Fewer people on prescription drugs, fewer people sick in hospitals, consumers learning how to get healthy and stay healthy. Alternative and Complimentary medicine should be our 1st line of defense in basic health care
80% of our health care expenditure is in treating chronic conditions. We pay doctors to heal us when we’re sick or injured. Imagine the outcome if we rewarded doctors for keeping us healthy.
Click Here : watch this short video with Michael Stern VP Dorsey & Company
Why Health Insurance Cost So Much!
Wake Up America
http://www.yourinsurancematters.net
These are my thoughts; I’d like to hear yours
Monday, July 27, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
More Questions Than Answers
After listening to president Obama's news conference on health care I am left with more questions than answers. For example; 1. How are we going to pay for this without getting further into debt? 2. How in the world would private health care ever be able to compete with a government run public plan? Private enterprise must make a profit to exist yet government run plans can just pass the loses to the tax payer. I can't think of one government program that runs efficiently. Why would health care be any different? 4. Why won't the president be honest with the American people and tell us what is really in this plan?
When asked if the president would put himself and his family on this government plan he skirted around the question. Of course as the president he has the best health care with doctors following him everywhere he goes. But what about when he is out of office and what about congressmen who have the best health care money can buy. All paid for by the tax payer.
I think this one statement is very telling. If the plan isn't good enough for them, why is it good enough for us.
And please Mr. President, don't insult the intelligence of the American people by telling us stories about doctors who would perhaps perform un-necessary surgery just to make more money. We all understand there are possibly bad apples in every walk of life. I believe most doctors are ethical and want to do what is right by their patients. Wouldn't a prudent person seek a second medical opinion?
I don't want to be disrespectful of my President. I want him to be successful for the sake of my country. However, this is one proposal I want to fail. We already have the greatest health care in the world. People from other countries who can afford to do so come here for our health care. Many leaders of other nations come to our country when they have serious health issues.
We have the very best doctors, the best medicines and the finest health care technology all readily available to those in need at an instant notice. I don't want a complete overhaul. I want to fine tune and fix the parts that need fixing. This is what our brightest minds should be focusing on.
More government bureaucracy is not the solution. It is the problem.
Check back next week because I am going to begin outlining what I believe are some real solutions.
This is my opinion, I'd like to hear yours.
When asked if the president would put himself and his family on this government plan he skirted around the question. Of course as the president he has the best health care with doctors following him everywhere he goes. But what about when he is out of office and what about congressmen who have the best health care money can buy. All paid for by the tax payer.
I think this one statement is very telling. If the plan isn't good enough for them, why is it good enough for us.
And please Mr. President, don't insult the intelligence of the American people by telling us stories about doctors who would perhaps perform un-necessary surgery just to make more money. We all understand there are possibly bad apples in every walk of life. I believe most doctors are ethical and want to do what is right by their patients. Wouldn't a prudent person seek a second medical opinion?
I don't want to be disrespectful of my President. I want him to be successful for the sake of my country. However, this is one proposal I want to fail. We already have the greatest health care in the world. People from other countries who can afford to do so come here for our health care. Many leaders of other nations come to our country when they have serious health issues.
We have the very best doctors, the best medicines and the finest health care technology all readily available to those in need at an instant notice. I don't want a complete overhaul. I want to fine tune and fix the parts that need fixing. This is what our brightest minds should be focusing on.
More government bureaucracy is not the solution. It is the problem.
Check back next week because I am going to begin outlining what I believe are some real solutions.
This is my opinion, I'd like to hear yours.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Highlights From The Obama Health Care Bill
Would our politicians put themselves and their loved ones on this health care plan? Health care needs fixing but not an overhaul. There are some good ideas on both sides of the isle. Let's take the time and get this right. Thanks to Fleckman who broke down the bill and posted on his twitter account.
