Health insurance data can be misleading. The most quoted of the health insurance statistics is that 47 million Americans have no health insurance. This is accurate, but it includes millions of young lone adults who may have health insurance coverage in an helpful planet, but theyre mostly going to be okay. On the flick side, beyond the 47 million with no health insurance, there are incregiven thating millions who are under-insured because their employers have cut back, creating big increases in co-pays.

We look at the droop in language of lost friendlinessers, 3.6 million so far with roughly the same sum to come, but health insurance also is affected. Our health insurance safety net, already pathetic for a realm of our wealth, shrinks diminished and smaller.

Temple University Center of Health Finance has studied health insurance and the economy for nearly 50 days, according to a report on dailykos.com, a liberal/progressive web neighborhood. Although health care is deemed to be fairly a recession-proof industry, Temples chronicle shows reductions in health care during and after each recession. consumers who are affected will cut back on their primary care, over the counter medicines as well as prescriptions, and also dental care. It may seem odd that aspirin and ibuprofin spending will decline, but when you think about about it, medicine is like whatever else.

Furthermore, critics name that “temporary” spending programs always become permanent, but the reverse is true as well. Once the government or an employer begins to cut health insurance benefits, these cutbacks also will be inclined to stay in place even when a recession ends.

In this recession, solitary of the main above-inflation cost increases has been for food. The same is true for natural haze dwelling house heating, and the cost of oil earlier or later will jump back up. When a recession most strongly affects the basics in subsistence, then the secondary basics such as health insurance benefits will suffer.

Researches supported by Cornell University and the University of Michigan have found that when a recession ends, salvation is not swift. For instance, there was a recession that ended during November 2001, but unemployment continued to rise for 18 months after that. More than 1 million Americans lost their health insurance.

Reformers arent just desk bound on their hands. We notice that walk-in clinics are becoming far more prevalent and regular, and chain stores are offering better deals on prescription drugs. Still, we should realize that we dont just assignment an economic crisis in America. We also have a health insurance crisis.

SOURCES

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/1/27/105225/111/314/444125

Im a 53-year-old downsized person, who dropped a suitable job and health insurance coverage three years ago. My good job was as a journalist; I had worked 32 years for The Saginaw (Mich.) News, and my pay was similar to a school teacher. However, the newspaper industry was miserable and so I lost my job.

Here in 2009, what are the opinions of my chooseed federal resouveniratives as a resident of the suffering auto town of Saginaw, Michigan? in any case, Michigan is the hardest-hit, most poor assertion in the nation, with 15 percent unemployment. thence, we elect Democrats. However, I am sorry to say that my elected Democrats have not been especially active on health insurance reform, however even if they will vote in favor of whatever is desired by President Barack Obama.

U.S. Senator Carl Levin, in office since 1978, appears more interested in foreign love affairs and defense spending. U.S. Senator Deborah Stabenow, in federal office since the middle 1990s after a prolonged tenure in Michigan state regime, just isnt exceedingly dynamic.

Then we have Congressman Dale Kildee of Flint, whom we inherited in Saginaw because declining area after the 2000 Census deprived us of having our own “local” U.S. representative in Congress. Dale Kildee has been in Congress for 32 years and will turn 80 in September, but he is one of those egocentric legislators who wont have a say up his tenure for a younger and more enthusiastic representative, sort of like a Democratic Strom Thurmond. I know this by calling his uncooperative office for idea on details on the economic stimulus; I was referred to federal websites, with Kildees local office showing no local initiative. Dale Kildee just doesnt do much, at least not anymore, from what I see.

As an argue for President Obama on health insurance, I should be pleased that Levin and Stabenow and Kildee will assist President Obama with their votes, but I required more than their votes. I am disappointed in their lack of active advocacy; they sort of seem like deadwood to me.

