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| 79 Million Struggling With Health Insurance and Me... »
| Individual and Group Health Insurance Costs Up 100... »
| Many Americans Forgoing Treatment to Save Money on... »
| Health Insurance Premiums Go Up, But More Slowly »
| Schwarzenegger Seeks to Curtail California Individ... »
| Affordable Health Insurance Has Pros and Cons »
| Affordable Health Insurance Still Hard to Find, bu... »
| Should Health Insurance Be Based on Lifestyle Choi... »
| Small Business Health Insurance in Maryland Gets B... »
| Massachusetts Health Insurance Plugs On »
According to ABC News, when most people greet their medical doctor, they want to feel like more than a "disorder." However, before handshakes and kind greetings can even take place, millions of people must hope to get access to health insurance coverage, and find their way to the doctor that can provide them with the guidance and health care they need. The article states that "nearly 80 percent of the patients surveyed want to shake their doctor's hand -- and about half prefer that their physician use their first name during that initial encounter," revealing that bedside manner is still of tremendous importance where a medical doctor is concerned. But let's not get too far ahead of ourselves...while a personable doctor is a nice thing, seeing a doctor at all would be a dream come true for those who can't afford health insurance coverage. It's nice to know that most often your medical doctor will "remain sensitive to nonverbal cues that might suggest if a patient wants to shake hands, or if they want to be called by their first name," but for the 46 million people searching for affordable health insurance coverage, even a grouchy doctor will do just fine, thanks.
For those Americans who can't afford private health insurance, life-saving (and expensive) heart disease treatment is less likely to be provided, even when it is a life or death situation. MSN Health reports that "a new U.S. study finds that black Medicare patients who have a heart attack are less likely than whites to get procedures that open their blood vessels, such as angioplasty, which can leave them more vulnerable to dying within a year." However, this sad conclusion isn't all that surprising when situated alongside all of the other data that suggests that it's downright dangerous not to have some form of private health insurance. For those who only have public coverage, like Medicare and Medicaid, treatment can be slow and less sophisticated that that received under private coverage. But for those who have no coverage at all, there's a real danger of both long-term disease, and medical debt. The best thing anyone can do for access to heart disease treatment, diabetes, cancer, and more is to have some form of medical coverage, and preferably private health insurance. Shopping around aggressively for the best possible deal can help to pinpoint the coverage you can afford that will best protect you, and your loved ones, in a time of need.
Soldiers returning from the war in Iraq are struggling to get the mental health care they need, as they can't find doctors who will take their insurance. Like so many Americans, they're finding that individual health insurance doesn't cover these treatments; will change be on the horizon? At Boston 7News, the soldiers' stories talk are about military insurance cutting payments to therapists, low reimbursement, a "tangle of red tape." But sadly, mental health care has been an issue in all health care circles, from individual health insurance, to employer insurance, and now even military insurance. Costs for treatments and medications are very high, and with an estimated 1 in 10 Americans suffering from some form of mental health disorder, costs could be in the billions. But, others argue that mental health disorders cost America $150 billion a year in disability, lost productivity, premature death, and more. So, will individual health insurance and employer insurance cover mental health care any time soon? Hopefully, this shameful treatment of our men and women in the military will open the eyes of the public, and the lawmakers, making it easier for everyone to receive the treatment they need for the disorder that they must cope with.
MSN Health has recently released a study suggesting that 100 million people worldwide may be diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease by 2050. With costs for Alzheimer's care rising alongside diagnoses, how will this effect health coverage costs? According to the article, "currently, 26.6 million people worldwide have Alzheimer's disease and that number could grow to more than 100 million people by 2050." And more than 40% of those 100 million needing Alzheimer's care will have late-stage disease that requires a high level of care, including nursing homes and cutting-edge medications. For those who have Medicare or Medicaid, this could pose a serious problem. There are many fears that the costs of Alzheimer's treatment could overwhelm government resources in the next decade. For those who have private health coverage, premiums may rise and deductibles can grow larger. And of course, the more expensive the treatments, the more expensive the health coverage. There is talk of providing the Alzheimer's Association with an additional $200 million to fund research into preventing this disease, which could save billions. The best way to save money today is to shop aggressively for health coverage that covers as much as possible, or covers what Medicare and Medicaid don't cover. Having even minimal coverage will provide the kind of preventative care that can delay and control the severity of almost any disease.
