have in medicine — on the front lines in our communities.”

Dr. Tayloe’s work and his words, even via e-mail, reminded me of the President’s message I had heard on Tuesday:

“We have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly.”

Click here to join the discussion on the Well blog, “In Health, Still Leaving Children Behind.”

VIDEO interview with Venezuelan gold mining union leader Manuel Montiel -- total 15' 54" in two parts!

Venezuelan gold mining union leader Manuel Montiel speaks to VHeadline Venezuela News about the amalgamation/unification of several trade unions towards a greater empowerment and efficiency in labor relations following what is described as disastrous relationships with USA (Idaho-based) Hecla Mining which was bought out last year by the Russian-owned Agapov Group's Rusoro Mining.

Montiel: Well, my name is Manuel Montiel, I'm the General Secretary of the union here in the Agapov Group company. We've reached an agreement ... signing a collective contract ... that benefits over 200 workers in the company. They've complied with almost all the
clauses ... 90% of the contract ... yearly bonus and other bonuses ... we're now on the savings plan ... a saving plan where each worker will have an account in the bank ... we have a housing plan which will start in January, we'll start building houses for the workers, we've reached many agreements (with Rusoro).

We're thankful for the investment that they have brought to Venezuela, this Russian investment, Rusoro Mining ... we're very happy as far as we've always reached many agreements to get our objectives ... the workers' objectives to defend the workers ... they're complying with us now, the (Christmas) presents to the children of the workers ... they've made a very good party for the children. We've accomplished our goals ... we'll start now (from January 5) receiving production bonuses ... we've got the company's compromise to pay a production bonus for the workers.

We're safeguarding our future with this underground mine ... this investment that Rusoro Mining is making here in Venezuela on the La Emilia field ... we're going to have a future ... we've been allowed to work this mine for 20 years ... it's a future for our families, our houses, our children.

We now have a health insurance policy which covers hospitalization, surgery and ante-natal medical assistance for our families and parents, which we didn't have before ... with this investment, we've achieved many benefits.

We welcome Russian investment here in Venezuela. We also represent Corporacion Ochentamil' workers ... also of the Agapov Group ... where we got many goals so far, like air conditioned buses for transportation, which we didn't have ... now we've got them.

Carson: As an union leader, how do you feel about transnational companies involved in Venezuela?

Montiel: As an union leader, I repeat, we welcome any investment as long as it comes with good objectives as was the case with this company, Rusoro Mining, which always stands at the workers' side ... what we've asked they have given to us, always for the benefit of our families and our children.

Carson: But before Rusoro's arrival, how were the conditions here?

Montiel: There was a Canadian company before in the other mine, Camorra ... in comparison it was not good.

Carson: Which one?

Montiel: Hecla, here close by.

Carson: Ah, Hecla. OK. That's USAmerican, not Canadian.

Montiel: Yes, that one, now it's in Rusoro's hands, too, and we're ... all the unions are getting together now to have a common voice within all of Rusoro's companies, we'll have an unification of unions.

Carson: Are there accusations of diverse human rights violations against Hecla?

Montiel: Yes, now the relations with Hecla ... now that it has been bought by the state company... they're going to bring in a project for a collective agreement to unify (and get) the same benefits that we've achieved.

Carson: But what have the problems with MIBAM (Ministry of Basic Industry and Mining) been?

Montiel: Yes, they've always (had) problems with environmental permits, explosives permits, the MIBAM has been tough from the government side, they've been tough in attacking transnational companies.

Carson: Did MIBAM offer money to miners for mining reconversion?

Montiel: What happens is, the company has been complying, MIBAM ... but it happens that new lists appear where there are people who are not miners ... and they are squeezing in, trying to take advantage of this moment when the state (with the transnational companies) are giving (funds) for the mining reconversion to mitigate illegal mining. To do that, we will include 250 new workers who will be incorporated into the company ... 250 direct workers to end illegal mining ... they'll become hired workers with benefits, with a proper, a dignified wage, with collaterals like the "cesta-ticket" to bring a good bonus for their children, that's what we have in this company from now on.

Carson: I'd like to know what were the problems with licenses' procedures for other companies. Why do you think they had those problems?

Montiel: That's a problem we have here from the part of the government. Last year we had a problem in which MIBAM and the environmental ministry froze the permits, I don't know why. We stayed home for six months, the company didn't have means to support us, they complied with paying a bonus because the government was blocking, didn't want to grant permits so we could start mining.

Carson: But why were those permits denied?

Montiel: There was a problem ... but I think that now, with God's help, everything's speeded up because the government is now in partnership with Rusoro Mining ... they have an agreement and they have to comply with it.

Carson: But what with the other companies?

Montiel: The other companies too, now the environmental permits for PMG, for La Increible, all those permits should be granted, should be speeded up because, as the President Hugo Chavez says that there's a partnership with Russia, we hope that it actually gets like he says.

Carson: But there were many problems with other companies, like Gold Reserve, Crystallex ... what do you know about that?

Montiel: Well, the information that I have about Crystallex is that it is a Canadian company that had that (problem) and didn't want to start the projects because of (ungranted) environmental permits ... but now I think I heard the MIBAM minister (saying) that a Russian company will come to work on the Crystallex fields, now, under the surveillance of the government the permits are produced faster. The place where we need to speed up permits is the area where there's the largest quantity of gold mineral, which is the one where Crystallex was. So, for the growth of the municipality and the Bolivar state, we need those permits soon.