For all of those years that I worked at The Saginaw News, those 32 years from 1973 to 2006, I had supported central health insurance. My income for our family was a very middle income, such as around $50,000 during the later years of this employment, but I was willing to pay higher rates so that my less fortunate sisters and brothers could get health insurance, even while President Obama insists not to raise taxes on anyone making less than $250,000. Why is this income level arranged so high for those of us with enough income, present or precedent days, that we should be willing to allotment? After all, should not those of us with decent incomes help to support those with lower incomes? I was willing to pay higher sacrifices for so-called “Hillaryintimacy” in 1993 and 1994, but that was defeated. I was willing to ungreedyly share, but most of my peers with middle incomes were not willing to share. They were selfish.

Most people in my position, or more fortunate than myself, have been selfish and hostile to national health insurance when it comes to brass tacks. Thats why we didnt have health care reform during 1993 and 1994 under Bill and Hillary Clinton. Selfishness led to our defeat. And when you wonder of it, this sort of selfishness has led to our defeat ever since President Harry Truman meant national health insurance during the late 1940s after World strive against II.

These idiots who scream against national health care at these town hall forums are very frustrating to me. They are mainly low-income and low-middle income people who are screaming against their own self-interests.

The pending defeat of national health insurance is so sad to me. Its like we are unable to share for the common good. I wish people would not be so selfish and so hateful. Shouldnt we all have health insurance?

SOURCES:

http://www.ontheissues.org/Social/Carl_Levin_Health_Care.htm

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2009/08/sen_carl_levin_urges_democrats.html

http://levin.senate.gov/students/bio.html

http://www.modernhealthcare.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070518/FREE/70518018/0/FRONTPAGE

http://stabenow.senate.gov/biography.htm

Since 2007, I have paid for my own health insurance. As a assignment temp, my cramp agencies typically provide no insurance, and when they do the chigher thanage is constantly fairly limited with low deductibles then again still low maximum coverage. In other words, if you get in an accident or develop cancer, you may as well have had no insurance at all… all for the low price of $25-30 a week lopped off your paycheck.

have enough moneyable health insurance options for the average working class Seattlite come with similar closing dates. The cheapest options available provide much higher coverage ceilings than the above-named low end plans… but they also come with a high deductible, many usage limits, and when you are covered the plan just co-insures part of your initial covered expenses. Still, for a Seattlite who doesnt have employer-subsidized health insurance, its the desirable, most affordable option out there.

The two most within reach providers are Lifewise Health Plan of Washington and Regence Blue Shield. I initially paid for insurance with Lifewise as they had the lowest cost. But as Lifewises catastrophic top rate charges rose, along with the level of their deductibles, Regence became my top choice late last every year.

The cheapest plans come with high deductibles, meaning that aside from fundamental checkups and doctor visits, you must incur and pay in full any additional curative charges up to the amount of the deductible in that calendar year before your plan covers you at all.

In Lifewises case, the cheapest plan (which for a 30 year old adult would run over $130 a month) typically comes with a $3500 deductible, meaning youre on your own for the first $3500 in non-routine medical expenses before the plan covers you.

But even above that, youre not necessarily covered. If your plan entails a 20% co-insurance up to a certain lead, as Lifewises $3500 deductible Wise Essentials does for up to $5000, then the plan only pays 25% of your expenses, while youre on the hook for the rest until youve incurred an additional $5000 in personal expense. permitted, when you go by that threshold in this case, Lifewise covers epreciselything, so if you, say, develop cancer and ring up $100,000 in medical bills to touch upon it during 2009, youre only on the hook for the first $3500, and 25% of any subsequent expenses until youve paid $5000. But you still need to find a way to pay off $8500. Good luck with that, though it beats a bill for $100,000. And for any treatment in 2010, you need to ring up another $8500 before youre fully covered for that year.

These plans are often referred to as catastrophic plans. They dont come into play unless something catastrophic happens to you medically, and then they cover a good portion of your expenses. You could get a more comprehensive plan, but these are typically very pricey, costing at least $200-300 a month. The catastrophic pans may be your best, most viable option.

