With new health-care reform legislation being hotly debated nationwide, it’s not surprising that a meeting on the subject Friday at the Surry County Senior Center in Mount Airy drew a crowd.
“The new health-care reform is confusing to a lot of people, so if you feel confused, you’re not alone,” Annalisa Davis, the center coordinator, said at the start of a meeting attended by about 50 people, mostly retirees.
They came to hear Bill Wilson of the AARP in Raleigh discuss the various provisions of the bill and what it means not only for senior citizens, but younger families and individuals as well as employers.
“I have yet to see the perfect piece of legislation,” said Wilson, who has many years of experience in public-policy work in the N.C. General Assembly, and gave a similar presentation Friday afternoon in Pilot Mountain.
“And this does not break that mold,” he added of health-care reform. “This is a 2,000-plus-page bill.”
While its passage was controversial and continues to be resisted by many although it has become law, Wilson told the local gathering that some of the bill’s provisions represent an improvement over the present situation.
“But what people really want to know is ’how does this affect me?’”
Medicare Changes
Given the makeup of the audience, a major focus of Friday’s program was Medicare, the federal government program that provides health-care coverage to persons 65 and older and the disabled.
Wilson assured those gathered that guaranteed benefits offered under this program will be continued under the new health-reform legislation. It also is expected to add 10 years to Medicare’s financial solvency, ensuring its continued availability.
One positive way in which Medicare will be affected, Wilson said, is by expanding wellness and preventive care coverage, which will allow annual checkups — and tests and screenings, such as bone-density screenings — at no out-of-pocket costs.
“There are huge improvements in preventive care,” Wilson continued, which are aimed at reducing costs of medical treatment by catching major problems earlier. “That’s an important part of the new bill.”
Wilson also addressed another well-documented concern related to Medicare — the so-called “donut hole” seniors have fallen into which is associated with the Medicare Part D program that subsidizes the cost of prescription drugs.
The donut hole occurs when seniors exceed $2,700 in total drug expenses in a plan year, which then requires them to pay 100 percent of their prescription costs until $4,300 is spent out of pocket. The “hole,” which 3.4 million Americans fall into annually, can appear in a hurry when extremely expensive medications are involved.
Wilson said certain provisions in the new health-care legislation are aimed at lowering out-of-pocket costs for prescription medications, gradually leading to the planned closure of the donut hole by 2020. This will include rebates being offered to Medicare beneficiaries to help offset the drug costs.
“It is still complicated, but hopefully by 2020, we’re going to simplify this a little bit,” Wilson told the audience Friday.
The health-care-reform legislation also seeks to reduce Medicare costs through such measures as identifying fraudulent providers, eliminating overpayments and implementing a vendor-certification program.
Those who attended Friday’s program had plenty of follow-up questions for Wilson regarding Medicare.
Arvid Simmons of Mount Airy wondered what will happen with reimbursement rates for medical providers under the program; specifically if people enrolled in Medicare will have to make up the difference between what a doctor or hospital charges and what’s allocated.
According to Wilson, efforts to reduce the reimbursement rate by 22 percent — as a means of keeping costs of care down — have fallen by the wayside. “I don’t know of any provider who could take a 22-percent hit,” the speaker added.
A related question concerned the problems seniors are experiencing in some locations in finding doctors who no longer will accept Medicare patients because of the paperwork and financial issues involved.
“It’s a real problem for people moving into the state, especially urban areas,” Wilson said. While a physician in Raleigh or Winston-Salem might continue to see a longtime patient, new retirees to North Carolina are having trouble finding doctors willing to treat them through the Medicare program.
Effects On Individuals
Wilson also addressed the matter of how the recent legislation will impact the uninsured or those who buy their own coverage.
Beginning in 2014, the new health-care program will provide a one-stop shopping opportunity for them to obtain coverage through “state exchanges.”
These plans will offer a standard plan of comprehensive benefits, with four levels of coverage in all. There will be no discrimination based on pre-existing conditions, according to the AARP official.
