Guest guest Posted May 7, 2005 Report Share Posted May 7, 2005 Reply Posted to the "Homeless Health" thread on Homeless Civil Rights and Civil Liberties: Harmony K Friday, May 6, 2005 - 7:11:34 AM HEALTH CARE- only in America- http://www.americanprogressaction.org/site/pp.asp?c=klLWJcP7H & b=651715 America alone among industrialized nations has a health care system so fundamentally flawed it needs a whole week to draw attention to its shortcomings. For "Cover the Uninsured Week" 2005, a number of reports confirm the obvious truth: "America doesn't have the world's best health care system, just the most expensive." In fact, as Paul Krugman points out, our system is "uniquely inefficient." America continues to "spend far more per person on health care than any other country, yet many Americans lack health insurance and don't receive essential care." The Center for American Progress, unlike the Bush administration, has developed a real plan for making America healthier. Read all about it (or watch the flash video!). http://covertheuninsuredweek.org/news/index.php?NewsID=1181 http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/newssentinel/news/editorial/11558567.htm http://www.pkarchive.org/column/042905.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A21929-2004Aug21.html http://www.americanprogressaction.org/site/pp.asp?c=klLWJcP7H & b=478181 http://makeashorterlink.com/?V42D2170B THE COST OF BEING UNINSURED: The latest studies calculate the costs,both physical and monetary, of being uninsured. In a study conducted by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), 41 percent of uninsured adults said they were unable to see a doctor when they needed to during the previous year and 56 percent did not have a personal doctor or other health care provider. In 2003, chronically ill uninsured adults were more than four times more likely to go without medical care or prescription drugs than chronically ill insured adults." Nevertheless, more than one in five uninsured adults with chronic conditions report spending at least $2,000 out of pocket in a year for medical care. In last week's Los Angeles Times, Barbara Ehrenreich pointed out the "average visit to an ER now costs a little over $1,000, which is a high price to pay for an asthma attack or an infant's fever." http://www.rwjf.org/newsroom/newsreleasesdetail.jsp?id=10347 http://makeashorterlink.com/?D25D6270B http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-oe-ehrenreich28apr28,1,3604865.story WORKERS LOSING OUT: One of the themes of this year's "Cover the Uninsured Week" is the plight of working Americans, who are being squeezed as the cost of health care becomes insupportable for many businesses. RWJF estimates that 20 million working Americans are uninsured and the Washington Times reports rising health care costs are forcing companies to pass "more of their health care costs on to employees in an effort to cut business expenses." General Motors Corp., the nation's largest buyer of health plans, recently reported it lost $1.1 billion in the first quarter of 2005, its largest quarterly loss in more than a decade." The company "cited the cost of providing health coverage for its workers and retirees as a main culprit." http://www.rwjf.org/newsroom/newsreleasesdetail.jsp?id=10347 http://www.washingtontimes.com/business/20050502-094124-1088r.htm http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/business/20050419-1351-earns-gm.html THE ADMINISTRATION RESPONSE, PART I: The first element of the Bush administration's response to America's health care crisis has been to cut funding for coverage and offer half-baked privatization plans like Health Savings Accounts that exacerbate existing problems and would help only 0.3 percent of uninsured adults. In his latest "victory," President Bush successfully lobbied Congress to cut federal funding for Medicaid, the nation's largest insurance program for the poor. Medicaid was already facing increased costs driven by "enrollment growth due to the economic downturn" during Bush's first term. In addition, Congress recently passed the White House-backed Bankruptcy Bill, which will make it harder for uninsured Americans to recover from crippling debt brought on by medical problems. http://www.motherjones.com/news/dailymojo/2004/08/08_530.html http://www.cbpp.org/5-10-04health.htm http://www.cmwf.org/publications/publications_show.htm?doc_id=274002 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/04/28/AR2005042800446_pf.html http://www.kff.org/medicaid/loader.cfm?url=/commonspot/security/getfile.cfm & PageID=50450 http://www.americanprogressaction.org/site/pp.asp?c=klLWJcP7H & b=508533 http://www.demos-usa.org/pubs/bankruptcy_press_kit.pdf THE ADMINISTRATION RESPONSE, PART II: The second part of the Bush administration's response appears to involve pretending health care problems don't exist. For instance, the 2004 Economic Report of the President concluded "many [of the uninsured] may remain uninsured as a matter of choice," perhaps because "they are young and healthy and do not see the