It’s starting already
Today’s Washington Post has an article about how there’s already trouble brewing over President Obama’s plan.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/20/AR2009042003702.html?hpid=topnews
The health care industry lobby is complaining that a governement-sponsored plan would have less overhead and be able to be more efficient, meaning the private insurance companies wouldn’t be able to make as much profit.
See, the government wouldn’t have multi-million-dollar executive salaries at the top and it wouldn’t need to satisfy shareholders, so it could sell an insurance policy for less.
These are some of the same people who have claimed all along that the government is inefficient and can’t provide health insurance.
So, which is it?
The insurance companies don’t want to compete with the government. Here’s what that want: They want the government to mandate that everyone buy insurance from them. That way, all the high-profit healthy people who choose not to buy insurance now will be forced to buy it.
That makes the pool bigger and it’s very high profit.
When it comes to insuring older and sicker people, that’s when they want the government to come in and subsidize the care, which would make their risks even lower and their profits even higher.
The problem is that policymakers are buying into the insurance lobby’s bull, and unless we’re aware of going on and object to it, the insurance companies will walk away with even bigger profits and we’re screwed.
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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