Carson: But, isn't it a legal problem to take those contracts from Crystallex and grant them to Rusoro?

Montiel: No, I don't think so, they had plenty of time, they (Crystallex) were in the Stock Exchange, they were in fact waiting for the shares to increase their market value and never worried to get the permits legally. And meanwhile the illegal miners were working ... they had small pumps ... and there were problems with Crystallex because they were on private land and the private concessions must be respected.

Carson: And what about those others at Las Brisas?

Montiel: Brisas del Cuyuni is the same problem, they have a problem because it's divided by a river, a river flows through it, so they wanted to channel the river somewhere else ... then the government (denied the permits) because of the environmental problem. But I think that the problem at Las Brisas is about to be solved.

Carson: But the union supports Rusoro actions and not the others?

Montiel: Yes, we are now going with Crystallex, we are unifying all the unions, as I was telling you, all the secretaries from the unions are going to join to achieve an unification. Crystallex, Caolin, Hecla, Minera Nacional, PMG, we're going to sit together with Rusoro Mining's management. We want to sit with the directors, who are in Venezuela, to talk about some issues for the benefit of this municipality.

Carson: Why the problems with Hecla, were they not paying, what happened?

Montiel: The problems with Hecla were mainly due to some people there, some "gringos" that were there that used to treat the workers very bad, so the government had to intervene. There was mistreatment by the management, all gringos, mistreatment by the National Guard, that forced people to undress to frisk them like if they were prisoners, thereby violating the workers' human rights.

Carson: What about the future?

Montiel: Now (the future) looks normalized, it's calmer with the National Guard, they're helpful. We know that every company has its own internal security, we have to respect safety and security parameters and they have to respect our parameters as workers, we are clear about the areas were we're not allowed, we cannot get there and that's it, it's a matter of company standards in safety and security.

Carson: So, you know about the problems at Las Brisas and Las Cristinas. What do you think is the solution?

Montiel: Well, the solution is that there should be an unification where they should grant us the permits that we require, grant the permits so these companies can open their doors so there's employment, for the growth of the municipality, more collaboration with indigenous communities, collaboration with the community, the roads, the streets, build schools, because we need that the mining projects grow so that the municipality can grow. As there's more production we'll grow and stop being a small municipality.

Carson: I spoke with Andre Agapov and he tells me that he's not against Crystallex getting permits and agree to work with the government on a 50-50 basis.

Montiel: Yes, they should do that too, it's better for the workers for them to go 50-50 so the payment and the permits for explosives, the environmental permits and the drilling permits are speeded up.

Carson: This means that the union is part of the management. They're not apart.

Montiel: No, the majority of the workers ... the union is made up by the workers, not by management. We're workers that have fought to get the benefits we have achieved.

(Other voice): ... he means that union workers participate in decision making.

Montiel: Yes, they've always taken us into account. If they're going to invest this or that number of millions, we sit with thw management and we tell them about our problems and they tell us about theirs and the situation with the economy.

Carson: You mean that the problems for the future can be avoided if it can be achieved that the workers cooperate with management staff, no problems, no conflicts.

Montiel: Yes, there'll always be problems, but what we hope is that they comply with our demands so we can comply with theirs ... meet targets that we have agreed on, starting January 5 ... we have established goals, to unify, to get the production bonus when we start working in the mine ... this past year the investment was slow due to the stock market, but for the rest...

Carson: Will it be an unified union of all the small unions?

Montiel: We are ... the group has many companies, we've always concentrated but now in January, we'll unify, we'll sit with the group's directors to explain the situation of all the unions and, God willing. we'll see one single union for all of the group's companies, where we'll represent all the companies in this area. I'm in charge of the Southern sector, Corporación Ochentamil, Lamin ... at El Callao there's another union, they, with us ... they've achieved their objectives.

Carson: Do you keep in touch with them?

Montiel: We've had a good relation, they've achieved their objectives, salary increase and ... everything increases with the salary.

Carson: Thank you for the interview.

Montiel: Thanks to you, and we welcome foreign investment whenever it comes, and always count on us Venezuelans to be here supporting you to progress.

transcript and translation by
Franco Munini, a member of Tlaxcala


Venezuela is facing the most difficult period of its history with honest reporters crippled by sectarianism on top of rampant corruption within the administration and beyond, aided and abetted by criminal forces in the US and Spanish governments which cannot accept the sovereignty of the Venezuelan people to decide over their own future.

Community health care forum to be hosted by Olson

Olson has authored several health care bills in the Minnesota Legislature, including one to promote a small business pool for health insurance, but Tuesday’s forum will focus on national plans, not state plans.

The Obama transition team is asking for health care community discussions to be held between Dec. 15 and Dec. 31. The transition team will prepare a report from the discussions for Obama.

In the mean time, the forum “was specifically organized in response to a request that President-elect Obama made for community input meetings,” says Olson, DFL-Bemidji.

State Sen. Mary Olson would hold a community forum Tuesday in Bemidji, as part of a nationwide effort by President-elect Barack Obama to gain input on health care.