“The number of Americans without health insurance climbed to 27.5 million in 2018, according to Federal Data that shows the first year to year increase in a decade (and since the advent of the ACA).”[1] Seema Verma, administrator for th CMS  blamed the long predicted and finally occurring increase in uninsured Americans in a decade on the Affordable Care Act. We discussed previously her unsubstantiated claim that the reason [...]

“The number of Americans without health insurance climbed to 27.5 million in 2018, according to Federal Data that shows the first year to year increase in a decade (and since the advent of the ACA).”[1] Seema Verma, administrator for th CMS  blamed the long predicted and finally occuring increase in uninsured Americans in a decade on the Affordable Care Act; specifically on higher premiums under the law that have [...]

The president has had some proposals which were viewed as having merit: require hospitals to post their actual, negotiated prices some strategies to lower drug prices. On the other hand, he has loosened the rules on health insurers to allow sales of what critics call “junk” insurance because they don’t have all the consumer protections of ACA policies, or promoting work requirements for Medicaid recipients.[1]  Other administrative activities have [...]

What should we do about healthcare in the United States? In the curent political bruhaha leading to the 2020 elections, the ideas are far apart and accross a wide spectrum of ideas. Not surprising considering the vitriol and random association with evidence based data that passes for health care reform debate. Obama dramatically expanded access to coverage, reducing the rate of uninsured by half — a great start. The [...]

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) released the following data for the top three causes of death in the United States in 2013: Heart disease: 611,105 deaths Cancer: 584,881 deaths Chronic Respiratory Disease: 149,205 deaths The following data is taken from the CDC's 2017 report. Number of deaths per year from heart disease: 635,260. Number of deaths per year from cancer: 598,038. Number of deaths per year from accidents [...]

WHAT ARE OUT OF POCKET EXPENSES? “A majority of patients (59%) paid an average out-of-pocket expense between $500 and $1,000 during a healthcare visit in 2018, a marked increase from 39% the year prior.”[1]  What are out of pocket expenses? Healthcare 101 will be our jumping off spot. In the United States, health insurance is any program that helps pay for medical expenses, whether through privately purchased insurance, employer-sponsored [...]

OUT OF POCKET HEALTH CARE COSTS “A majority of patients (59%) paid an average out-of-pocket expense between $500 and $1,000 during a healthcare visit in 2018, a marked increase from 39% the year prior.”[1]  What are out of pocket expenses? Healthcare 101 will be our jumping off spot. In the United States, health insurance is any program that helps pay for medical expenses, whether through privately purchased insurance, employer-sponsored [...]

Our current healthcare system is frequently in the news.  But with the upcoming 2020 election, the healthcare headlines are becoming more frequent.  Here are some random healthcare topics from recent news sources: PHYSICIAN SHORTAGES The Association of American Medical Colleges predicted a shortfall of 122,000 physicians by 2032.[1]  Physician groups[2] are emphasizing addressing this fact as one of the first steps in reforming our “For-Profit Healthcare Insurance Model.”[3] Drive [...]

What about chronic disease and the affordability of healthcare insurance?  Or, another way to think of it is:  HOW MANY PEOPLE DIDN’T GET HEALTHCARE BECAUSE OF COST? Does the "NO" category in the chart above relate to patients with chronic disease? The affordability crisis facing people with chronic diseases is yet another example of the UNDERINSURED.[1] On the Health Care Continuum, people with chronic illness form the slippery slope. [...]

What is the attitude on proposals to expand Medicare and Medicaid? Here is what the CBO is saying currently about MEDICARE FOR ALL: [1] “Some Members of Congress have proposed establishing a single-payer health care system in the United States to ensure that virtually everyone has health insurance. In a typical single-payer system, people enroll in a health plan operated by the government, and the receipts and expenditures associated [...]