need for insurance." Others, the report offered, are probably covered but do not report it, maybe because the "survey questions are confusing." A more recent report funded by the Department of Health and Human Services set out to prove the number of uninsured is overstated. Uwe Reinhardt, a Princeton University specialist on health care issues, said the study was "like making sure we know how many deck chairs we have on the Titanic." http://makeashorterlink.com/?A3CD3170B http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-uninsured26apr26,1,2553979.story A BETTER PLAN: At the Center, we agree with the rest of the industrialized world that health care should be a "basic human right." To that end, we've developed an innovative blueprint for affordable, quality health coverage, building on the strengths of our current system while responding to its serious shortcomings. Under CAP's plan, health coverage would be available and affordable for all Americans, through either employee-sponsored insurance, Medicaid, or a new group insurance pool modeled on the system used by federal employees and members of Congress. The pool, based on the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP), would assist all those who lack access to job-based insurance a problem for about 80 percent of all uninsured people. Almost two-thirds (63 percent) of U.S. adults cite lowering health care costs and health insurance as a top priority for the president and Congress. It's time to get to work. http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/newssentinel/news/editorial/11558567.htm http://makeashorterlink.com/?J5FD2270B http://www.kff.org/uninsured/loader.cfm?url=/commonspot/security/getfile.cfm & PageID=44477 http://www.kff.org/kaiserpolls/pomr011105nr.cfm ==================== FAIR USE for studying homelessness-related issues, social and economic injustice, human > homeless civil rights and civil liberties, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 7, 2005 Report Share Posted May 7, 2005 I dont need to watch a video to know how bad it is. I havent had health insurance for more than 2 years in my entire life and it hasnt been anytime lately. right now I have just low enough income to qaualify for a sliding fee at a clinic and finally get free meds from the pharmaceutical companies, but not low enough for any other help. if I get too sick for the clinic then Im SOL. Im too young for medicare and even if I wasnt I couldnt even afford what medicare doesnt cover if I had to have any kind of operation. - Kathy undisclosed-recipients Saturday, May 07, 2005 4:09 PM HEALTH CARE- only in America- Reply Posted to the "Homeless Health" thread on Homeless Civil Rights and Civil Liberties: Harmony K Friday, May 6, 2005 - 7:11:34 AM HEALTH CARE- only in America- http://www.americanprogressaction.org/site/pp.asp?c=klLWJcP7H & b=651715 America alone among industrialized nations has a health care system so fundamentally flawed it needs a whole week to draw attention to its shortcomings. For "Cover the Uninsured Week" 2005, a number of reports confirm the obvious truth: "America doesn't have the world's best health care system, just the most expensive." In fact, as Paul Krugman points out, our system is "uniquely inefficient." America continues to "spend far more per person on health care than any other country, yet many Americans lack health insurance and don't receive essential care." The Center for American Progress, unlike the Bush administration, has developed a real plan for making America healthier. Read all about it (or watch the flash video!). http://covertheuninsuredweek.org/news/index.php?NewsID=1181 http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/newssentinel/news/editorial/11558567.htm http://www.pkarchive.org/column/042905.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A21929-2004Aug21.html http://www.americanprogressaction.org/site/pp.asp?c=klLWJcP7H & b=478181 http://makeashorterlink.com/?V42D2170B THE COST OF BEING UNINSURED: The latest studies calculate the costs,both physical and monetary, of being uninsured. In a study conducted by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), 41 percent of uninsured adults said they were unable to see a doctor when they needed to during the previous year and 56 percent did not have a personal doctor or other health care provider. In 2003, chronically ill uninsured adults were more than four times more likely to go without medical care or prescription drugs than chronically ill insured adults." Nevertheless, more than one in five uninsured adults with chronic conditions report spending at least $2,000 out of pocket in a year for medical care. In last week's Los Angeles Times, Barbara Ehrenreich pointed out the "average visit to an ER now costs a little over $1,000, which is a high price to pay for an asthma attack or an infant's fever." http://www.rwjf.org/newsroom/newsreleasesdetail.jsp?id=10347 http://makeashorterlink.com/?D25D6270B http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-oe-ehrenreich28apr28,1,3604865.story WORKERS LOSING