New Tax on Insurance Companies? Real Healthcare Reform!

Health Care Bill Passes But Will It Help? While it's clear to many that something needed to be done to fix the healthcare system in the U.S. I have to admit I am not sure the bill that congress just approved is the answer. I am tentatively hopeful that it will help the majority of those who are currently uninsured because the situation as it stands is horrible.

As someone who has worked in the healthcare industry, I believe that regulating the insurance companies would be more effective than requiring people to buy insurance or face fines. Mandating the purchase of a product that people may or may not be able to afford seems ludicrous to me.

What I have seen from within the healthcare industry is that the doctors and hospitals are not making huge amounts of money. I have seen insurance companies pay as little as $4.00 on a $100.00 charge. The medical provider is then required to adjust the difference. Needless to say, there's no way to pay overhead such as malpractice insurance, staffing, or facility costs if the insurance companies are paying the medical provider pennies on the dollar. The provider is then forced to make up that loss elsewhere, generally by charging uninsured patients higher prices.

While some specialists may be making very large profits, I think most are not. So where is the money going? According to a report by the advocacy group Health Care for American Now (HCAN http://healthcareforamericanow.org/) the top five for-profit health insurance providers made record profits in 2009 totaling $12.2 billion!

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2007 there were 45.7 million uninsured Americans. While these numbers are up for debate with critics claiming the numbers are even higher (reportedly the Census only reports those that were uninsured for the entire year) how many of those 45.7 million could have received coverage with just a small piece of that $12.2 billion?

A better solution in my opinion would be to perhaps place mandates instead on the insurance companies where a percentage of profits would be paid into a fund to provide coverage for the uninsured. There's no doubt they would fight tooth and nail but perhaps making the big players share the wealth would work. The bill as it stands now will require taxpayer dollars to support it. Why shouldn't the companies that are profiting from this broken healthcare system be required to contribute to a solution?

Making affordable insurance available to anyone that wishes to buy into it is critical. Mandating it when many people are barely scraping by doesn't seem like a solution to me. Forcing small businesses to provide healthcare for their employees when they are struggling to survive places an unfair burden on them when most are struggling simply to survive.

I'm not a politician and I'm not an economist. But as someone who has worked in the healthcare industry I have seen how little insurance companies are allowed to pay providers for medical care. As a small business owner I am also well aware that for most small businesses having real healthcare coverage is nothing but a pipe dream. We are lucky to be able to afford major medical insurance that protects us only in the event of a catastrophic illness or injury, and then only after paying a huge out of pocket deductible.

My fear is that big business, Wall Street, and our legislators have seriously lost touch with what the majority of Americans are facing with regard to real economic living conditions. Just about everyone I know is beyond broke. Fellow business owners have admitted defeat and closed their doors or are hanging on by the skin of their teeth. Penalizing people that can't afford to buy insurance just adds salt to their wounds.

Personally I am sick and tired of being among those that continue to sacrifice so that corporate bigwigs can continue to receive their big bonuses, stock options, corporate jets, and lavish lifestyles at the expense of fellow Americans. Someone needs to stop the madness!

What Makes a Champion?

"Champions aren’t made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them-a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill." ~Muhammed Ali

Beware Credit Counseling Scams!

With so many Americans currently out of work, falling behind on their bills, and losing their homes the demand for help has never been greater. But that desperation brings out the low-lifes who prey on innocent victims. Like a shark that smells blood, credit counseling scammers come out of the woodwork to prey on desperate families. Don't be one of them! Companies that require fees and money, sometimes thousands of dollars up front to help you through your financial crisis are SCAMMERS! If you had the money you wouldn't be struggling!

The Consumer Credit Counseling Service is a nationwide, non-profit service that offers FREE assistance. They can contact your creditors on your behalf and negotiate better rates, better terms, and possibly restructure loans, depending on the circumstances. You need to contact the main number to make an appointment with your local office. Appointments can be by phone or in person, but they really can help! I know people who have used the service. One person had the interest rates for two of her credit card accounts reduced from 26% & 27% to 6% & 7% respectively.

Another was able to consolidate all of her debt into one low-interest loan, received debt counseling (for free), and has worked out a payment plan to eliminate all the debt. Their phone lines are open 24 hours a day. Just be prepared to hold because demand for help is overwhelming. Trust me when I tell you the call is worth the wait! Their website is http://www.nfcc.org/ or you can call 800-388-2227.

Healthcare Reform Snafu

I must say I was really surprised to learn about the latest snafu with regard to the proposed healthcare reform currently being debated by our legislators. It is my understanding that abortion may possibly be a covered expense under the plan. I mention this not to inflame anti-abortion readers but instead as an observation.

All the good intentions in the world are not going to push through a healthcare plan that includes abortion. No matter where you stand on the issue, abortion is such a divisive issue among Americans to even suggest including it in a national healthcare bill is just plain foolish. I don't believe that even if we had a plan that offered healthcare to all, at no cost to our country, curing all diseases in the world, with unlimited funding available to pay for it all, that it would get congressional approval if it also pays for abortion.

Right now we have existing plans that pay for viagra but consider treatment for port wine stains on a child's face to be elective or annual pap tests to be unnecessary. To say that the need for viagra is a medical necessity is preposterous. Those wishing to use viagra or obtain an abortion (except if the mother's life is in danger) should pay out of pocket as these are elective treatments. Just like cosmetic surgery these are optional and should be considered as such. To roll them into a national plan is just asking for a fight.

There's enough propaganda flying around already trying to convince people that the government will decide who lives and who dies under the new plan (not true, of course). Ironically enough, that's what insurance companies do now. They decide which medical procedures are allowed and which are not. It's not as if the doctor caring for his/her patient has any idea what is best for the patient, right? For those that cannot pay for necessary procedures, they go without OR THEY DIE. I regularly help people access the care they need or connect them to agencies that can help. Often, the help comes too late.

Some people are spreading rumors that Medicare will be cut. Seniors around the country are up in arms spreading this message without even attempting to learn the truth. But people believe it. I watched the Healthcare Summit. It is my understanding that only Medicare Advantage would be affected. If people want to keep the 'premium' Medicare, let them pay the difference. Otherwise, regular Medicare will still be available to all. Our country is full of gullible fools that will believe anything anyone tells them. Those that prey on the elderly to spread their lies should be ashamed of themselves.

The truth is, everyone should have access to medical care. Not just the wealthy. Not just our congressmen. Not just government or municipal workers. Not just those that work for big business. Too many people are without any healthcare and too many have minimal coverage, leading them to go without healthcare. This I know is true. Small business owners who create the majority of the jobs in our country, and therefore employ the majority of the employees in this country cannot afford healthcare for their own families, let alone for their staff. These are real people. You do the math.

I think our legislators need to rethink their proposals before spending time and taxpayer dollars on a battle that may never be won because of small details such as these. We need coverage for all. Too many American citizens do NOT receive care. How about we think these things through before we start voting on them? Just a thought.