Midterm Election Results

With the Republicans winning majority vote in the House 239 to 186, it doesn't look so promising for the Obama health care plan. Republicans have been determined to get the plan repealed since it was enacted. Democrats are still the majority in the Senate however, winning 52 to 46. The soon-to-be House speaker, John Boehner, says he is ready to "lay the groundwork" for getting the health care plan repealed. Boehner states that he is worried that the health care bill that was enacted by the current Congress will "ruin the best health care system in the world." In my opinion, America definitely has the potential to have the best health care system in the world but it is not the best. We have the best doctors and medical facilities in the world but many people do not have access to these resources. People with money loved our health care system because they had access to the best of everything. People without money were out of luck. People should not be losing their lives because they cannot afford health insurance. There needs to be a public health care option.
President Obama defends his plan for the U.S. after the midterm elections. He plans to work with the Republicans on key issues in the current health care bill. He is not ready to give up yet and just let his bill be repealed. He states that, "No one party will be able to dictate where we go from here."

The U.S. compared to other countries

With so many people wanting to repeal the new health care bill let's take a look back at our old health care system to remind people why change was needed.
The United States did not rank much higher than some third world countries in terms of equity of service to all citizens. The World Health Organization rated the national health care systems of 191 countries in terms of "fairness," and the United States was ranked fifty-forth. That put America slightly ahead of Chad and Rwanda but just behind Bangladesh and the Maldives. Small businesses were struggling to provide health insurance for their employees. Almost two million fewer Americans received health insurance through their employers earlier this year than compared to 2001. T.R. Reid, a former Washington Post reporter, stated in his book, "The Healing of America," that, "All the developed countries I looked at provide health coverage for every resident, old or young, rich or poor. This is the underlying moral principle of the health care system in every rich country-every one, that is, except the United States."
The Institute of Medicine estimated that more than 22,000 Americans were left to die each year because they cannot afford medical care. One-sixth of America's economy was spent on health care. Health care spending was $2.3 trillion in 2007 and was predicted to be about $4.2 trillion if we did not reform our health care system.
In the U.S., health insurers would spend around 20 percent of all premium income on administrative expenses. The French only spend about 5 percent of premiums on administrative costs. T.R. Reid asked the health ministries of all the developed countries he visited how many citizens went bankrupt in the past year (2008) because of medical bills, and the officials were astonished that he would even ask that question. No one went bankrupt because of medical bills in Britain, France, Japan, Germany, the Netherlands, Canada, or Switzerland. It has been a completely different story in America. Seven-hundred thousand U.S. citizens went bankrupt due to medical bills in 2008.
A 2008 report by the Commonwealth Fund ranked nineteen wealthy nations in curing people who could be cured with decent care, and the U.S. was ranked nineteenth. The number of people who die from curable illnesses was almost twice as high in the U.S. compared to countries such as France, Japan, and Spain.
With all of that evidence, it is safe to say that reform was needed. The new bill will work because everyone will be participating in getting health insurance so the insurance companies will be competing to insure the most people. Prices will be lower because we will not be spending as much on emergency room treatments for the uninsured and people won't go bankrupt from medical bills because insurance companies will be required to cover more costs.