Until 2014, temporary coverage can be obtained through “high-risk pools,” but these will still be expensive compared to most plans.
“This is a temporary program to help people who have trouble buying insurance, until we get to the state exchanges in 2014,” Wilson explained.
He also pointed out that the health-reform legislation will equalize the costs of coverage, which now can be higher based on someone’s gender, health status or the fact they are older adults. “Now if you’re a female, you’ll pay exactly the same premium as a male does,” Wilson told audience members.
The measure further eliminates coverage limits for medical care, which can soon be met if a catastrophic illness strikes someone. The main reason people lose their homes is because of high health-care expenses, Wilson said. “This will go a long way toward eliminating those bankruptcies and foreclosures,” he said of the new legislation.
Tax credits are in place to assist consumers in paying their premiums, to couples earning less than $58,280 and individuals with incomes lower than $43,320.
Also, the new plan expands eligibility for Medicaid coverage, which is available to low-income persons.
Families who are part of an employer-provided health plan can have their unmarried children covered under the same policy until they reach age 26. “That starts this year,” Wilson said.
“This will cover a lot of young people who think they are invincible,” he added, but don’t realize that they might be hurt in a car accident and need coverage.
Penalties Possible
Individuals are required to have basic medical coverage under the reform package, and will face penalties otherwise, according to Wilson.
Beginning in 2014, those who are eligible to buy insurance through a state exchange and don’t will be assessed a penalty of $695 per year or 2.5 percent of their taxable income, whichever is greater.
The penalties are designed to generate funds to offset some of the costs of those who remain uninsured and then require care.
Employer Impact
The guest speaker also discussed the new legislation’s effects on employers Friday. “This is a big sticking part in the bill,” he said.
Under its provisions, small businesses are exempt. “For any company with less than 50 employees, there’s no requirement that you provide health insurance coverage at all,” Wilson added.
However, tax credits are available to assist those businesses in paying for coverage for eligible employees.
Around 80 percent of American businesses employ fewer than 10 people.
About 2 percent of businesses across the country will be subject to some increase in costs under the recently passed bill.
Wilson responded Friday to rumors that employees will have to pay taxes on insurance provided through company plans. “Not true,” he said.
No Dental
In response to another question from an audience member, Wilson said dental coverage remains a “big gap” in terms of the overall health-care picture. “You’re out of luck,” he told the woman who inquired about that aspect.
While there is some coverage for dental services under Medicaid, that is not the case for Medicare, Wilson said.
“It’s one of the biggest problems we have right now in this state,” the speaker said of lack of dental-care coverage. “It just impacts your entire health,” Wilson added, explaining that tooth problems can affect a person’s nutrition, for example, and lead to other medical difficulties.
Those attending Friday’s presentation seemed to come away with a better understanding of the new legislation.
“I thought it was very good,” said Nancy Walker, who believes the program was interesting as well as informative.
“We are a small business owner,” explained Walker, a Mount Airy native who know lives in Rural Hall and co-owns an electrical firm. She said she came to Friday’s meeting concerned about how health-care reform will affect her personally and her business.
“What’s in this program that we don’t know about yet, us as a little guy?” she asked.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Affordable health insurance – What you should know
There has been quite a few changes to the health-insurance industry in 2010, and there will be many more to come throughout the rest of the year. Many of the rules that currently control health insurance industries could well be changed.
It may be difficult to start looking for health insurance. Now the term “Affordable health insurance” may seem a contradiction in terms.as due to high premiums it’s not easy to believe that the coverage is actually worth the money.
The cost of health insurance coverage is small when you look at the cost of health care without the insurance.
The best way to find cheap health insurance is by checking the prices of a whole host of health insurance providers. Health insurance companies will charge you depending on many aspects such as if you are a smoker, your current weight and any existing health problems.
What you really need to know is how you can save money on health insurance. Taking the first offer that comes along will, most of the time, leave you paying more then you have to. You should also remember, just because one company has the lowest premium, this does not mean they are offering the best value for money.
