Permission to Live: How I lost my fear of Universal Health Care

Permission to Live: How I lost my fear of Universal Health Care
Excerpt:
"When I moved to Canada in 2008, I was a die-hard conservative Republican. So when I found out that we were going to be covered by Canada’s Universal Health Care, I was somewhat disgusted. This meant we couldn’t choose our own health coverage, or even opt out if we wanted too. It also meant that abortion was covered by our taxes, something I had always believed was horrible. I believed based on my politics that government mandated health care was a violation of my freedom."

Employers shifting toward high-deductible healthcare plans - The Hill's Healthwatch

Employers shifting toward high-deductible healthcare plans - The Hill's Healthwatch

Too many see this as a good thing.  It isn't as it continues to limit people's access to health care and prevention and early intervention -- thus ending with increasing cost and decreasing results in terms of health care outcomes for this country.

Expansion of Medicaid may cut death rates | StarTribune.com

Expansion of Medicaid may cut death rates | StarTribune.com:
People say we have the best health care in the world and yet the statistics show we are well below other industrialized countries in many, if not most, key health indicators.  The US culture that has a history of treating the poor like they deserve it and do not deserve access to food, shelter and basic health care is behind those statistical results.  This article and the study it reports add evidence to this supposition.  Expanding coverage for poor people reduced death rates.  Sad thing is there are all too many in this country who see that as a bad thing. They believe those people deserved to die and they do not deserve to have tax payer money used to provide them with health care.  In countries with universal health care like Canada and Britain the man on the street responds to questions on using tax money for health care by saying "it's the right thing to do".  In this country all too often the response is "I don't want my hard earned money used to help those people..they made their bed let them sleep in it".

WellPoint cuts outlook as 2Q profit falls 8.3 pct

WellPoint cuts outlook as 2Q profit falls 8.3 pct:
I long for the day when shareholder's earning per share is not the headline in articles concerning our health care system.

Rational, accountable health care is the answer

Rational, accountable health care is the answer:
"As a palliative care physician, I was relieved by the Supreme Court’s ruling and hope Congress allows the law to stand. This is not a partisan reaction. Diseases know no politics. I’m relieved because this law may well unravel patterns of payment and practice that promote irrational care and make dying much harder than it has to be."


This opinion piece is thought provoking - especially for us old folks.

Insurers sending out rebate checks | StarTribune.com

Insurers sending out rebate checks | StarTribune.com:
"The nation's health insurers will pay out more than $1 billion in rebates over the coming days after many of them fell short of new standards that require them to spend a certain share of premiums on patient treatment."

United Health's 2Q profit rises 5.5 percent as Health care spending slows in Minnesota

As people are getting less health care because they lost insurance and/or had their out of pocket share greatly increased we see the managed care companies  making more and more profits, mostly off the tax payer, to pay even more to the top managers and share holders.  These two articles below appearing on the same day paint the whole picture.  I don't need to tell you what's wrong with this picture.

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United Health's 2Q profit rises 5.5 percent

UnitedHealth Group says its second-quarter net income rose 5.5 percent, trumping Wall Street expectations, as the health insurer reported double-digit enrollment growth in its Medicare plan offerings.

The Minnetonka, Minnesota, insurer says it earned $1.34 billion, or $1.27 per share, in the three months that ended June 30. That's up from $1.27 billion, or $1.16 per share, in the same quarter last year.

Revenue rose 8.3 percent to $27.3 billion.

Analysts forecast earnings of $1.18 per share on $27.34 billion in revenue.

The company raised its full-year earnings estimate to between $4.90 and $5.00 per share.

UnitedHealth is the largest health insurer based on revenue and the first to report earnings every quarter. Many see the company as a bellwether for managed care companies.

Health care spending slows in Minnesota

The state Health Department says the rate of health care spending in Minnesota has slowed to its lowest point since 1997, and the recession is a big reason why.

The department says health care costs are still rising, but at a much slower pace _ 2.2 percent between 2009 and 2010.

State Health Economist Stefan Gildemeister tells Minnesota Public Radio News (http://bit.ly/NzWO69) the recession was a major reason why Minnesotans spent less on health care. He said many lost their insurance when they lost their jobs and others who kept their jobs were more cautious.

Gildemeister said another reason why health care spending may be slowing is that consumers are increasingly paying more of out-of-pocket costs.

Health care spending accounts for nearly 14 percent of Minnesota's economy at $37.7 billion.

The Republicans' really, really big lie

The Republicans' really, really big lie:

'via Blog this'

Minn. case probes public data in outsourced work | Minnesota Public Radio News

Minn. case probes public data in outsourced work | Minnesota Public Radio News:
Worth watching what happens in this case.  Could allow access to all that 'secret' data the manged care companies will not release concerning the real cost of their running the MN public health care programs.

WellPoint deal adds strength in Medicaid | StarTribune.com

WellPoint deal adds strength in Medicaid | StarTribune.com:
"Health insurer WellPoint Inc. said on Monday that it is buying Amerigroup Corp. for $4.9 billion in a deal that signals sharp competition in the Medicaid market now that the Supreme Court has upheld the bulk of President Obama's health care law.

The acquisition will make Indianapolis-based WellPoint the largest provider of Medicaid, with 4.5 million enrollees, overtaking Minnetonka-based UnitedHealth Group, which has 3.5 million members."

Too bad so much of our hard earned money is going to these big corporations for high exec salaries and stock dividends.  All that money it takes out of actually providing health care could fund a single payer universal access system in this country.

What would replacing Obamacare look like?

What would replacing Obamacare look like?:
I found this opinion piece raised a lot of issues.  Finding things to disagree with is easy but trying to find common ground to build on is harder.  I won't go into detail here but do suggest reading it to get the thought juices flowing.  Removing coverage from the job is a major place that agreement might come.  Making public programs like Medicaid more palatable to providers makes good sense if we really want to equalize access.  Focusing on the "market" approach and suggesting Part D is good give me much concern.

UnitedHealth's $20.5 billion Pentagon contract upheld | StarTribune.com

UnitedHealth's $20.5 billion Pentagon contract upheld | StarTribune.com:

We need to keep learning how this really works.  We don't want single payer to end up meaning all of our health care money will be funneled through United Health.  Those billions to execs and stockholders would better be used to fund our health care.

Doug Hill: The Mandate: How does it work?

Doug Hill: The Mandate: How does it work?: "Know Your Care Wisconsin"
Good summary of the changes, now and in '14.