Self-Analysis

Looking back to when this project was first assigned I realize that I have learned so much about health care reform. Not only has my knowledge about the subject grown, but I have also grown as a thinker.
The health care debate was a much bigger issue than I had ever known. I never really gave it much thought before because I didn’t know enough about it. I had no idea what was in the health care reform bill.
I chose this topic because I knew it was a hotly debated topic and I am interested in pursuing a career in nursing. Another factor that led to my decision was my personal ties to the health care system. I had a tumor for fifteen years before it was discovered and have had fourteen surgeries. It goes without saying that my insurance company didn’t like me very much at all. I was quite expensive. It was important that my family had good health insurance and that the company wouldn’t drop my coverage because of my pre-existing condition. Millions of people are not as fortunate as I was to have health insurance. Millions of people die each year because they don’t have health insurance. Health insurance is expensive and the new bill will help make it affordable by providing tax credits and putting a limit on how much people can be charged for out of pocket expenses. Also, people cannot be denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition. Nothing in the new bill will require people to change their coverage if they are happy with it. Over the course of this blog project I have become very passionate about the issue.
My view on health care is that everyone should have access to it. We live in the wealthiest nation in the world with the best medical facilities and top-of-the-line doctors, yet millions of people do not have access to this. We have the most expensive health care in the world but we aren’t any healthier for it. Health care should be a right, not a luxury. The new bill is making it a right. It is providing the community with services for disease prevention such as immunizations and cancer screenings.
As a thinker, I have changed in that I carefully read many reliable sources before developing my opinion. I look at biased sites from Republicans and Democrats sides so I can get an idea of what both sides of the argument are. I also look for sites where I can get just the facts without any personal input. Before this project I had opinions about issues but I based my opinions on what I heard my parents say or what my teachers said in school. A lot of that information was biased. I am able to pick through biased information to find out what is true. This project has definitely helped me become a better thinker and has provided me with so much knowledge about politics that I did not have before.

Class Blogs to Read

I recommend reading:

Education in Public Schools
It was very informative about the current education system in public schools. It provided me with some knowledge that I did not have before reading this blog. I tend to develop my own opinions about things before I know enough about them. I've always believed that education is the most important thing. I was brought up that way. It was drilled into my head that without a college degree I would not have a very successful life. This blog raised more points for me to consider my public school education compared to those who went to private schools. Since her blog was very unbiased I feel like I have received an accurate representation of the education in public schools topic. She included a lot of useful information that let me develop my own opinions without trying to steer me to believe one thing over another.

The Border: Where Immigration and Race Meet
I found this blog interesting for a few reasons. I am in a sociology class about immigration so I have a background knowledge for this subject already. Also, my father owns a landscaping business and has mostly Hispanics working for him. He always tells me stories about them that I find so interesting. This blog was good at providing information about illegal immigrants into our country. I agree with his view that America should work on trying to keep more illegal immigrants out than trying to get rid of the ones that are already in. I've always been really passionate about this issue, maybe too passionate, and I've always felt sorry for immigrants. I think he did a great job not bringing in much emotion and giving facts and unbiased information.


Affirmative Action or Inaction
I had heard of affirmative action in schools and knew what it meant but I had never given it much thought before this blog. I think she did a very good job presenting both sides of the argument and not seeming biased. She made her point clear at the end which was good so it didn't leave us wondering what she thought was best. She didn't try to steer us in one direction. I agree with her argument that affirmative action must end. Since many people are opposed to affirmative action, it should be taken away because there is conflict as to why it is still an issue.

Links

This site is very useful in showing why health care reform is needed in certain areas of our current system. It also talks about the problems that would occur if the system does not get reformed.

This site is helpful in demonstrating how the new health care law will affect all types of groups in a clear, concise form. It shows how it will affect young adults and children, seniors, the sick, those without insurance, businesses, insurers, and doctors and hospitals. It also shows the dates of when each new law will go into effect.

This site talks about how the new health care law is going to help small businesses in particular. It covers everything from the tax credits that small businesses will receive to the immediate help that the uninsured will receive.

This site shows the ideals for health care behind the Democratic party platform. It talks about what the Affordable Care Act will do for Americans from a Democratic viewpoint.

This site talks about the most immediate effects of the new health care bill. It is good because it isn't wordy and it clearly states the immediate effects.

This site was helpful in giving a quick run down of the whole plan. It talks about how the plan works for America and it goes on to list the benefits and their effective dates.

This is probably the most helpful website for those that don't know much about the plan. It is a video that gives the Obama health care plan in four minutes. The actual bill is very long but this video tells you everything you need to know about the plan in the most efficient and effective way.

This site talks about the new preventive care services that will be provided to the community and in doctors offices. It talks about how they plan on improving America's health overall.