In Regences case, they offer HSA plans, which are similar to Lifewises Wise Essentials plans except they offer you the arbitrariness to open a Health Savings Account on the side. You can deposit money on a regular basis into this Health Savings Account on top of your cheaper weekly premiums, and use those HSA funds to pay for medical expenses that your insurance plan doesnt cover. Plus, even if you use your account to pay medical expenses, those count towards your deductible. If you have a $2500 deductible on a plan and 20% co-insurance up to $5000, but have $7500 in your HSA, then in taste youre fully covered for the year! You just pull money from the HSA when youre not covered.

Granted, youd rather not be ill or injured enough to enter such a background. And finding $7500 to put in your HAS, even over period, is more comfortable said than done. But causing that level of personal coverage or anything close to it gives you silence of mind that even a full health insurance plan subsidized by an employer may not give you.

Both Lifewise and Regence do offer plans with lower deductibles and more comprehensive coverage, but they prove far more expensive, often costing a 30 year old adult hundreds of dollars a month. Such a plan is so cost prohibitive that it may prove more cost your while to go the HSA/Catastrophic route if you can stockpile the needed money in your HSA.

People with chronic conditions may require full health insurance, which can get very expensive. Hopefully, youre not in this boat and seldom, if ever, need to see a doctor for anything because youre in good health. Most cannot afford health insurance on their own and often do without. But such a low-cost plan may be a smart option for an uninsured worker in Seattle that doesnt have the plan to pay out the nose for full coverage.

According to Sarah Palins Facebook page, Obamas health attachment diary is “downright evil”. Her comment alone shows what an idiot she is and how little she understands about affordable health care – something Americana have nalways had. Sarah Palin thinks that, if you make health care affordable, that will mean the extremely ailing, the elderly, or the very young will not receive care. How mistaken could she troth? Dead wrong.

I grew wakeful in the United Kingdom, a country that has always had general health care. Everyone in the UK gets health care, whether theyre very sick or slightly sick, liberation a limb or just need some friendly advice enjoys a health worker. For me, growing up in England, I hint that was normal. Then I moved to America. All of a sudden, I was paying the same gabovenment tax rate I paid in the UK, yet when I went to the hospital for a painless broken toe, I was flaunted with a bill for over $1,300. Of course, I had health coverage, but my health insurance company refused to pay it. Why? Because I was outside their network when I had the toe fixed. If Id gotten in my car with my broken toe, and driven 40 miles to a hospital that was in their network, I could have been covered. As it was, I wasnt. For a woman who grew up with free health care for no matter what from a sprained ankle to wits surgery, I just couldnt figure it out.

Nowadays, I live in Thailand. Technically still a third world country. Yet Thailand has some of the desirable health care in the world (so good, that Americans are now manifestation for medical tourism, to get it for themselves) and its cheap – because Thailand has a universal health care system. Every Thai, who cannot afford private health care, pays 30 baht in keeping with visit. Thats close to 95 cents. And they get good care.

If you desire private health care in Thailand (which, I can warranty, is also better than American health care), you can pay for it and go to one of Thailands a number of world-class hospitals. I recently had an EKG, chest x-rays, three doctors visits and 11 different blood inspection for a whole cost of less than $200. This at one of the best hospitals in Thailand. A simiilar visit to an American hospital would have been thousands of dollars and with a waiting time to see the doctor ten times longer than I waited in Thailand (I waited 3 minutes!)

Prescriptions are cheap too in Thailand, either for Thai brands or even for imported American medications. So, how is it that American drug companies can sell their product in Thailand, much cheaper than in the US and still make a vantage? Because theyre ripping off the American consumer and the Republican bash and people like Sarah Palin are helping them.

So, Sarah Palin mouthing off that Obamas health care plan is “downright evil” is stupid. Ive lived in two countries that have universal health care and had better health care treatment than I ever received in the US, and for a price much much beneath.

But people like Sarah Palin and her ilk dont want you to know that. Theyre receiving millions of dollars a year from the health care lobby, and the drug company lobby and they dont want that money to dry up. After all, with that, they can afford to pay for private health care. But what about you?

So, if I have to choose between Obamas health care plan being “downright evil” or Sarah Palin being “downright evil”, I know which one Ill choose and it wont be a health care system that will actually help Americans – that is, if the Republican Party will allow it.

