Monday, June 23, 2008

Oh no. Socialized Medicine Makes the Montana Ballot 

By Liberty is for me .

Categories:  Montana

Montana will leave it up to voters to decide if they will get socialized medicine.

"An initiative to provide government-funded health coverage for as many as 30,000 uninsured Montana kids will be on the November ballot, state Auditor John Morrison said Tuesday.

... 

If voters approve I-155 this fall and the 2009 Legislature implements the health-coverage expansion, Montana will become a national leader in covering children currently without health insurance, he said."

Read more... 

• posted by Liberty is for me .
• 10:11 am
• 0 comment

Monday, April 28, 2008

7-year Gallup polls show the quality of health care and coverage to be good 

By Liberty is for me .

HealthCare BS, a blog, highlights that '01-'07 Gallup polls' show two things:

the percentage of people saying their quality of heatlh care is “excellent” or “good” has actually increased from 80% to 83% since 2001.

the percentage of people saying their quality of coverage is “excellent” or “good” has increased from 68% to 70% since 2001.

What do y'all think about the poll?

 

• posted by Liberty is for me .
• 2:14 pm
• 0 comment

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Health care vs Pamper Care? 

By Liberty is for me .

Categories:  Illinois

Today, I saw WSJ's video about Northwestern's Hospital renovations.

Northwestern is a non-profit hospital that has fundraised over $39 million dollars to get a "facelift."

I must say, I was very impressed with their facilities they have a museum, computer lab for families to research illiness, and provide expecting mothers in their rooms a flat screen TV to watch television or surf the web.

However, should Northwestern have used the $39 millon toward health care or extravgance?

It would seem that they should have used that money to provide more health care rather than pamper care.  

Does Northwestern's action of luxury affect the cost of health care? 

• posted by Liberty is for me .
• 10:47 am
• 1 comment

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

True advocates of free-market ideas? 

Take the test

By Liberty is for me .

I created this poll to see how many of us actually practice what we preach.

polls - Take Our Poll

• posted by Liberty is for me .
• 5:49 pm
• 1 comment

Monday, March 24, 2008

Workers Reject Health Care Coverage 

From the Washington Post

By Liberty is for me .

I found this statistic interesting.

From the Washington Post:

While about three out of four full-time workers who earn $15 an hour or less have access to health-care coverage on the job, just over half buy it, according to a report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Many analysts say that the cost -- lower-wage workers pay about a third of the plan premiums with employers picking up the rest -- discourages many from having coverage. By comparison, nine out of 10 full-time workers making more than $15 an hour have health coverage available, and overall almost three in four are covered by their jobs.

So, someone who makes $28,800 a year -- based on 40 hours a week at $15 dollars -- can't afford health care?

You have to be kidding me. I know people who make less than that on Capitol Hill and Starbucks who afford health insurance.

If these are the people that make up the 47 million uninsured figured then someone recalculate the number because these people want to be uninsured.

• posted by Liberty is for me .
• 11:35 am
• 2 comments

Friday, March 21, 2008

Think Tanks: What is your response to this? 

By Liberty is for me .

Why isn't our side pumping out videos like this?

Watch this!

Socialists are winning; their message is prolific on the Internet.

• posted by Liberty is for me .
• 11:22 am
• 2 comments

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Health Care Transparency Bill 

Kudos to South Dakota

By Liberty is for me .

Categories:  South Dakota

Governors across the country promoted open government and transparency on March 17, the first day of Sunshine Week.

On Monday, Governor Rounds signed a health care transparency bill into law. The bill, SB 182, expands an online database, breaking down all hospital-related charges, including average hospital fees, average length of stay, charges paid by government programs, private insurance, etc.

I wished my Governor would do the same. 

 

• posted by Liberty is for me .
• 7:14 pm
• 0 comment

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Did 60 Minutes get it right? 

My two cents

By Liberty is for me .

Today, on my drive back from Austin, I heard one of my favorite podcasts, 60 Minutes.

The March 3rd edition reported a story called: Remote Area Medical Finds It's Needed In America To Plug Health Insurance Gap.

Recently, 60 Minutes heard about an American relief organization that airdrops doctors and medicine into the jungles of the Amazon. It's called Remote Area Medical, or "RAM" for short.

