Fancy+Cats

Health Care Refrom Site 1: Kurtis Heaton Clemmitt, M. (2009, August 28). Health-care reform. //CQ Researcher//, //19//, 693-716. Retrieved December 3, 2009, from CQ Researcher Online, [|http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher /cqresrre2009082800].
 * Millions are about to lose their insurance
 * Creating a new health care system
 * Thinking about a single-payer plan
 * Single-payer plan collects taxes from people to pay for the health care
 * Experts say when people spend their money on health care they don’t spend it wisely
 * Most tax-supported single-payer systems control costs by determining the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of medical interventions
 * Obama is administrating a new health care board to propose a new health care bill
 * 45 million people in America don’t have health insurance
 * [[image:http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/file.php?path=/images/CQ_Researcher/r20090828-nocoverage.gif caption="U.S. Health Insurance Coverage, 2007"]]
 * Public is not single payer or private payer
 * Thinking about a publicly run system
 * A big question is if the plan went universal would it cost to much
 * Democrats main goal is to get everyone in America to have health insurance
 * Congress is trying to take over and fix the subject for the first time since Clinton’s plan failed in the 1990’s
 * Gov estimated that the new health care would cost 1.6 trillion dollars for the next 10 years so they are just saying it would be to expensive
 * The costs would be less drastic if the plan was spread out over a longer period of time
 * Think single payer is the simplest way to go
 * Main plan is to extend coverage to all Americans
 * In 2018 we will be spending 20.3% of our income on health care
 * Thinking about substituting for Co-ops
 * Some companies like Mutual Omaha use co-ops and they are successful this proves it works
 * So that might work for the whole country
 * Some officials say co-ops have been unable to work in the past so they think it won’t work
 * More people that think a co-op would work have more evidence that it won’t work so it most likely wouldn’t work for a nation wide plan
 * It failed in the early 90’s because of conflict with consumer led management and the medical group
 * A co-op most likely wouldn’t work
 * Spreading it out would save 2 million dollars over the next 10 years
 * The health care prices have been rising rapidly over the last couple years
 * Health care must be rationed
 * The cost is rising at an annual 6%

Site 2: Nicole Parsons Online Document: Greenspun, Phillip. (September 2009). Health Care Reform. . 4 December, 2009 from [] · Americans have voted that they should invest on health care rather than the following: § General research and development § Education § Renewable energy such as solar power § Improved telecommunications facilities, including a wireless internet over the entire U.S. ·  Americans have decided that some money of theirs will go to health care instead of these other causes: · Longer vacations and shorter work weeks § Food made from something other than corn § Housing with more light and more ventilation § Sports, coaching, gym memberships, personal trainers § Charity which gives donors a medical lift · People with everyday jobs have been forced to work25% longer work hours then they normally would. · As the economy is getting smaller the health cost expenses increases and the health care insurance is expanded by Barack Obama and Congress. The GDP percentage spent on health care with will soon be 22%. · The average person who works 12 hours more a week then they used to is getting less healthier as the year goes by, because the person loses their exercise time, loses time to sleep, and less time to relax. Working long hours is not goo for a person’s health. · The health care reform spends $8500 on Americans health care and the average person lives up to 78. · They spend 6 percent of the GDP and $800 per person. <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 9pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Many people in America spend their money on things they don’t need, like big houses, motor vehicles. Which they don’t need and this money could be spent on health care. <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 9pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Hospitals are spending $70 million or more on programs that that doctors find infuriating. <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 9pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· There are 8 reform suggestions: one is provide universal coverage; two is increase the supply of doctors without increase the number; three, increase the supply of doctors by increasing the numbers; four, a basic standard of care; five, shut down the veterans administration hospital system; six, scrap government-mandated health care IT; seven, eliminate tax deductions for health care expenses; and eight, simplify medical malpractice dispute resolution. <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 9pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· We are going to need more doctors in the economy because there are more people that need to be taken care of. There are 2.4 doctors for 100 people. <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">The OECD average is 3.1 for 100 patients. <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 9pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Limiting the cost is a suggestion in making health care easier to pay for, they are saying $2000 per person in U.S. <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 9pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· · There are additional problems with our system <span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 9pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o A lot of patient time wasted for unneeded tests. <span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 9pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o Lack of fairness in pricing for uninsured people; a doctor may say that a procedure costs $10,000 from a patient when Medicare says its only $800. <span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 9pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o The time wasted and unnecessary time for patients by the inefficiencies, indifference and mistakes by health care who don’t care what the patients think of them. <span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 9pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Courier New'; msolist: Ignore;">o Doctors waste their time also because of the amazing amount of company forms, procedures, and policies. <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 9pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· If we had structural barriers for innovation in retailing in health care then the grocery stores would cost 22 percent less than they do now. We could use that money to pay for some of the health care bills. <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 9pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">·  Americans need health care reform, and has been needed for some time now. The debate should be about expanding access for all Americans, no matter the race, color, gender, religious affiliation, age, physical or mental disability and genetic information <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 9pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· One person said their physician, who has no training in IT software, is now knowing how to, and the doctor would have to make a choice about seeing patients. <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 9pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· If we accept the 10 percent figure, that means it is inching up toward $300 billion per year, perhaps enough to pay half the cost of a reasonable health care system for every American