OUT: One of the themes of this year's "Cover the Uninsured Week" is the plight of working Americans, who are being squeezed as the cost of health care becomes insupportable for many businesses. RWJF estimates that 20 million working Americans are uninsured and the Washington Times reports rising health care costs are forcing companies to pass "more of their health care costs on to employees in an effort to cut business expenses." General Motors Corp., the nation's largest buyer of health plans, recently reported it lost $1.1 billion in the first quarter of 2005, its largest quarterly loss in more than a decade." The company "cited the cost of providing health coverage for its workers and retirees as a main culprit." http://www.rwjf.org/newsroom/newsreleasesdetail.jsp?id=10347 http://www.washingtontimes.com/business/20050502-094124-1088r.htm http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/business/20050419-1351-earns-gm.html THE ADMINISTRATION RESPONSE, PART I: The first element of the Bush administration's response to America's health care crisis has been to cut funding for coverage and offer half-baked privatization plans like Health Savings Accounts that exacerbate existing problems and would help only 0.3 percent of uninsured adults. In his latest "victory," President Bush successfully lobbied Congress to cut federal funding for Medicaid, the nation's largest insurance program for the poor. Medicaid was already facing increased costs driven by "enrollment growth due to the economic downturn" during Bush's first term. In addition, Congress recently passed the White House-backed Bankruptcy Bill, which will make it harder for uninsured Americans to recover from crippling debt brought on by medical problems. http://www.motherjones.com/news/dailymojo/2004/08/08_530.html http://www.cbpp.org/5-10-04health.htm http://www.cmwf.org/publications/publications_show.htm?doc_id=274002 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/04/28/AR2005042800446_pf.html http://www.kff.org/medicaid/loader.cfm?url=/commonspot/security/getfile.cfm & PageID=50450 http://www.americanprogressaction.org/site/pp.asp?c=klLWJcP7H & b=508533 http://www.demos-usa.org/pubs/bankruptcy_press_kit.pdf THE ADMINISTRATION RESPONSE, PART II: The second part of the Bush administration's response appears to involve pretending health care problems don't exist. For instance, the 2004 Economic Report of the President concluded "many [of the uninsured] may remain uninsured as a matter of choice," perhaps because "they are young and healthy and do not see the need for insurance." Others, the report offered, are probably covered but do not report it, maybe because the "survey questions are confusing." A more recent report funded by the Department of Health and Human Services set out to prove the number of uninsured is overstated. Uwe Reinhardt, a Princeton University specialist on health care issues, said the study was "like making sure we know how many deck chairs we have on the Titanic." http://makeashorterlink.com/?A3CD3170B http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-uninsured26apr26,1,2553979.story A BETTER PLAN: At the Center, we agree with the rest of the industrialized world that health care should be a "basic human right." To that end, we've developed an innovative blueprint for affordable, quality health coverage, building on the strengths of our current system while responding to its serious shortcomings. Under CAP's plan, health coverage would be available and affordable for all Americans, through either employee-sponsored insurance, Medicaid, or a new group insurance pool modeled on the system used by federal employees and members of Congress. The pool, based on the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP), would assist all those who lack access to job-based insurance a problem for about 80 percent of all uninsured people. Almost two-thirds (63 percent) of U.S. adults cite lowering health care costs and health insurance as a top priority for the president and Congress. It's time to get to work. http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/newssentinel/news/editorial/11558567.htm http://makeashorterlink.com/?J5FD2270B http://www.kff.org/uninsured/loader.cfm?url=/commonspot/security/getfile.cfm & PageID=44477 http://www.kff.org/kaiserpolls/pomr011105nr.cfm ==================== FAIR USE for studying homelessness-related issues, social and economic injustice, human > homeless civil rights and civil liberties, etc. «¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§ - PULSE ON WORLD HEALTH CONSPIRACIES! §Subscribe:......... - To :.... - Any information here in is for educational purpose only, it may be news related, purely speculation or someone's opinion. Always consult with a qualified health practitioner before deciding on any course of treatment, especially for serious or life-threatening illnesses.**COPYRIGHT NOTICE**In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107,any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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