New this week
First, a study by Families USA, the health care advocacy group. They’ve done a state-by-state assessment of health insrance premium costs. Nationally, the costs of premiums rose by about 75 percent betwen 2000 and 2007. That’s about 5.4 times the rise in earnings in the same time, although if you adjust for inflation, Americans’ earnings have pretty much stayed flat.
Businesses have carried a larger percentage of the increased premium costs than workers, but workers are paying more overall because of decreased benefits and higher deductibles and copays. Even with insurance, Americans can’t afford to get sick.
To learn more about the study, visit www.familiesusa.org.
At the same time, insurance companies are changing the rules. They sign contracts and then deny coverage, and they get away with it. They can call a treatment “experimental” even when it’s not. The often flat out deny coverage of something they’re supposed to cover because a lot of people won’t question them. When they are questioned, they’ll claim it was a computer glitch. It’s a time-consuming job to straighten things out after an illness or even minor surgery or diagnostic tests.
Health Care for America Now has an amusing little video — just over a minute — on the topic. To see it, visit www.healthcareforamericnow.org.
Now is the time to speak up and demand health care for all. Corner your campaigning politicians now — before the election — and demand specifics. What will they introduce, support or vote for?
Insurance companies have had a free ride for far too long, and this Wall Street bailout can NOT be an excuse to delay health care reform. It may tie governent hands on increasing spending by a whole lot, but they can still impose strict regulations on insurance companies.
And if we taxpayers are going to own AIG, why not use that to our advantage? Tell Congress to find a way to use our acquisition to help people who can’t get health care, or at least to lower the cost of insurance premiums for some of us.
Tags: Patient Pals & Family Friends
Life o' Mike has a peer support program for people with one or more serious or chronic medical issues or disabilities.
We aim to reduce isolation and fear among people who have conditions, including psychiatric illness, HIV/AIDS, diabetes, mild dementia or other cognitive disorder or disability, thereby reducing depression and complications as people learn to improve self-management of their medical conditions.
Patient Pals help alleviate feelings of isolation and frustration. They can help people develop a list of questions to ask the doctor and then accompany the person to the doctor to make sure all the questions are answered, taking notes to be sure the person understands the doctor’s answers.
Our trained volunteers also accompany their “Pals” to art exhibits, movies and walks outdoors, meet for coffee, call to check in and more.
Our Pals have experienced weight loss, improvement in diabetes, HIV, psoriasis, depression and more, just because they have someone who cares about them. Some relationships develop into longer-term friendships; other Pals move on to more independent lives.
Family Friends are there to help caregivers and other family members grow into their new role.
We need volunteers, who are asked to donate a minimum of one hour a week. Training is free and includes information on active listening, ways to help and when to know more help is needed.
And of course, we need funding.
To learn more, call Leslie Boyd at 828-243-6712 or e-mail lifeomike@gmail.com.
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