Find out which physicians and hospitals are covered in your health insurance. Make sure your health care plan includes hospitals that are located nearby. Try not to be enticed by higher deductibles. Remember that a higher deductible could lower your possible monthly premium but it can also make you pay more for standard care.
Now the best tool you have available when you want to buy health insurance is to use the Internet. If you are ready to start looking for cheap health insurance, you can go online and get an online quote. Its important that you do proper research as many people are paying too much for their medical plan as some providers may charge for coverage which is unnecessary.
It may be difficult to start looking for health insurance. Now the term “Affordable health insurance” may seem a contradiction in terms.as due to high premiums it’s not easy to believe that the coverage is actually worth the money.The cost of health insurance coverage is small when you look at the cost of health care without the insurance.
The best way to find cheap health insurance is by checking the prices of a whole host of health insurance providers. Health insurance companies will charge you depending on many aspects such as if you are a smoker, your current weight and any existing health problems.
What you really need to know is how you can save money on health insurance. Taking the first offer that comes along will, most of the time, leave you paying more then you have to. You should also remember, just because one company has the lowest premium, this does not mean they are offering the best value for money.
Find out which physicians and hospitals are covered in your health insurance. Make sure your health care plan includes hospitals that are located nearby. Try not to be enticed by higher deductibles. Remember that a higher deductible could lower your possible monthly premium but it can also make you pay more for standard care.
Now the best tool you have available when you want to buy health insurance is to use the Internet. If you are ready to start looking for cheap health insurance, you can go online and get an online quote. Its important that you do proper research as many people are paying too much for their medical plan as some providers may charge for coverage which is unnecessary.
It's war on the wards of China's hospitals
FORGET the calls by many Chinese patients for more honest, better-qualified doctors. What Shenyang's 27 public hospitals really need, officials have decided, is police officers.
And not just at the entrance, but as deputy administrators. The goal: to keep disgruntled patients and their relatives from attacking the doctors.
Officials in this north-eastern industrial city of nearly eight million people have a point. Chinese hospitals are dangerous places to work. In 2006, the last year the Health Ministry published statistics on hospital violence, attacks by patients or their relatives injured more than 5,500 medical workers.
"The police should have a permanent base here," said a neurosurgeon at Shengjing Hospital. "I always feel this element of danger."
In June alone, a doctor was stabbed to death in Shandong Province by the son of a patient who had died of liver cancer.
Three doctors were severely burned in Shanxi Province when a patient set fire to a hospital office. A paediatrician in Fujian Province was also injured after leaping out a fifth-floor window to escape angry relatives of a newborn who had died under his care.
Over the past year, families of deceased patients have forced doctors to don mourning clothes as a sign of atonement for poor care, and organised protests to bar hospital entrances. Four years ago, 2,000 people rioted at a hospital after reports that a three-year-old boy was refused treatment because his grandfather could not pay £50 in upfront fees. The child died.
Doctors and nurses say the strains in the relations between them and patients' relatives are often the result of unrealistic expectations by poor families who, having travelled far and exhausted their savings on care, expect medical miracles.
And not just at the entrance, but as deputy administrators. The goal: to keep disgruntled patients and their relatives from attacking the doctors.
Officials in this north-eastern industrial city of nearly eight million people have a point. Chinese hospitals are dangerous places to work. In 2006, the last year the Health Ministry published statistics on hospital violence, attacks by patients or their relatives injured more than 5,500 medical workers.
"The police should have a permanent base here," said a neurosurgeon at Shengjing Hospital. "I always feel this element of danger."
In June alone, a doctor was stabbed to death in Shandong Province by the son of a patient who had died of liver cancer.
Three doctors were severely burned in Shanxi Province when a patient set fire to a hospital office. A paediatrician in Fujian Province was also injured after leaping out a fifth-floor window to escape angry relatives of a newborn who had died under his care.