I grew up in England with the NHS – the National Health Service. Everyone in the UK can get medical care on the NHS and, for the most part, its free. Funded mostly by taxes, the NHS hsince been in place since 1948 and 92% of Brits use it for their bedrock healthcare. The national health care plan in the UK textbooks very well, and Brits now actually pay less taxes than Americans do, so Im absolutely stumped when I hear the outrage of many Americans when it comes to Obamas national health care plan. America is the only developed country in the world that doesnt have a national health care set of rules and Americans pay excess for health care than any other nationality in the world. Anyone with any iota of common sense, therefore, would say its probably in Americas best interests to glide by Obamas health care plan – but Americans just arent budging. Why?

As I said, I grew up in the UK where health care is free and presciptions are a flat (very small!) fee. Irregardless of what medication you need, the price of the prescription is the equivalent. The worth of birth control pills the same as cancer drugs, AIDS drugs or drugs for diabetes or heart disease. No matter whats wrong with your health, it wont cost you an arm and a leg to fix it, and youll never go bankrupt from health care expenses in the UK. In the US, on the other hand, thousands of workers a year go bankrupt from outrageous costs of medical care and some loses cars, houses, and everything else they own too. Just to pay off the voracious treatment rooms, insurance companies and drug companies that are currently controlling Americas health care system.

also, Americans are terrified of a national health care system given that, being a pretty gullible nationality, they believe the horror stories the bogey man is spinning (the bogey man being namely, any Republican that can get up and voice an instruct). Republicans are talking about taxes being raised under Obamas new health care plan (they wont be!), theyre talking about people not being able to see their own doctor (this wont happen) and theyre talking about a system that will control Americans to such an extent they wont get the health care they need (and this isnt likely to happen either).

As a Brit first and an American second, I was brought up in a country where we question the management. A lot of Americans believe the party they support so, if theyre Republican, damned straight theyre going to believe the Republican party whos telling them Obamas health care plan wont work. Me? I question not only the Republican Party but their ethics, as many Republican senators and representatives are in the pockets of the insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies so, of course theyre going to tell you Obamas national health care system will be bad for you. Because if Americans support Obamas national health care bill then these same chubbiness cat Republicans will lose the money that gets put in their pockets by the medical lobby.

I now live in Thailand, a country that just recently moved up from third world to second world status and even we have a national health care system. Every person in Thailand is covered, so that any visit to a doctor or any analysis costs 30 baht (just less than $1). If you solicit a higher level of treatment than at a common Thai government hospital, you can supplement it with health insurance or at a personal hospital. Private hospital treatment in Thailand however is still less than a tenth of the price of ordinary hospital treatment in the US yet Thais pay far less a portion of their salaries in taxes than Americans do. So, if Thailand can provide such an pleasing medical care system to its citizens without growing taxes, it stands to reason so can America. Its also now why so many Americans come to Thailand every year for their health care involves – its cheap, the treatment is even better than in the US, and Bangkok private hospitals are now rated as some of the best in the world.

Lastly, Americans bust a gut when they think they might have to pay higher taxes for Obamas health care plan, but dont seem to care that a billion dollars of their taxes are going to Iraq – every day. Thats because former-President and current-scam-artist George Bush did such a sum on the heads of Americans, truly having them believe that America would be overrun with terrorists if America didnt go into Iraq and deal with it.

Fast sends eight life and America is now paying the price for Bushs little scam. Americas think they cant find the money for Obamas national health care system because theyre paying out the nose for Bushs Iraq scam. If it was me, I familiar with which one I would prefer. A national health care system that would cover everyone and make my health care needs easier to get and to afford. Not a false war in Iraq that has devastated Americas image around the world and meant that you, your kids and your grandkids will still be paying for this war years following America has left Iraq in shambles.

America needs Obamas national health care plan, but until Americans wake up and realize how theyre being scammed by the Republicans, the health care companies, the insurance companies, the drug companies and George Bushs foray into Iraq, they probably wont get it.

Me? Im glad I live in Thailand.