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Saturday
March 20, 2010 Since 1922 |
Changes in health care
From staff reports
Baytown Sun Published August 23, 2009 The hot topic across the county today is health care reform proposed by the Obama administration and the resulting legislation being drafted by Congress.
Health care spending continues to rise every year, which is forcing many businesses and families to cut back on operations and household expenses in order to meet the rising cost.
Last year heath care increased at twice the rate of inflation to over $2.4 trillion dollars or 17 percent of the United State’s gross domestic product (GDP). Health care spending is projected to increase to $4.3 trillion in 2017 or 20 percent of GDP.
It is clear that some form of heath care reform is needed, but are the bills being drafted in Congress the best possible solution? Unfortunately, the general public, and most congressmen for that point, do not really know what is in the bills that are being proposed. Also, why is it so important to pass heath care reform in a matter of months? It took years for health care to become such a problem, so it should take more time to really study and understand the problem before just passing a bill.
At most town hall meetings, conducted during the congressional recess, the major issues have been the so called “death panel”, the public option insurance and the cost.
Section 1233, page 424 of H.B. 3200, states that federal money will be available to medical practitioners to conduct end of life consultations with patients every five years, or less if necessary. It does not state that they are mandatory or required. The full text of house bill 3200 can be found on The Baytown Sun Web site.
Public option insurance is another matter. A form of public health insurance is in all three proposed bills. One bill proposes a Heath Care Exchange through which small businesses and individuals can purchase health care coverage with subsidies. Another bill has American Health Benefit Gateways, which also offers available subsidies. The final bill offers a Heath Insurance Exchange through which employers can purchase health care coverage with premium and cost-saving credits. All of these proposed bills allow an individual to keep his/her current insurance but with certain requirements.
Finally, the estimated cost of heath care reform is between $1 trillion and $1.5 trillion. Some suggested ways to pay for the reform is through Medicare/Medicaid improvements to eliminate waste, reform Graduate Medical Education, additional training of health professionals and the proposed one percent tax increase on individuals with incomes in excess of $280,000 per year.
Some believe that individuals adopting healthy lifestyles will require less medical care. What do you believe is best solution to the health care issue?
Now is the time to write, e-mail or call your U.S. representative and let him/her know your ideas on how to resolve this issue and to remind him/her that the solution does not have to be found in a month or two.
Baytown Sun Published August 23, 2009 The hot topic across the county today is health care reform proposed by the Obama administration and the resulting legislation being drafted by Congress.
Health care spending continues to rise every year, which is forcing many businesses and families to cut back on operations and household expenses in order to meet the rising cost.
Last year heath care increased at twice the rate of inflation to over $2.4 trillion dollars or 17 percent of the United State’s gross domestic product (GDP). Health care spending is projected to increase to $4.3 trillion in 2017 or 20 percent of GDP.
It is clear that some form of heath care reform is needed, but are the bills being drafted in Congress the best possible solution? Unfortunately, the general public, and most congressmen for that point, do not really know what is in the bills that are being proposed. Also, why is it so important to pass heath care reform in a matter of months? It took years for health care to become such a problem, so it should take more time to really study and understand the problem before just passing a bill.
At most town hall meetings, conducted during the congressional recess, the major issues have been the so called “death panel”, the public option insurance and the cost.
Section 1233, page 424 of H.B. 3200, states that federal money will be available to medical practitioners to conduct end of life consultations with patients every five years, or less if necessary. It does not state that they are mandatory or required. The full text of house bill 3200 can be found on The Baytown Sun Web site.
Public option insurance is another matter. A form of public health insurance is in all three proposed bills. One bill proposes a Heath Care Exchange through which small businesses and individuals can purchase health care coverage with subsidies. Another bill has American Health Benefit Gateways, which also offers available subsidies. The final bill offers a Heath Insurance Exchange through which employers can purchase health care coverage with premium and cost-saving credits. All of these proposed bills allow an individual to keep his/her current insurance but with certain requirements.
Finally, the estimated cost of heath care reform is between $1 trillion and $1.5 trillion. Some suggested ways to pay for the reform is through Medicare/Medicaid improvements to eliminate waste, reform Graduate Medical Education, additional training of health professionals and the proposed one percent tax increase on individuals with incomes in excess of $280,000 per year.
Some believe that individuals adopting healthy lifestyles will require less medical care. What do you believe is best solution to the health care issue?
Now is the time to write, e-mail or call your U.S. representative and let him/her know your ideas on how to resolve this issue and to remind him/her that the solution does not have to be found in a month or two.