Over the past year, families of deceased patients have forced doctors to don mourning clothes as a sign of atonement for poor care, and organised protests to bar hospital entrances. Four years ago, 2,000 people rioted at a hospital after reports that a three-year-old boy was refused treatment because his grandfather could not pay £50 in upfront fees. The child died.
Doctors and nurses say the strains in the relations between them and patients' relatives are often the result of unrealistic expectations by poor families who, having travelled far and exhausted their savings on care, expect medical miracles.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
We're Headed Straight Off a Cliff If Health Care Passes
Pork is the preferred legislative meat for members of Congress, but this weekend they opted for bologna as they tried to convince the public – and themselves – that their so-called “health care” or health insurance “reform” monstrosity will be good for us. At least Castor oil was supposed to work even though it tasted awful. This bill not only tastes bad, it will curdle the best health care system in the world, which could be made a lot better, but will be made much worse with many of the provisions in this legislation.
Democrats now readily admit that Medicare is full of waste, fraud and abuse, but they want us to believe they can run an even larger venture without throwing additional money away. Amazing!
President Obama again claimed in Saturday remarks to the House Democratic caucus that the bill will reduce the deficit by $1.3 trillion. He must know that isn’t true because the money “saved” from Medicare cuts will go to pay for new spending. Only in Washington can you save money and spend money at the same time.
Addressing critics of the bill, President Obama said no one is “going to pull the plug on grandma.” They won’t have to. Grandma will be denied treatment because she will be too much of a financial burden on government. It’s called rationing. Grandma had better start working out, eating lots of oatmeal and hope she doesn’t get sick. Why do you think the president kept mentioning sick children? It’s because children are the ones who will get the most – and best – treatment. Rahm Emanuel’s brother, Ezekiel, has said government has a right to decide how many health care dollars you are worth. And if children with a lifelong taxpaying potential are worth more than grandma who is taking more from the tax pot than she is contributing, that’s too bad for grandma.
The president also said the bill will save money by requiring only one test by the doctor “not five tests.” But what if the first test doesn’t reveal the nature of an illness? Suppose a cancer is hiding in one organ and the test is for cancer in another organ? A second (or fifth) test might reveal the location of the disease, but under Obamacare, a government bureaucrat will allow just one test. -- It’s a form of Russian roulette.
The president promised again “you can keep your doctor.” But what if the doctor quits because he or she can’t afford to accept reduced fees mandated by government to keep costs down, while paying ever-increasing premiums for malpractice insurance to protect the doctor from lawsuits, which, by the way, is another reason the doctor did so many tests.
Companies sometimes test-market new products in regions of the country to see how well they sell. Government-run health care has been test-marketed in Massachusetts and it is a disaster. The cost of the state’s insurance program has ballooned by 42 percent, or almost $600 million. According to an analysis by the Rand Corporation, “in the absence of policy change, health care spending in Massachusetts is projected to nearly double to $123 billion in 2020, increasing 8 percent faster than the state’s gross domestic product.”
The cost of insurance in Massachusetts is the highest in the nation. Double-digit rate increases are expected again this year. Yet, President Obama claimed Saturday that under the Democrats’ plan, rates will go down. How is this possible? If Massachusetts can’t run a cost-effective health program, how can the federal government? And by the way, the only reason Massachusetts has not gone broke (but is headed there) is because Washington has conducted large transfusions of cash because it has a vested interest in protecting the illusion of Massachusetts’ success.
The president said we should support the health insurance bill out of “a sense of neighborliness and community.” When I was growing up, that meant you, not government, helped your neighbor. Government was a last resort, not a first resource. Never has “I’m from the government and I’m here to help you” sounded more like an empty promise.
Remember when Democrats used to care about debt as a burden to our children and grandchildren? They claimed to care about debt when it was a “mere” $450 billion under George W. Bush. Now it’s headed toward the trillions. Where are the green eye-shade Democrats now? They’re spending us into debt as fast as the Treasury can print the money – or the Chinese will lend it to us. The interest on the national debt now exceeds the GDP of some countries.