"The Obama Plan". The White House. 12.3.09 <http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/health-care/plan>. Brittany Poling

<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">
 * 12 million people were denied coverage directly or indirectly due to a pre-existing condition over the last three years
 * The President’s plan:
 * Will end insurances charging different prices or denying coverage based on gender
 * And will limit premium variation based on age.
 * Prohibits the companies from canceling coverage that has already been purchased. (other than cases dealing with fraud)
 * Prohibit them from imposing annual or lifetime caps on benefit payments
 * Extend protections for medicare beneficiaries to have better quality, better care, and reduce program costs
 * Will provide small business with tax credits to lower costs of covering their employees
 * Most smaller businesses have larger prices to face than big businesses. They will make it so they can have lower costs and more choices of coverage.
 * Will be illegal to deny coverage due to health reasons or the risk of them
 * Will prohibit companies from imposing on benefit payments
 * All Americans have access to free health services with the health insurance
 * Extend protection for medicare beneficiaries that has better quality, coordinate care and reduce the cost. This will further the life of the medicare trust fund and paying for future coverage over generations.
 * Allows people who like their health insurance, keep it.
 * If you loose your job, move or have a different job, options of new insurance with higher quality will be available
 * Provide new tax credits and limit the amount of money that can come out of ones income to be spent on premiums
 * Will make available coverage for people who can not get health insurance due to their pre existing conditions, with out higher prices due to them. This will give protection against financial ruin until the new exchange in 2013
 * Will not add any money today or in the future to the deficit. It is paid for in a responsible way.
 * This begins the process of the reform of healthcare so we can stop growth of healthcare cost in the long run, it invests in quality improvements, consumer protections, prevention, and premium assistance.
 * Pays for this investment through health systems saving and new revenue and having a fee on healthcare companies that sell very expensive coverage plans.
 * If the savings don’t cover, the president himself will put in more savings to make sure nothing is added to the deficit.
 * Improve the way care is delivered to show quality over quantity.
 * Large businesses including 50 workers or more will be required to offer coverage to all their workers or pay a fee to help cover the cost of coverage and make it affordable
 * Workers in places not offering coverage will still have affordable coverage options for themselves and their families.
 * People who can afford it will have the responsibility of getting coverage.
 * In most places companies can cancel any coverage if health problems are not listed on the application given <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> (even if it is not a current illness or one not known of)
 * <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Too many Americans needed health insurance due to the cost of check-ups and screenings with equipment that can identify illnesses in early age when it is easiest to be treated.
 * <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">In 2013, the Exchange will give Americans who can not get affordable insurance on the job, and small businesses easy shopping for insurance letting them compare options based on price, benefits, and quality.
 * <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">A family today, purchasing health insurance directly from the insurance company could spend around 50% of household income just on health costs because there is no limit on expenses.
 * <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">These protections will extend the life of the Medicare Trust Fund to pay for care for future generations.
 * <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Ex:
 * <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">A recent investigation found that in five years, three large insurance companies cancelled coverage for 20,000 people which saved them from paying $300 million in medical claims. That money became bad debt for the doctors and hospital or money the patient’s family needs to pay.
 * <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">24% of women age 40 or older have not gotten a mammogram in the past two years
 * <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">38% percent of adults age 50 and older have never had a colon cancer screening.