However, these days, they aren't in the Amazon but in Knoxville giving treatment.

In the expedition to Knoxville, RAM saw 920 patients, made 500 pairs of glasses, did 94 mammograms, extracted 1,066 teeth and did 567 fillings.

Truly, a great story that really humanizes the issue of health care. The following anecdote I can relate with because I too had crotch cancer.

Nurse practitioner Teresa Gardner, who brought in a portable women’s health clinic from Wise, Va., was worried about Rebecca McWilliams. McWilliams had surgery for cervical cancer in 2005, but without the recommended follow up.

"It's been two, about two years since I've had my last pap smear and I was supposed to have every six months and I’ve only had it once since that surgery," McWilliams told Pelley.

"I think many doctors would say you've taken a terrible risk waiting this long," Pelley remarked.

"I've really have. But it's just, like I said, it's very hard to afford it. I have three kids. And my husband lost his job this past summer," McWilliams, 28, explained.

McWilliams' pap smear came back clear, but in her exam Gardner found reason to worry. "I think just from the clinical inspection of the cervix that, you know, possibly, there is a possibility that cancer, you know, still being there," Gardner explained.

An unfortunate story.

However, my problem with the story is the fact that 60 Minutes uses cases like the one above, to move heartstrings, to directly suggest people need socialized medicine to survive.

No. You're right. You know, it really, I am sad that we are the wealthiest nation in the world, and we don't take care of our own.

Look, when I found out I had HPV and needed to have surgery my employer's health insurance hooked me up. Then, I went to work on a campaign and I was screwed - no insurance. I was like McWilliams, no follow up. I thought 'crap this is going to cost hundreds!'.

However, it didn't cost hundreds just a hundred. I, the uninsured, called around and I found out that a pap smear test cost $43 and the visit was another $85. Not bad. The icing on the cake was that when I said I didn't have insurance, offices were more likely to book an appt sooner than when I had insurance.

For you think tank men, an OBGYN visit can be a struggle. Most of the time, women can never get an appt when they want one, our crotches have to wait.

Any who, the point of this rant.

60 Minutes should be covering the stories of people who are uninsured and make it. The program should empower consumers, give tips, not show helplessness.

Teach the uninsured how to fish, don't just give them the fish.

 

• posted by Liberty is for me .
• 10:58 pm
• 2 comments

Thursday, March 13, 2008

WSJ Poll on Health Care 

Clinton Wins; 60% say its the goverment's duty

By Liberty is for me .

I thought the WSJ would have better news for me today but it didn't.

A poll conducted during March 6 - 10th shows the following:

Among the presidential candidates, 44% of those polled trust Sen. Clinton to improve health care, 40% trust Sen. Obama and 30% trust Sen. McCain.

For crying out loud, not Clinton.

More...

The poll also found that 60% believe it is the government's duty to ensure all Americans have adequate health-care coverage, down slightly from 65% in September 2007. And 59% believe the U.S. health-care system could be improved by creating an insurance program that is not linked to individuals' employers.

A random find in the poll, the top issue that voters want addressed by presidential candidates is providing coverage for people who are uninsured.

• posted by Liberty is for me .
• 5:39 pm
• 2 comments

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

National Federation of Independent Business flip floppers? 

Group says they now favor universal health care

By Liberty is for me .

Today, Forbes reported that NFIB favors universal health care.

The National Federation of Independent Businesses--the largest U.S. small business lobbying group, with 350,000 members--announced its support for universal health care today, a seemingly surprising move from an openly right-leaning interest group.

Immediately I said to myself: WTF, how could this be? Why would small business owners favor such a thing? Yuck! 

But after doing some research, I found this on their press archives:

The National Federation of Independent Business, the state's leading small business organization, announced strong opposition to the universal health plan proposed this weekend by Senate leaders.

Then they say this about their membership:

As far as establishing universal health-care system, Smith referred to a 2006 NFIB/Wisconsin member survey ballot that showed 70 percent of the small-business owners were opposed to any health-insurance reform proposal funded primarily by an assessment on the payroll from employers.

So, are they being Romney flip-floppers?

Someone please explain this to me because to an average Jane like me, they seem like hypocrites, who had their brains melted by other unions. 

• posted by Liberty is for me .
• 10:24 pm
• 3 comments