Implications of not Reforming the Current System

Even with the passage of the new health care bill, the debate continues. Republicans and Democrats do not see eye to eye on the issue at all. Democrats want government-run universal health insurance while Republicans are fighting for privatized health insurance. If Republicans win majority vote in the White House during the midterm elections, the current bill is in trouble.
If the system is not reformed then we will continue to have the problems that we have right now. Millions of Americans will go bankrupt each year due to medical bills alone. Many Americans will lose their lives over diseases because they cannot afford to be insured. No one should have to go without health care. Prices will continue to rise just for the benefit of private insurance companies.
It is clear that reform is needed and it is in the best interest of the country for everyone to be required to have health insurance. In the long run it will keep costs down and reduce the deficit America is currently in. Of course, it will also help millions of Americans get the prescription drugs they need in order to stay healthy.

Mental Health Break

Theory Post

Despite the passing of the health care reform bill, there is still much argument over the issue. Republicans and Democrats are still not agreeing on what is best for our country. Ezra Klein, an opinionated blog writer, addresses some of the issues that are still being discussed. He claims that all Republicans are only seeing the faults in the health care bill. Peter Suderman, a columnist for the Washington Post, states that the new health care bill does nothing for Medicare. In fact, it does but Medicare double-counts some of its savings in its public statements. Klein describes the differing views of people on the health care bill by saying, “Most of the people who support the bill are something like 70:30 for the bill -- it makes things better, but there's a lot in there they'd like to be different. The bill's opponents speak as if they're closer to 100% against the bill: Everything is bad, it'll destroy American health care, none of the cost controls will work, [and] all the promises are lies.”
Bob Samuels, the president of the American Federation of Teachers, says that the bill is good in working with people who have pre-existing conditions. However, insurance companies will be the real winners because they will be insuring more people and be able to pass on the increased prices to those insured by raising premiums. Samuels claims that a totally different plan is needed because this one will not be affordable.
The issue on health care is so controversial in the first place because it is going to affect everyone. Everyone has to have health insurance by law. There is no easy answer to ending the debate. I do not think that everyone will ever be 100 percent happy with the health care bill. People weren’t happy with the one we had and it was clear that reform was needed. I think the only way to bring an end to this debate is compromise. Obviously, the bill will never please everyone, but we have to realize what is best for the majority of our country.