Total U.S. debt has soared to an all-time high of 370 percent of yearly economic output. That far exceeds its peak of 300 percent during the Great Depression.
Jobs will be lost because of this bill. Already, Caterpiller Company is laying-off workers because it estimates the health care bill will cost the company $100 million.
Why should we believe the promises of politicians? While the president and Speaker Nancy Pelosi touted Medicare, what they forgot to mention was that the cost of that program (and the waste, fraud and abuse that is rampant in it) was supposed to be a fraction of today’s cost. In fact, it was sold on the basis of low cost.
There are no such things as cheap government programs. They become like the "Blob That Ate Tokyo," gobbling up everything in their path.
President Obama quoted Abraham Lincoln, who said he was “bound to be true” and suggested that he, too, was bound to be true. This legislation is so full of budget gimmicks, tricks and lies that the only thing true about is that it will make health care in America worse, not better.
Democrats now readily admit that Medicare is full of waste, fraud and abuse, but they want us to believe they can run an even larger venture without throwing additional money away. Amazing!
President Obama again claimed in Saturday remarks to the House Democratic caucus that the bill will reduce the deficit by $1.3 trillion. He must know that isn’t true because the money “saved” from Medicare cuts will go to pay for new spending. Only in Washington can you save money and spend money at the same time.
Addressing critics of the bill, President Obama said no one is “going to pull the plug on grandma.” They won’t have to. Grandma will be denied treatment because she will be too much of a financial burden on government. It’s called rationing. Grandma had better start working out, eating lots of oatmeal and hope she doesn’t get sick. Why do you think the president kept mentioning sick children? It’s because children are the ones who will get the most – and best – treatment. Rahm Emanuel’s brother, Ezekiel, has said government has a right to decide how many health care dollars you are worth. And if children with a lifelong taxpaying potential are worth more than grandma who is taking more from the tax pot than she is contributing, that’s too bad for grandma.
The president also said the bill will save money by requiring only one test by the doctor “not five tests.” But what if the first test doesn’t reveal the nature of an illness? Suppose a cancer is hiding in one organ and the test is for cancer in another organ? A second (or fifth) test might reveal the location of the disease, but under Obamacare, a government bureaucrat will allow just one test. -- It’s a form of Russian roulette.
The president promised again “you can keep your doctor.” But what if the doctor quits because he or she can’t afford to accept reduced fees mandated by government to keep costs down, while paying ever-increasing premiums for malpractice insurance to protect the doctor from lawsuits, which, by the way, is another reason the doctor did so many tests.
Companies sometimes test-market new products in regions of the country to see how well they sell. Government-run health care has been test-marketed in Massachusetts and it is a disaster. The cost of the state’s insurance program has ballooned by 42 percent, or almost $600 million. According to an analysis by the Rand Corporation, “in the absence of policy change, health care spending in Massachusetts is projected to nearly double to $123 billion in 2020, increasing 8 percent faster than the state’s gross domestic product.”
The cost of insurance in Massachusetts is the highest in the nation. Double-digit rate increases are expected again this year. Yet, President Obama claimed Saturday that under the Democrats’ plan, rates will go down. How is this possible? If Massachusetts can’t run a cost-effective health program, how can the federal government? And by the way, the only reason Massachusetts has not gone broke (but is headed there) is because Washington has conducted large transfusions of cash because it has a vested interest in protecting the illusion of Massachusetts’ success.
The president said we should support the health insurance bill out of “a sense of neighborliness and community.” When I was growing up, that meant you, not government, helped your neighbor. Government was a last resort, not a first resource. Never has “I’m from the government and I’m here to help you” sounded more like an empty promise.
Remember when Democrats used to care about debt as a burden to our children and grandchildren? They claimed to care about debt when it was a “mere” $450 billion under George W. Bush. Now it’s headed toward the trillions. Where are the green eye-shade Democrats now? They’re spending us into debt as fast as the Treasury can print the money – or the Chinese will lend it to us. The interest on the national debt now exceeds the GDP of some countries.