Here are my top 12
1. fleckman: Pg 42 of HC Bill – The Health Choices Commissioner will choose UR HC Benefits 4 you. U have no choice! #p2 Jul 17, 2009 12:36 AM GMT ·
2. fleckman: PG 50 Section 152 in HC bill – HC will be provided 2 ALL non US citizens, illegal or otherwise. #p2 Jul 17, 2009 12:52 AM GMT ·
3. fleckman: Pg 58HC Bill – Govt will have real-time access 2 individs finances & a National ID Healthcard will b issued! Jul 17, 2009 01:00 AM GMT ·
4. fleckman: Pg 59 HC Bill lines 21-24 Govt will have direct access 2 ur banks accts 4 elect. funds transfer! #p2 Jul 17, 2009 01:04 AM GMT ·
5. fleckman: Pg 72 Lines 8-14 Govt is creating an HC Exchange 2 bring priv HC plans under Govt control Jul 17, 2009 02:37 PM GMT ·
6. fleckman: PG 85 Line 7 HC Bill – Specs for of Benefit Levels for Plans = The Govt will ration ur Healthcare! Jul 17, 2009 02:56 PM GMT
7. fleckman: pg 124 lines 24-25 HC No company can sue GOVT on price fixing. No “judicial review” against Govt Monop. #p2 Jul 17, 2009 06:28 PM GMT ·
8. fleckman: pg 127 Lines 1-16 HC Bill – Doctors/ #AMA – The Govt will tell YOU what u can make. Jul 17, 2009 06:41 PM GMT
9. fleckman: Pg 145 Line 15-17 An Employer MUST auto enroll employees into pub opt plan. NO CHOICE. Jul 17, 2009 07:17 PM GMT
10. fleckman: Pg 149 Lines 16-24 ANY Emplyr w payroll 400k & above who does not prov. pub opt. pays 8% tax on all payroll Jul 17, 2009 08:44 PM GMT
11. fleckman: pg 150 Lines 9-13 Biz w payroll btw 251k & 400k who doesnt prov. pub. opt pays 2-6% tax on all payroll Jul 17, 2009 08:49 PM GMT
12. fleckman: Pg 167 Lines 18-23 ANY individual who doesnt have acceptable HC accrdng 2 Govt will be taxed 2.5% of inc Jul 17, 2009 09:58 PM GMT
These are my top 12. Thanks to Peter Fleckenstein who took the time to break these down. Here is a link to the full bill---
HEALTH CARE BILL
Here are my top 12
1. fleckman: Pg 42 of HC Bill – The Health Choices Commissioner will choose UR HC Benefits 4 you. U have no choice! #p2 Jul 17, 2009 12:36 AM GMT ·
2. fleckman: PG 50 Section 152 in HC bill – HC will be provided 2 ALL non US citizens, illegal or otherwise. #p2 Jul 17, 2009 12:52 AM GMT ·
Can you say amnesty?
3. fleckman: Pg 58HC Bill – Govt will have real-time access 2 individs finances & a National ID Healthcard will b issued! Jul 17, 2009 01:00 AM GMT ·
4. fleckman: Pg 59 HC Bill lines 21-24 Govt will have direct access 2 ur banks accts 4 elect. funds transfer! #p2 Jul 17, 2009 01:04 AM GMT ·
Do you ever feel like you lose more of your freedoms each passing day?
5. fleckman: Pg 72 Lines 8-14 Govt is creating an HC Exchange 2 bring priv HC plans under Govt control Jul 17, 2009 02:37 PM GMT ·
So much for the private health care option.
6. fleckman: PG 85 Line 7 HC Bill – Specs for of Benefit Levels for Plans = The Govt will ration ur Healthcare! Jul 17, 2009 02:56 PM GMT
To the elderly and the very ill, watch out. Based upon your illness, age or diagnosis it may not be worth while to ration care out to you.
7. fleckman: pg 124 lines 24-25 HC No company can sue GOVT on price fixing. No “judicial review” against Govt Monop. #p2 Jul 17, 2009 06:28 PM GMT ·
8. fleckman: pg 127 Lines 1-16 HC Bill – Doctors/ #AMA – The Govt will tell YOU what u can make. Jul 17, 2009 06:41 PM GMT
Sure, this will really create competition among doctors and provide us the highest quality health care.
9. fleckman: Pg 145 Line 15-17 An Employer MUST auto enroll employees into pub opt plan. NO CHOICE. Jul 17, 2009 07:17 PM GMT
10. fleckman: Pg 149 Lines 16-24 ANY Emplyr w payroll 400k & above who does not prov. pub opt. pays 8% tax on all payroll Jul 17, 2009 08:44 PM GMT
11. fleckman: pg 150 Lines 9-13 Biz w payroll btw 251k & 400k who doesnt prov. pub. opt pays 2-6% tax on all payroll Jul 17, 2009 08:49 PM GMT
12. fleckman: Pg 167 Lines 18-23 ANY individual who doesnt have acceptable HC accrdng 2 Govt will be taxed 2.5% of inc Jul 17, 2009 09:58 PM GMT
These are my top 12. Thanks to Peter Fleckenstein who took the time to break these down. Here is a link to the full bill---
HEALTH CARE BILL
Monday, July 20, 2009
Health Care Is A Lot Of Different Systemes Glued Together
In America, heath care is a business. You need to keep this in mind. Hospitals and doctors and insurers have to make money to stay in business. With insurers trying to control costs often times they tie the doctors hands when it comes to deciding what treatments and medications patients can get.
Have you ever heard this scenario? The doctor prescribed a medication or service, only to have the insurance company decide over and above what your doctor determines is medically best. It happens all the time.
To be fair, insurance companies are a business and they need to make a profit. So they are trying to rid excessive use of services and expensive medications when lesser expensive ones will, in their opinion do the job. But there is not always an absolute and it’s the patient who suffers.
If you think this will be any better with government run health care. It will only be worse when it’s the government deciding your course of treatment and what is cost effective.
Mike McAllister, president and CEO of Humana told an audience at a recent 2009 Wharton health care business conference, “We don’t actually have a health care system. We have a lot of different systems that are glued together.”
