No insurance for 129 million Americans

In this file photo, volunteer medical staff, are seen offering free medical services to those without health insurance at a special event in Los Angeles in 2009.

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/160692.html

As many as 129 million Americans under the age of 65 have medical problems while they lack medical insurance, a new study has discovered.

According to the study by the Health and Human Services Department, these people are either rejected by insurance companies or have to pay more for coverage.

This is while their ailments range from cancer to chronic illnesses such as heart disease, asthma and high blood pressure.

The report released on Tuesday, comes just before the House of Representatives plans to begin debating a Republican bill that would repeal US President Barack Obama's healthcare reform law.

In an effort to convince the public of the advantages of the law, the secretary of health and human services said repealing the legislation would leave one-fifth to one-half of non-elderly people unprotected.

Republicans, however, immediately disparaged the analysis as "public relations."

The $940-billion scheme, which aims to overhaul the US health-care system, was signed into law in March, following months of tense debate.

The law which would take effect in 2014 contains insurance protection for people with pre-existing medical conditions.

It also contains a controversial "individual mandate" provision, which makes it economically feasible for insurers to comply with consumer protections in the legislation.

A federal court in the US state of Virginia dealt a heavy blow to the hard-won bill last month, after ruling this key part of the new law as "unconstitutional."

Most experts now believe that the fate of the reform bill will likely be eventually determined by the US Supreme Court.

Czech doctors quit en masse over wage

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/159754.html


Before the New Year, over 3800 doctors in the Czech Republic handed in their resignations in protest over working conditions and low wages, leaving the government until the end of February to prepare for their departure, or negotiate new contracts. The doctors are demanding a pay raise of one and a half to three-times the average pay of the country, making the wage scale comparable with those found in neighboring EU states.

Union leaders point to the vast profits made by technology suppliers, pharmaceutical companies and insurance providers, money that could be used to raise wages and improve health care. However, Czech Health Minister Leo? Heger has maintained that, due to a 10% cut in government spending currently being enacted, there is no room for a pay increase until reforms to the system have taken place.

Since the last negotiations, held before Christmas, the situation has only worsened. Doctors are now threatening to leave sooner than anticipated and the Health Minister is openly planning emergency measures, such as obliging doctors to fulfill their professional duties for an extra 30 days, merging hospitals and moving patients to other regions.

While there continues to be speculation about how many doctor's will leave, approximately 59 of the countries hospitals, out of 191, have reported a high volume of resignations, with some regions preparing to loose up to 70% of their staff.

To date, neither the government, not the unions have offered room for compromise. Instead, both sides are engaged in a battle. But without a
resolution, some analysts say the country could be facing the worst health
crisis in its history, and it is patients who will suffer the most.

Money for Healthcare

By: Stewart Brennan

The annual cost of the Canadian health care system is about 100 Billion dollars. Considering that we are 33 million people or 10% of the Population of the USA, American costs would be 1 Trillion dollars. This is based on a linear comparison of population VS costs, and also using the Canadian model. Given time, the costs will rise because the Healthcare system is based on the fluctuating needs of the sick and injured.

Cost should not be the major issue unless the majority of the population that pays income tax is impoverished. An impoverished nation is not able to support its basic needs or infrastructure and simply cannot afford it. This is what the US politicians, the corporations, the insurance cartels, and the Banksters are claiming in the USA; that “America does not have the money for single payer healthcare”. Well that is just a bunch of crap!

There are some things that require a closer look and the spending of public funds is a major one. For example, it costs the US tax payers 1 Trillion dollars to maintain the more than 700 military bases in Europe and Asia, and that does not include funding the wars or giving money away to countries like Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt.

The US debt is currently 15 Trillion dollars. That equates to an annual interest payment of 600 Billion dollars to private banks before the principal is even touched. The US GDP is about 56 Trillion dollars annually. Think about that for a moment. Where is that money going? What are the US government’s priorities?

The Insurance cartel, turn a profit of over 10 Trillion dollars a year from the US citizens through healthcare insurance. No wonder they have a huge lobby spewing negative ads to proposed changes in the health care system! Obama is not going to change things if he continues to involve the insurance companies. Following this path is not called change; it is called the status quo.

Change will come when people become political atheists and not bicker among themselves through party affiliation. There has to be a 3rd voice...and that is the voice of common sense and reason.

Be Well,
Stewart Brennan