Analysis of Health Care Reform Bill

The medical mission trip that I took to the Dominican Republic last summer motivated me to become involved in health care. Access to any sort of health care there is extremely limited. There is almost no care outside of the country’s capital, Santo Domingo.
Although the health care conditions in a third world country like the Dominican Republic may seem abhorrent, the United States does not rank much higher than some third world countries in terms of equity of service to all citizens. The World Health Organization rated the national health care systems of 191 countries in terms of “fairness,” and the United States was ranked fifty-fourth.
Health care reform has become an important issue in America recently, and I wanted to find out more about the underlying factors and get both sides of the argument. I don’t understand why a country as rich and as medically advanced as ours is unable to provide everyone with access to health insurance. I figured that this blog project would be a great time to learn about something that I’m so interested in.
The American health care system is flawed in a number of ways. It is clear that reform is needed. The key issues are which parts of the system are flawed and what should be done to fix the flaws. The new health care bill that President Barack Obama signed in March will affect everyone. The new bill will be activated in portions, and the whole thing is expected to be implemented by 2014. This bill will affect everyone differently. Basically, everyone will have health insurance. Small businesses will be offered tax credits in order to give all employees health insurance. Insurance companies must reduce paperwork and justify their premium increases. Doctors will pay increased amounts for malpractice insurance and will have low government reimbursement rates.
Since the passage of the bill, Republicans have been working hard to get it repealed. They are concerned that it will impose an overwhelming tax burden on Americans for many years to come. They also are saying that it will increase the deficit and raise premium costs. The party is worried that it will impose higher prescription drug costs on seniors and the disabled.
The Democratic Party platform is based solely on making health insurance affordable and accessible to everyone. The party plans to offer tax credits to make quality, dependable coverage affordable. They plan on reducing premium costs by $1,000 by paying for the highest-cost medical cases. There will also be a Medicare prescription drug benefit to ensure that Medicare surpluses are used only for Medicare. This will make prescription drugs affordable for seniors. In the long run, the deficit will be reduced by $1 trillion by the government providing tax cuts and credits.
Some Republicans argue that health insurance is a luxury and not a right. They argue that we are slowly turning into a socialistic government. Yet, we are the only industrialized country in the world without some form of socialized health care. Republicans also argue that we have “the best health care system in the world,” but the World Health Organization ranked us 54th in fairness of our health care system out of 191 countries.
The Office of Personnel Management director, John Berry, recognizes that health insurance premiums for federal workers will be going up next year. The reason that this is happening is because new benefits are being offered. These benefits include preventive care costs being fully covered and young adults being able to stay on family plans until the age of 26. Government run health insurance premium rates are increasing, but they are increasing at a lower rate than those in the private-sector.
The new health care bill is going to affect everyone in different ways. Doctors and physicians “in general should benefit from this bill, and patients should benefit because they will be able to get preventive care and not rely on emergency rooms," said James Thrall, chair of the American College of Radiology's Board of Chancellors. Overall, the reform bill should benefit doctors because in 2008 it was shown that physicians spent almost $24 billion in charity care, much of which was for uninsured patients.
In the new plan everyone will have to get health insurance. Families earning less than $88,000 a year will be given government subsidies to help pay for health insurance. If they still truly cannot afford health insurance they will be granted a ‘hardship exemption.’ Families that earn at least $100,000 annually will buy health insurance or will pay a penalty if they don’t have it. The extremely wealthy, those earning $200,000 to $250,000 a year, will be taxed 30 percent higher in order to help pay for Medicare expansion. Those in support of the health care reform bill argue that requiring insurance is key to keeping costs down "because there are plenty of healthy uninsured people who will reduce premiums for sick uninsured Americans by being forced to be a part of the insurance pool,” as stated by Harvard Professor Amitabh Chandra. The 32 million Americans that are currently uninsured will be required to get health insurance.
America has the “best-in-the-world” doctors and hospitals but medical systems are out of reach for millions of Americans. In the education and training of doctors, nurses, technicians, and state-of-the-art medical research, America leads the world. T.R. Reid, a former Washington Post reporter, says that “The United States is good at providing medical care but not financing it.” He also states that, “All the developed countries I looked at provide health coverage for every resident, old or young, rich or poor. This is the underlying moral principle of the health care system in every rich country—every one, that is, except the United States.” The United States has the most expensive health care in the world, but we aren’t any healthier for it.
There is no reason that our advanced doctors and hospitals are not able to prevent death from diseases like breast cancer and colon cancer. This is why insurance companies will now be required to cover routine checkups and preventive care at no extra charge. Some of the preventive care services that will now be provided at no extra charge include: 1. Certain cancer screenings like breast, cervical, colorectal, etc. 2. Daily aspirin use to prevent heart disease 3. Immunizations for children and adults 4. Vision screening, and 5. Treatment of hypertension

This video is the very condensed version of the Obama health care reform plan. In his speech, President Obama assures the American Public that there will be no denial of coverage for a pre-existing health condition nor will there be any money added to the government budgetary deficit. This will be accomplished by medical experts checking up on insurance companies to eliminate fraud and wasteful spending. Also, the President plans on making insurance reforms for small businesses such as creating an insurance exchange, providing tax-credits based on needs, and creating a not-for-profit public health option.

This video simply displays all of the options we have to reform our health care system. It was released in April 2009 so already some of these reforms are taking place. The political aspect of the health care system can be very confusing but this video does a good job of representing it in an easy to understand format.