Site 4: Brady Ferguson
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">"Public Health Care Option." //Issues & Controversies On File:// n. pag. //Issues & Controversies//. Facts On File News Services, 21 Aug. 2009. Web. 3 Dec. 2009. []
 * Health care has been a huge issue for a long time going back to Franklin Roosevelt. All the attempts to make health care more affordable and easier for others have failed.
 * Around 45 million people are lacking health insurance and the prices of health care has risen so much that U.S. workers have seen the amount of money they make decline greatly.
 * At the moment the U.S. health care system is affective and our country spends more money than every other industrialized nation. This means that the other nations offer their citizens universal health care.
 * Health Care prices haven increased greatly in the last couple years and experts believe that by 2017 we will spend around 4 trillion dollars on health care.
 * Barack Obama is now promoting a new health care reform package.
 * Businesses will usually offer their employees some kind of health care plan and the employees would have to contribute a portion of their payments to the health care.
 * Employees who have health care insurance will loose it if their fired and most of the time can’t afford their own health care because the prices of doctor’s visits are higher when you’re uninsured.
 * Since so many of the employees in America are insured by their businesses they don’t actually know how expensive the health care really is.
 * Other countries like Canada have health care plans that cover all the citizens and are paid for through tax payer money this kind of system is referred to as a single player system.
 * The biggest issue involving the health care reform is the people’s option. People say they should lower the costs and give health care to the uninsured but critics believe that would give too much power to the government.
 * Believers of a public run health care plan say that costs are out of control because the private businesses have no urge to try and control the costs but this is good because it would encourage people to choose the more efficient and lower costing health care plan.
 * Critics believe that a government run health care plan would be too expensive and the budget would hurt the economy. Also that it would be unfair to the private businesses because the government is paid by tax money.
 * Followers of the public option don’t think that a government plan would put the private insurers out of business but instead create some competition.
 * Some people believe that the private health care system will make the country go bankrupt if the costs aren’t lowered.
 * People who follow the public option plan say that the government won’t run the private insurers out of business instead it would just give people more of an option.
 * Health care through Medicare is the most efficient part of the governments plan at the moment and pays 47% of the medical bills while private insurers only pay 37%.
 * Some critics think that a government controlled health care is unfair to the private systems because the government has access to the taxpayer money.
 * The government would provide money straight to the people that would give them the option to pick whatever health care is better for them.
 * People that support the public option believe that the private businesses’ are more worried about the money they make instead of people’s health.
 * Obama has noted that the private insurers have been making great profits despite the fact the economy is rough.
 * Obama states "At a time when everybody is getting hammered, they're making record profits, and premiums are going up. What's the constraint on that? How can you ensure that those costs aren't being passed on to...the American people...in a way that over time is going to make them broke?"
 * Obama believes that a government health care plan would benefit everybody including the private insurers.
 * Critics disagree with Obama and believe that a government health care plan would eliminate choice to 70% of Americans.
 * Critics also say that the private insurer’s profits will drop tremendously if the government health care plan goes into affect.
 * Critics say that the government has pressured all of the health care industry into discussing the reforms but the industry would most likely suffer.
 * Critics note that in other countries with a government health care plan the people are limited to what they can choose.
 * Also that it hurts them because it will come down to who gets help and who doesn’t.
 * Critics don’t like the fact that with the government plan hospitals will treat people for less than the treatment costs.
 * Critics argue that it will slowly and steadily put our countries profits in a decline.
 * Critics think that if they stop the tax breaks it would lower the health are costs.

Site 5: "Health Care Reform". The New York Times. 12.3.09 <http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/health_insurance_and_managed_care/health_care_reform/index.html>. Brittany Poling, Nicole Parsons __Backround information:__
 * For 75 years people of the congress have been fighting to create a good system of health insurance
 * President Obama has made this one of his top prioritys
 * On November 7th the House approved his big change in the nations health care system
 * The debate then moved to the Senate where the senetor Harry Reid introduced the $848 million plane on Nov. 18.
 * If Mr. Reid grants too many concessions to his centrist members, it could be difficult later to merge a Senate bill with one passed by the House
 * Lawmakers voted 220 to 215 to approve a plan that would cost $1.1 trillion over 10 years
 * That plan would provide coverage to most Americans who do not have it currently
 * Only one Republican, Representative Anh Cao of Louisiana agreed with the bill as 39 Democrats opposed it.
 * They need all the democrats to commit to the bill to be able to over power the republicans.
 * The house had to add that abortions would be covered for the bill to get enough votes to pass.
 * the bills would expand coverage for Medicaid by making people more eligible
 * The 160 million people who already have coverage from their company, will stay with it.
 * Almost everyone would be required to have coverage or have a penalty.
 * Businesses would be required to offer coverage or pay the costs.
 * The Congressional budget office says that both the house's plan and the senates plan will reduce deficit over 10 years
 * Republicans were very against that
 * Democrats stated that without action costs would continue to rise as well as number of uninsured.(about 46 million)
 * Obama handed off the plan to the house and senate and then started to work on other things
 * once he noticed polls about his popularity dropped he figured because he didnt show enough interest and action into the plan.
 * He then went back to work further and harder on getting it passed.
 * Republicans attacked the bill saying that it would cost to much and small businesses would be encouraged not to hire people.
 * Franklin D. Roosevelt wanted to have some kind of national health insurance into social security in 1935
 * Harry S. Truman introduced a national health care program with an insurance fund that everyone would pay
 * Since then every democratic president and many republican presidents have wanted to provide better and more affordable coverage for americans
 * Bill Clinton had the best proposal but had the worst failure.
 * The biggest differences between 1993-94 and 2009 is how employers and businesses feel about the prices of health care and are now are very for change.
 * Insurance companies who before helped deny Clintons plan now realize there needs to be a change.
 * They are now saying they will except all aplicants for coverage not looking at illness or disability
 * For his 2010 budget Obama asked the Congress to set asside $600 billion as a down payment on efforts to improve health care systems over 10 years
 * Setting aside this money could include limiting income tax deductions that most affluent tax payers claim.
 * After sending in the budget plan to Congress the White house told the Democrats to make the hard decisions while the administration went to hear from citizens
 * At the end of March 2009 Democrats decided that all people should carry coverage and that employers should be required to help pay for it.
 * Also agreed that the government should offer a public health plan other than just a private plan
 * Starting in 2001 a family that makes $500,000 will have to pay $1,500 in addition to help cover the uninsured.
 * A family making $1 million will have to pay $9,000
 * Employers who do not offer health coverage to their workers will have to pay a fee or penalty to the government.