Folks, we have (HMO’s, PPO’s POS’s, Indemnity, Limited benefit plans, ceilings on various categories of care, limitless out of pocket costs and more.
We have the wrong objectives. The incentives are wrong for everyone, the providers, the payers and the patients.
Consumers need to be involved in health care as they are in all other aspects of the marketplace, McCallister, told the audience. With regards to health care “you can’t get the price and quality information” to make smart health care shopping decisions.
.
Medical providers are to blame too. Excessive use of services is one of the main elements at the heart of the health care crisis. For example doctors and hospitals making money off of CT, MRI or Pet scans that aren’t always necessary. And then the patient, if they lay down long enough someone will scan them.
Did you know that the number of hospital and doctor visits is up 20% in the past 5 years on a per capita basis? Why?
Want to know why health insurance policies are area factored?
Why does Wyoming have a rate of back surgeries of 9.63% per 1,000 people while the sate of Illinois is only 3.39% surgeries per 1,000 people? Especially when the rate of back problems isn’t that different in the two states.
And why are health insurance policies so filled with loopholes, limits and exclusions?
Disclosure statements about gaps in coverage are weak. It’s difficult for consumers to figure out what a policy covers and doesn’t cover. Why does one health insurance policy have a limit on organ transplant procedures of $250,000 when another covers the same procedure to $1 million?
Decent insurance is supposed to protect you in the event of a catastrophic illness.
Health care is not going to be an easy fix. It didn’t break overnight. It’s not going to be fixed overnight. Keep in mind. Like in the game of dominoes, when one domino falls it affects all the others.
I’d like to see policies streamlined with fewer choices. Get rid of all these loopholes and make policies easier to read. The federal governments role should be in regulating all polices rather than the individual states, so we can have one standard definition of what constitutes health insurance.
Create portability and open up state lines to create more competition. You are able to cross state lines for everything else you buy. Why not health insurance?
Let’s get health care back into the hands of the consumer and the medical providers. When we know what we are paying for we are more likely to be savvy shoppers.
When it comes to health care I urge you to educate yourself so you know what you want and why you want it. Don’t let yourself be led blindly.
The good thing is people are talking about this and thinking about this.
This is my opinion. I’d like to hear yours.
Have you ever heard this scenario? The doctor prescribed a medication or service, only to have the insurance company decide over and above what your doctor determines is medically best. It happens all the time.
To be fair, insurance companies are a business and they need to make a profit. So they are trying to rid excessive use of services and expensive medications when lesser expensive ones will, in their opinion do the job. But there is not always an absolute and it’s the patient who suffers.
If you think this will be any better with government run health care. It will only be worse when it’s the government deciding your course of treatment and what is cost effective.
Mike McAllister, president and CEO of Humana told an audience at a recent 2009 Wharton health care business conference, “We don’t actually have a health care system. We have a lot of different systems that are glued together.”
Folks, we have (HMO’s, PPO’s POS’s, Indemnity, Limited benefit plans, ceilings on various categories of care, limitless out of pocket costs and more.
We have the wrong objectives. The incentives are wrong for everyone, the providers, the payers and the patients.
Consumers need to be involved in health care as they are in all other aspects of the marketplace, McCallister, told the audience. With regards to health care “you can’t get the price and quality information” to make smart health care shopping decisions.
.
Medical providers are to blame too. Excessive use of services is one of the main elements at the heart of the health care crisis. For example doctors and hospitals making money off of CT, MRI or Pet scans that aren’t always necessary. And then the patient, if they lay down long enough someone will scan them.
Did you know that the number of hospital and doctor visits is up 20% in the past 5 years on a per capita basis? Why?
Want to know why health insurance policies are area factored?
Why does Wyoming have a rate of back surgeries of 9.63% per 1,000 people while the sate of Illinois is only 3.39% surgeries per 1,000 people? Especially when the rate of back problems isn’t that different in the two states.
And why are health insurance policies so filled with loopholes, limits and exclusions?
Disclosure statements about gaps in coverage are weak. It’s difficult for consumers to figure out what a policy covers and doesn’t cover. Why does one health insurance policy have a limit on organ transplant procedures of $250,000 when another covers the same procedure to $1 million?
Decent insurance is supposed to protect you in the event of a catastrophic illness.
Health care is not going to be an easy fix. It didn’t break overnight. It’s not going to be fixed overnight. Keep in mind. Like in the game of dominoes, when one domino falls it affects all the others.
I’d like to see policies streamlined with fewer choices. Get rid of all these loopholes and make policies easier to read. The federal governments role should be in regulating all polices rather than the individual states, so we can have one standard definition of what constitutes health insurance.
Create portability and open up state lines to create more competition. You are able to cross state lines for everything else you buy. Why not health insurance?
Let’s get health care back into the hands of the consumer and the medical providers. When we know what we are paying for we are more likely to be savvy shoppers.
When it comes to health care I urge you to educate yourself so you know what you want and why you want it. Don’t let yourself be led blindly.
The good thing is people are talking about this and thinking about this.
This is my opinion. I’d like to hear yours.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
