Uninsured Kids..Blame Abounds

Here are my comments
Children’s Health Care

Children have access to healthcare buy going to emergency rooms.  Many states are improving childrens access to health insurance by plans like Texas' CHIPS.  I think the Children's health plan will pass congress soon.  This will cover poor children but not the working well family's children.  I is much cheaper to buy insurance for children and/ or  pay cash for doctor's visits, when compared to adults.

 

I agree with your article.  Another issue is that to improve the health of uninsured children, you must educate the parents.  Educate them about jobs, nutrition, priority setting, basic hygiene. 

Giving health insurance to 100% of all children will not solve all the health problems of children.

9/8/07

A 10 year plan to fix Healthcare

Here are my comments on this article.   10 year reform plan

I agree your plan would reduce prices.  Look how medicare part D plan have increased the cost of medicare recipient's medications.  I'm guessing medication prices have gone up 25% since medicare began paying for prescriptions.

 

As part of your plan I would like an ad campaign regarding the importance of good health behaviors.  Many , many people have little regard for disease if they are feeling good.  Perhaps they don't trust doctors and the healthcare system enough to pay money for a painless illness like diabetes and high blood pressure.  These diseases are painless until you get your first complication, but then it is too late to cure.

 

Your plan requires personal responsiblity.  Some people want the government to solve their problems like obesity.

crherrerahot@hotmail.com

No "Health Care"?
By Thomas Sowell
Tuesday, September 4, 2007

Send an email to Thomas Sowell

 

 

Yes,  government healthcare has unintended consequences.    Look how medicare part D plan have increased the cost of medicare recipient's medications.  It is my empression from talking to my patients that medication prices have gone up 25% since medicare began paying for prescriptions.

 

I would like the government to perform  an ad campaign regarding the importance of good health behaviors.  Education is cheaper and more productive than paying for healthcare.  Many , many people have little regard for disease if they are feeling good.  Perhaps they don't trust doctors and the healthcare system enough to pay money for a painless illness like diabetes and high blood pressure.  These diseases are painless until you get your first complication, but then it is too late to cure.

 

No health insurance  requires personal responsiblity.  Some people want the government to solve their problems like obesity.

crherrerahot@hotmail.com

Here is an article about medicare
http://jevica2003.townhall.com/g/7317fb88-a606-47f8-8b91-1dd14bb4f493&comments=true#comments

Here are my comments:
Good ideas.  I favor letting medicare participants choose amoung private health plans.  Some politicians want to make health decisions for us.  Healthcare reform needs a  variety plans to attend to the widely varying needs of the public.

Edwardscare!

Edwards and Prevention

Finally prevention gets some press. It is the unglamourous but necessary way to good health. It is the key to improving the health of the United States. But it is a very hard thing to sell. Patients like technology when they see the doctor, not a lecture on how to eat right and exercise. Things like mammograms, prostate cancer blood test, and colonscopy are only the tip of the iceberg when teaching the public about prevention. Prevention needs to be embraced by the patient. Mandates won't work but at least they spread the word on the imporatnce of prevention. As Newt Gingrich said "good health is a combination of nutrition, activity and attitude." Crherrerahot@hotmail.com

California’s Healthcare reform

Just as other states (Hawaii, Oregon, and Massachusetts)  attempts at healthcare reform, California’s proposals have focused on universal coverage as the major step to improve health.  The idea is, better access means better health.  This has been shown to be true in multiple health surveys (Kaiser foundation ).  Governor Schwarzenegger’s plan has employers paying most of the costs but taxes doctors and hospitals to pay for the plan.  According to Calhealthreform.org here is a summary of the two major plans that may be passed:

“Governor Schwarzenegger's Plan
Creates an individual mandate, employers must "pay or play," expands eligibility for public programs, and subsidizes coverage for low-income Californians. (Not a bill.)”

“AB 8 (Núñez) Bill
Employers must "pay or play," and workers whose firms pay a fee instead of covering health expenses must enroll in a new purchasing program. Expands eligibility for public programs and reforms the private insurance market. (In Senate Appropriations Committee, 7/17/07.)”

This year’s California’s health reform package is similar to a plan rejected by the public in 2004.  The difference is that the 2007 plan allows employers more options for employers to pay for their employees’ health costs.   Also more uninsured persons (4.1) are covered in the 2007 plan and this includes 75 % of uninsured Californians.    This plan is very similar to Massachusetts ‘s plan that passed in 2006.  However California has many more ininsured persons and many more low wage workers than Massachusetts . 

Carlos Herrera MD, MPH

References

http://www.townhall.com/news/health/2007/08/29/schwarzenegger_tries_to_save_health_plan
http://www.kff.org/uninsured/

http://www.calhealthreform.org/

My patients frequently refer to health information they received on the internet when they   discuss their illnesses with me.  In general, this is good thing.  However, many are confused with conflicting information and need help with finding non-biased web sites.  The article below discusses the confidence people have of internet information.  According to my biased memory, the numbers don't seem to represent the majority of patients in my practice.   Of course my patients are sicker, older, and more are spanish speaking when compared to the opinion pole of Prostpectiv,.   Illnesses drastically  interfere with internet access and understanding.  However, illness can be a powerful motivating force to encourage internet use. I do believe improving internet access to sick persons, especially the elderly, will improve health and quality of life.

http://www.prospectiv.com/press121.jsp
PRESS RELEASES
Return to Press Releases
75 Percent of Consumers Say Internet is Their First-Choice Resource for Drug Treatment Information, according to Prospectiv Survey

Majority surveyed conduct research on health and
ailment-focused web sites versus pharmaceutical company sites

July 24, 2007
WOBURN, MA - July 24, 2007 -A recent study by Prospectiv shows that for the majority of consumers, the cure for what ails them can be found online.

Prospectiv says:
"The survey also found that consumers who conduct online ailment and drug research largely favor general health web sites (54 percent) and specific ailment-focused sites (37 percent) over pharmaceutical company sites (4 percent). Respondents also shared their frequency of conducting online health-related research. While the majority (40 percent) said that they had conducted online research only two times or less during the past six months, 33 percent reported research frequency of at least once-a-month, followed by every other month (27 percent).   "