Site 6: Kurtis Heaton, Brady Ferguson Clemmitt, M. (2007, March 30). Universal coverage. //CQ Researcher//, //17//, 265-288. Retrieved December 4, 2009, from CQ Researcher Online, [|http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher /cqresrre2007033000]
 * 45 million americans didn't have health insurance in 2005
 * more and more people keep losing their coverage
 * 2 million people lose insurance a moth
 * costs are rising faster than inflation and minimum wage
 * high costs and no insurance are making people skip out on the health treatments they need to live and in some cases this is leading to major health problems
 * because of this congress is working hard to put together a universal plan
 * over 15% of americans don't have health coverage mainly because of a job loss
 * the economy situation isn't helping either with the inflation and so many people getting laid off
 * the situation isn't looking like it will get any better any time soon
 * in 2001 the average premium cost was $7053
 * in 2003 the average premium cost was $9063
 * in 2005 the average premium cost was $10880
 * in 2006 the average premium cost was $11500
 * in 2012 the expect premium cost is $18650.
 * Some states are trying to make individual coverage’s for the state alone
 * The amount of people without insurance has brought a crisis onto the country
 * People without insurance don’t get the coverage they need if they are sick
 * People without coverage have no way to pay their medical bills in some cases so they go into major dept
 * The regions of the US that have the most people with coverage are the mid west and the north east
 * The region that has the most people without coverage is Texas with 23% not covered
 * The regions that are in the middle are Florida and the south west
 * The other regions that are doing better are the north west and south east
 * Many government members want a universal coverage plan
 * All government members say that it would also cost to much so it just couldn’t work
 * Some people think it is impossible to get everyone covered
 * Democrats and republicans both agree that the cost for a universal plan would have enormous costs
 * A universal plan for Maryland would raise the spending 2.5 billion a year
 * Most proposals call for increased government spending
 * Our economy just can’t afford a huge spending in money
 * Private insurance coverage has dropped

Site 7: "8 Questions about Health Care Reform". The Washington Post. 12.4.09 <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/politics/8-questions/index.html>.

If I don’t have health insurance now, how will the reform affect me? If I currently have health insurance, how will the reform affect me? <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 8pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Will not affect you much <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 8pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· First, only small businesses and the uninsured will be able to buy plans on the new exchange <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 8pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Over time access to the exchange may be widened <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 8pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· If it is widened it may affect people buying from their businesses they would just buy from the exchange <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 8pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· That could leave the businesses with employees who have greater health care costs. <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 8pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· This could make these plans hard to sustain <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 8pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Democrats wish that if the employer based health insurance cost grows slower it will make the health care system all together reasonable and less wasteful. <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 8pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· People covered by individual plans will have the opportunity to have better regulated plans
 * People without it will be required to get it.
 * You will be able to buy coverage that is on a new “exchange”
 * The “Exchange” is a market place will people will be able to buy coverage from private insurers who will offer plans
 * Liberal Democrats want help for families who have earnings as much as four times the poverty level.
 * $88,000 for a family of four
 * Conservative Democrats want to lower the help to families that make less than $66,000 or less.
 * Limit on price based on age.
 * Prohibit denial based on preexisting conditions
 * Limits on “rescissions”
 * Voiding based on technicalities after someone enters a big claim
 * The poorest uninsured will be covered by expanded Medicaid eligibility