Relief may well have arrived for the more than 500,000 people who can't afford Missouri health insurance. About 11% of Missouri's population is unemployed, though for 83% of them one person in the family works either full or part time. Many uninsured have family members who work full time, but still don't have access to medical coverage. Why are so many workers uninsured? The high costs of insurance premiums have made it nearly impossible for employers to offer Missouri health insurance, or to extend coverage to families. As a result, many hard working individuals aren't received the kind of medical coverage they need, or that their families need. But bill 818, just passed in the 2007 Legislative Session, may be of help. According to joplinindependent.com, "families will now be able to deduct the costs of health insurance premiums from Missouri income for state tax purposes." Other key aspects of the bill are a tax-free option for employees to pay insurance premiums through cafeteria plans, the expanding of dependent coverage to the age of 26, and expanded opportunities for Missourians defined as "high risk." Hopefully other states will soon follow this example, making medical coverage everywhere as easy to access as Missouri health insurance.
WKRN.com asks, "How Safe Are Online Drugs?" reminding us that the inability to afford medical coverage has led many to take risks with online prescription drugs that may be dangerous to their health. According to the article, many people look for "drug stores" online that will sell them expensive and necessary medicines for drastically reduced costs. These medicines often come from Canada, Mexico, and other countries that have access to socialized medicine. The problem? Online prescription drugs can take a long time to get to patients, can be outdated, and sometimes aren't even the medicine that it claims to be. By taking online prescription drugs, each consumer must be aware that they are taking their life into their own hands. But a general lack of medical coverage, or even of decent benefits associated with good medical coverage, leaves many people without options. They need their medicines to stay healthy, or even to live, yet those medicines can cost hundreds and hundreds of dollars. The best solution so far is for consumers to rely on generic drugs whenever possible. And, as always, the medical checkups that come with a small amount of health coverage make it better than not having any coverage at all.
As genetic testing becomes more and more useful in the fight against cancer, will it undermine the average consumer's ability to find good individual health insurance coverage? At wral.com, the example they give is of a woman genetically predisposed to breast cancer. Genetic testing has been able to pinpoint a breast cancer "gene," and as more and more disease is linked to heredity, such testing is likely to grow in popularity. But what about the struggle for individual health insurance coverage? Could someone be denied for have such a tendency towards disease? As of right now, legislation is currently before Congress to prevent insurance discrimination based on genetic testing. Hopefully it will pass, making just that little bit easier for people who really need medical coverage to find and receive the kinds of treatments that could save their life. In the mean time, following a healthy lifestyle and getting regular checkups is still the best known way to avoid cancer, most disease, and even to qualify for individual health insurance coverage.
Studies released by MSN health have reportedly found that the presence of family health insurance may influence the treatment your child gets when you take him or her to the emergency room. According to the study, "white kids are admitted to hospital after an emergency room visit at a greater rate than black or Hispanic kids." However, this is not because black and Hispanic kids aren't getting the treatment they need, it's because white kids are getting treatment they don't need. Why? Family health insurance is more prevalent in middle-class families, many of whom are white. As a result, "white patients are being over-admitted to the hospital when they don't really need it." Perhaps both parents and doctor's are taking the "why not?" mentality, and don't mind playing it safer when the child in question covered by family health insurance. Or, perhaps the option isn't even on the table for minority kids who don't benefit from the same coverage. Regardless, expensive hospital stays only drive up insurance costs for everyone. And as it's reported in the article, "it exposes them [children] to infectious diseases and other risks from being hospitalized. More health care is not always better."
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