Uninsured Population Grew in 2009

Health insurance reform may have passed but its effects won't take effect for many until 2014. In the meantime the need for reform continues to grow. Last year (2009) there were 50.7 million Americans uninsured or 16 .7% of population which is up from 46.3 million and 15.4% in 2008. Most of this change is caused by the current economic recession, either from employers dropping coverage of from people being unable to afford private insurance.

These aren't just numbers on a page, they're living, breathing individuals who now spend hours in hospital emergency rooms waiting for treatment. This lack of coverage is one of the factors in America's low ranking for longevity compared to other industrialized countries.

PBS Story On Reform Efforts

Bill Moyers had a interesting report on the health care reform situation, call it "the other side of the news" from the millions being spent by the medical and pharmaceutical industries. Watch it for yourself at REFORM NOW.

Health Care Costs

Hold on to your wallet, the cost of health care is going up, again. This time it's in the amount of your co-pays, deductibles and other out-of-pocket expenses because employers are moving more of the costs to employees. A survey released this week found that 59% of companies intend to hold down their health care costs next year by increasing the worker's share.

Estimates are for health care costs to increase 5.7% next year, similar to the increase in 2007.

Insurance Equality

The House and Senate are negotiating a compromise bill to equalize mental health benefits. The House recently passed legislation barring insurance companies from charging higher out-of-pocket costs for mental health coverage than they do for medical and surgical benefits. This version is different than the Senate bill so there will be some work needed to pass a bill to equalize mental health benefits.

Now if we could only get the Powers That Be to add coverage for complementary and alternative therapies!

Impersonal Medicine

Can mainstream medicine get any more impersonal than it is today with 8-minute appointments? The answer is: Yes! Now doctors don't have to even come in contact with you to diagnose your ills and prescribe a drug. Soon you'll have a virtual visit with the doctor via the Internet. Aetna and Cigna have both agreed to reimburse doctors for online visits.

Considered best for follow-up consultations or for minor ailments like a cold the visits can be simply e-mail answers to your questions or actual virtual visits. Some doctors are experimenting with webcambs to add a more "personal" touch.

Medical Accountability

Health care insurers are beginning to adopt the same policy as Medicare in refusing to pay for medical errors. The 28 most common "never events" include mistakes like leaving an object inside a patient during surgery, giving the wrong kind of blood, even bedsores. Best of all, many insurers are also making sure that hospitals don't bill patients for these errors when the insurance company doesn't pay.

Compiled by the National Quality Forum coalition these are mistakes that simply can't be justified in any way. The goal isn't to save money because these events are so rare, the policy is intened to focus hospital attention on safety, but the CDC estimates such errors add $4.5 billion to the nation's health care tab each year.

Does your health insurance have such a policy? It may be worth checking out since their contracts with hospitals may be the incentive to make changes to improve safety and care ... and that could literally save your life.

Upside Down Priorities

One of the main advantages of a government-run medical system (the norm in most industrialized countries) is that it catches problems early when they're most treatable. This saves everyone money, literally saves lives and contributes to a healthier population.

News from the American Cancer Society points out that uninsured in this country die of cancer sooner, probably because they delay getting the tests which might save their lives. Dr. Elmer Huerta wrote: "The truth is that our national reluctance to face these facts is condemning thousands of people to die each year."

Why is this important to complementary and alternative therapies? Because a medical system controlled by the pharmaceutical industry does not want to lose their monopoly and the current system. Government run health care systems prohibit direct-to-consumer drug advertising and control the costs of prescription drugs. Government health care also is more open minded when it comes to utilizing CAM when it can save money and improve the quality of life for its citizens.

In this upcoming political season health care in America is going to be a more important issue than the war because it affects every family in our country.

Senior Sales Pressure

It's that time of year again when seniors are almost attacked by insurance sales people trying to get them to buy private Medicate Advantage insurance. The overly aggressive and deceptive tactics have brought warnings by Medicare and state regulators.

One of the problems not explained to seniors is that many doctors and hospitals won't accept private Medicare plans so they should check with their doctor to be sure he'll accept it. These private insurance programs are sold as an alternative to Medicare for better benefits.

In many cases the insurance "salesman" is actually just looking to steal their social security number for identity theft. If you have any questions or concerns contact Medicare at 800-633-4227.

The Costs of Medicine

For those of us who think an insurance policy with $1 million lifetime coverage makes us safe from financial problems related to health care ... think again. That number was industry standard in the 1970's and treatment costs have soared since then. Today it's not uncommon to max out your insurance and still have huge medical bills.

According to a 2005 study 34% of adults have problems with their medical bills or have debt caused by medical expenses ... and 62% of those people had health insurance.

You've seen or heard about hospital bills that charge $20 for an aspirin, what's called bill padding. Hospitals claim it's their only defense against the aggressive cost-containment efforts of insurers and government agencies. Careful or you can get left holding the bag ... that holds your bill from the hospital.

The soaring cost of health care today is the reason it's going to be a major political issue in this election cycle ... and the reason more and more people are turning to complementary and alternative medicine.

Health Care Cost Turning Point

The new contract between GM and the UAW may be the turning point in health care costs in this country. In case you've been under a rock this week the deal turns over the liabilities for the health care of all GM retirees to a new trust that will be funded with $35 billion from GM. The catch is that it will be up to the trust to set and manage the health care benefits.

This is a radical break from the UAW's reliance on job-based insurance and it will be very interesting to see how this plays out in the future. It's a great deal for GM since it gets out from under a huge and growing liability so it can become more competitive. For UAW members, especially aging retirees, it may be the dawn of an unpleasant new day.

Medicine In The Papers

Two interesting tidbits in the papers lately caught my attention. They seem to be two different facets of the same problem. First was the Letter To The Editor in the WALL STREET JOURNAL on Sept. 19th from J. David Gaines, M.D. FACP, Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at Yale University. He said that 31% of the health care costs in America are for administrative salaries and advertising. In other words out of the 16% of America's GDP that goes for health care 4.96% has nothing to do with medicine.

The other article is from the DALLAS MORNING NEWS today (Sept. 24th) about Dr. Cyrus Peikari. He previously was chief of staff at Baylor Medical Center in Garland, TX but he was so caught up in the money-making process that once saw 51 patients in one 7-hour shift. Now he's the first physician in North Texas to open his own "micropractice" meaning he sees fewer patients and is able to spend more time with each one. He has only an office manager, no nurses, so if a patient needs a shot he gives it himself. In case you're worried he's going to grow poor as a result of this radical change, don't. The doctor says it looks like he's going to make about 1/3 more while working 1/3 fewer hours.

According to Dr. Peikari: "Big industries have interspersed themselves between the patient and the physician and the whole system is collapsing. By doing this I can actually know my patients as people. I can be a friend."

I'm glad to see him join about 500 doctors nationwide in this trend back to sanity in the medical profession.