Total U.S. debt has soared to an all-time high of 370 percent of yearly economic output. That far exceeds its peak of 300 percent during the Great Depression.
Jobs will be lost because of this bill. Already, Caterpiller Company is laying-off workers because it estimates the health care bill will cost the company $100 million.
Why should we believe the promises of politicians? While the president and Speaker Nancy Pelosi touted Medicare, what they forgot to mention was that the cost of that program (and the waste, fraud and abuse that is rampant in it) was supposed to be a fraction of today’s cost. In fact, it was sold on the basis of low cost.
There are no such things as cheap government programs. They become like the "Blob That Ate Tokyo," gobbling up everything in their path.
President Obama quoted Abraham Lincoln, who said he was “bound to be true” and suggested that he, too, was bound to be true. This legislation is so full of budget gimmicks, tricks and lies that the only thing true about is that it will make health care in America worse, not better.
Obama Urges Dems to Come Together for Health Care
Victory within reach, President Barack Obama exhorted House Democrats on Saturday to stay true to their party's legacy and make history by bringing health insurance to millions of struggling families now left out. Leaders exuded confidence as they defused thorny problems in the countdown to a landmark vote.
Obama evoked Abraham Lincoln's moral compass and extolled Democratic achievements such as Social Security and Medicare — once controversial, now an essential part of the social fabric — on a day marked by a frenetic hunt for votes inside the Capitol and angry tea party demonstrations at the door. Some protesters hurled racial insults at black members of Congress.
"Is this the single most important step that we have taken on health care since Medicare?" Obama asked rank-and-file Democrats far from the chanting crowds. "Absolutely. Is this the most important piece of domestic legislation, in terms of giving a break to hard working, middle-class families out there since Medicare? Absolutely.
"It is in your hands," Obama said, bringing lawmakers to their feet. "It is time to pass health care reform for America and I am confident that you are going to do it tomorrow."
In a carefully orchestrated appeal to unity ahead of a career-defining vote, Obama and House leaders were joined by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., who brought a pledge from more than 50 of his Democratic colleagues to promptly finish the bill after the House votes Sunday. House Democrats have been wary of being left in the lurch by the famously unpredictable Senate.
A series of last-minute flare-ups threatened to slow the Democrats' march to passage, after more than a year of grueling effort.
The most intense focus was on a small group of Democrats concerned that abortion funding restrictions in the legislation don't go far enough. Determined to avoid votes on such a charged issue, Democratic leaders raised the possibility of addressing the concerns of abortion foes through an executive order from Obama. It would reaffirm existing federal law barring taxpayer funded abortions except in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother.
Obama evoked Abraham Lincoln's moral compass and extolled Democratic achievements such as Social Security and Medicare — once controversial, now an essential part of the social fabric — on a day marked by a frenetic hunt for votes inside the Capitol and angry tea party demonstrations at the door. Some protesters hurled racial insults at black members of Congress.
"Is this the single most important step that we have taken on health care since Medicare?" Obama asked rank-and-file Democrats far from the chanting crowds. "Absolutely. Is this the most important piece of domestic legislation, in terms of giving a break to hard working, middle-class families out there since Medicare? Absolutely.
"It is in your hands," Obama said, bringing lawmakers to their feet. "It is time to pass health care reform for America and I am confident that you are going to do it tomorrow."
In a carefully orchestrated appeal to unity ahead of a career-defining vote, Obama and House leaders were joined by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., who brought a pledge from more than 50 of his Democratic colleagues to promptly finish the bill after the House votes Sunday. House Democrats have been wary of being left in the lurch by the famously unpredictable Senate.
A series of last-minute flare-ups threatened to slow the Democrats' march to passage, after more than a year of grueling effort.
The most intense focus was on a small group of Democrats concerned that abortion funding restrictions in the legislation don't go far enough. Determined to avoid votes on such a charged issue, Democratic leaders raised the possibility of addressing the concerns of abortion foes through an executive order from Obama. It would reaffirm existing federal law barring taxpayer funded abortions except in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother.
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