Survival of the Fittest

     Barack Obama's health care reform bill is already receiving criticism.  Republicans are working hard to get it repealed.  Robert Reich, Professor of Public Policy at the University of California at Berkeley, says that the basic idea behind the Republicans' reasoning is to, "force people to live with the consequences of whatever happens to them."  He compares our current health care debate to Social Darwinism of the 19th century when only the fittest would survive.  All others would be left behind.
     Health care costs are going to rise much faster and much higher if the new health care legislation is repealed.  If the legislation is not repealed, some 30 million Americans are going to receive health insurance.  Again, if the health care bill is repealed, these 30 million Americans are going to be put in much more expensive emergency rooms, and who's going to have to pay? America's taxpayers are.
     The new health care bill is going to help slow the rise of health costs.  The medical "exchange" it calls for will provide people with useful information about health costs and benefits.  Currently, individuals have almost no choice in the coverage they are purchasing.  The marketplace is very confusing and insurance companies are not required to provide people with information about the costs and benefits they will be receiving or not receiving under a certain plan.  Therefore, it is easy to get "ripped off."  The new bill, however, requires an exchange that will make choices easier, more understandable, and less expensive by providing information about the costs and benefits they will be receiving.

Health Insurance: Conservatives vs. Liberals

     Having good health insurance is very important anywhere.  Had my family not had good health insurance for all the surgeries I had to have, then I would be suffering from facial paralysis and most likely deafness in my right ear.  If Nikki White, a college graduate who had lupus, could afford health insurance then she would not have died from a disease that can usually be treated when given access to proper care.  We are the richest nation in the world with the best doctors and hospitals yet we cannot provide all of our citizens with health insurance.  Almost 2 million people go bankrupt each year in America from medical bills.  No other country’s citizens go bankrupt from medical issues.

     The very liberal beliefs on health care is that health insurance should be provided for everyone.  It should be like car insurance.  It should be something you must have.  They believe that all people should be provided with the same health care benefits regardless of their ability to pay.  They support low-cost government controlled health care.  

     The super conservatives believe in the free market health care system.  They think health care should be privatized so everyone does not have the same "poor-quality" health insurance that would be given if it was controlled by the government.  They think that the problem of uninsured individuals should be solved through the free market health care system, not by the government. 

     Arizona and Oklahoma are the first two states to try to nullify the part of the new health care reform bill that requires everyone to get health insurance.  They want to prohibit the government from making everyone get health insurance.  The only way that this reform bill will be beneficial to everyone is if everyone has to have it.  That is how they plan to keep the cost per individual as low as it can be.  The reform bill will not be beneficial at all if Arizona and Oklahoma nullify that part of the reform bill.

Intro-post

 

 Health care reform is clearly a big issue in today's society.  The issue must be addressed because there are many people without the ability to pay for to the proper care they need.  My interest in this topic stems from my medical history and the medical mission work I have done in third world countries.  I have had three major surgeries to remove a tumor near my brain.  Without health insurance, my parents would not have been able to afford the surgeries that I needed.  I feel so fortunate for the health insurance that allowed for the safe and effective procedures I needed.  Every summer I go to the Dominican Republic with a few doctors from my town and volunteers from my church.  While there, we provide the people in this impoverished country with the medical attention that they need.  No one there has access to good health insurance.  It broke my heart to see thousands of people with no access to proper health care.  They live in a third world country and cannot get even adequate health care.  This made me want to learn more about our health care system in America and compare it to the health care system in third world countries like the Dominican Republic.  I feel so passionate about the work I do there and I love the two weeks I spend there every summer.  This has pushed me to want to pursue a career as a nurse. 

With the passing of Obama's health care reform bill in 2009, we have begun to see some new reforms take place.  Just a few of these reforms include: all patients under ninteen with pre-existing conditions must be covered, all health insurance plans must cover certain preventive care services with no additional charge to the patients, and all plans will have to cover dependents through the age of 26.  

Democrats and Republicans have very different views on many aspects of the new health care bill.  I will cover the views of both Democrats and Republicans and argue my opinion on the current health care reforms.