Medicare Maneuvers, Part 1: The Problem
July 2, 2008
Payment cuts for doctors who treat Medicare patients - which have been looming for about a year - finally went into effect yesterday. The payment cuts of 10.6% will affect the 600,000 doctors who treat Medicare patients, and thus millions of elderly and disabled Medicare enrollees who rely on them.
Maybe if you’re under 65 and/or not relying on government health care benefits you think this isn’t your problem. You’re wrong.
A little history (based on the writings of Jonathan Cohn):
Can You Profit from Health Care? Part 2
May 21, 2008
A couple weeks ago WhatIf explored whether the U.S.’ largest industry – health care – is recession-proof. It seems health insurance companies’ profits are starting to slip. Rising health care costs means that insurers must pay out more to cover health services, which means they raise the price of their policies to recoup these costs. As a result, the number of employers purchasing insurance is decreasing.
Even so, the nation’s largest publicly-traded health plans say they will continue to raise premium prices and reduce provider payments in order to please Wall Street. “We will not sacrifice profitability for membership,” WellPoint President and CEO Angela Braly said recently.
When Insurers Take Their Toys and Go Home
May 10, 2008
For the past few years there has been work in cities and states across the country to improve our citizens’ access to health care. From San Francisco to Vermont, 39 states and a number of cities are in the process of creating legislation that would help address their numbers of uninsured.
Washington, D.C. is one of these. A look at the trouble our nation’s capital is facing on this issue may shed a light on why the words “health care reform” are often greeted with less than a smile.
Get Active to Save Medicaid!
April 22, 2008
April 23 UPDATE:
Thanks to your support the bill passed! The final count was 349 in support and 62 against (20 didn’t vote). See how your Representative voted.
Also, read this Congressional report to see what was at stake: THE ADMINISTRATION’S MEDICAID REGULATIONS: State-By-State Impacts
Today, Tuesday, the House will vote on a bipartisan bill that would suspend harmful Medicaid regulations from being implemented – regulations that cut billions from Medicaid. Passing this bill would be a significant victory in our struggle to protect health care for our most vulnerable citizens.
The President has already threatened to veto.
Cancer Without Coverage
February 26, 2008
The number of uninsured Americans rose by more than 20% to 47 million from 2000 to 2006. Children and employees at every income level lost coverage during this time. With cancer as the number one cause of death in the U.S. one wonders how the uninsured fight this merciless killer.
The answer? Not so well. A recent study – the first to chart a dozen major cancer types using nationwide data - shows that those with private insurance fare better in the war against cancer than those without. The uninsured are twice as likely (and those covered by Medicaid 80% more likely) to receive a diagnosis of cancer in its late stages when it’s difficult to combat the disease. Typically, the under-insured don’t get screened for cancer as often or as thoroughly so the diagnosis is delayed, as is follow-up treatment.
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