Illinois fell slightly in an annual ranking of the healthiest states in which to live, published by United Health Foundation.
Its new rank for 2007 is 27th; in 2006 it was 25th.
Back in 2000 it was 37th, but ranked 19th in 1990.
Progress is being made on several fronts:
Since last year, the number of incoming 9th graders who graduate within four years increased from 76 percent to just over 80.
Since 1990, both the rate of infant mortality and violent crime have been decreasing.
Illinois is a state with one of the biggest problems with binge drinking (ranked 47th) and also ranks low, 42nd, for preventable hospitalizations.
The Foundation ranks states in 20 categories.
Ranking: Illinois is 27th this year; it was 25th in 2006.
Strengths:
Strengths include a low occupational fatalities rate at 4.2 deaths per 100,000 workers, ready access to primary care with 127.8 primary care physicians per 100,000 population and few poor mental health days per month at 3.0 days in the previous 30 days.
Challenges:
Challenges include a high prevalence of binge drinking at 19.2 percent of the population, a high rate of preventable hospitalizations with 89.4 discharges per 1,000 Medicare enrollees and a high violent crime rate at 542 offenses per 100,000 population.
Significant Changes:
In the past year, the occupational fatalities rate increased from 3.5 to 4.2 deaths per 100,000 workers.
In the past year, the high school graduation rate increased from 75.9 percent to 80.3 percent of incoming ninth graders who graduate within four years.
Since 1990, the infant mortality rate decreased from 11.9 to 7.3 deaths per 1,000 live births.
Since 1990, the violent crime rate decreased from 795 to 542 offenses per 100,000 population.
Health Disparities:
In Illinois, blacks experience 102 percent more premature death than whites.
In the large metropolitan areas, residents in the central counties experience 42 percent more premature death than residents in the fringe counties.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Sunday, April 13, 2008
When to Stay Home If You Don't Feel Well
Slight fever. An irritating cough. A sore throat. These symptoms make a person feel miserable, but they probably won't keep him from going to work or school.Amanda Demmel, for example, is a freshman at DePaul University with perfect attendance. Making it to class every day means going to school when she is sick."I can't stand missing school, and I'll try to keep outside symptoms to a minimum," said Demmel, 18, of Lincoln Park.
Demmel packs cough drops and takes over-the-counter medication so she doesn't disturb her classmates. And though it's tolerable to sit through a statistics seminar with a sore throat or slight fever, there are times when a person is too sick to go to work or school.
So how sick is too sick? There are some clear indicators on when adults should put on their pajamas and head back to bed.
Consider staying home
• If you have abdominal pain. It may be a precursor to vomiting or diarrhea, said Dr. Russell Robertson, professor and chair of family medicine at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine.
• If you are experiencing frequent vomiting or diarrhea. Robertson said working with these symptoms may be difficult, to say the least, and both could be a sign of a viral illness.• If you have an incessant cough or yellow-greenish sputum. Both are indicators of an upper-respiratory infection, and Robertson recommended seeing a doctor and staying home from work because the infection could be passed to co-workers.
• If you feel light-headed, have a poor appetite or dark urine. These symptoms suggest dehydration, and mental focus may be affected. For a dehydrated and lethargic person, "simply driving to work can be dangerous," Robertson said.
• If you have been diagnosed with an infection and just started taking antibiotics. Robertson said it's best to stay home for at least 24 hours so the medicine can take effect. This will reduce the risk of sharing the infection.
When to think twice
Some low-grade fevers can be controlled with ibuprofen, which makes it harder to determine whether you should stay or go.
• Stay put if you have a fever for more than 24 hours. "You are likely infectious," Robertson said. "You will take what you've got and spread it to people you come into contact with."
• Also stay put if you have a fever of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher and you have co-workers or classmates with chronic illnesses who may not be able to handle an infection as easily. Robertson said people who have diabetes, asthma or heart disease or who are undergoing chemotherapy can be more harshly affected by the same virus.
Keep kids home
Keeping kids home can be just as confusing. Parents don't want to send a sick child to school, but they also don't want to keep a faker home on the day of a test. So how can parents tell whether their child is really ill?
• If the child has a 101-degree temperature (in the same neighborhood as Robertson's 100.4) or more, said pediatrician Lori Walsh with Glenbrook Pediatrics in Glenview.
• If stomach pain moves from the middle of the belly to the lower right quadrant. Walsh said this type of progressive pain probably means the child is ill, not just hoping to skip school or dealing with anxiety.
• If the child has a combination of sore throat, headache and stomachache. "That's a triad for strep throat," Walsh said.
Send them to school
• If the symptoms show up suddenly in the morning. Walsh said sudden symptoms may be more manageable or even a bit imaginary. In contrast, kids who complain of symptoms during the night are more likely dealing with an illness.
• If they can get out of bed and eat their breakfast. "If they say 'I've got this pain' and they are eating their breakfast, I would let them go and have the nurse call me," Walsh said.
• But be aware about whether your child is even welcome at school with an illness. Walsh said some schools have policies that forbid attending with illnesses.Of course, it's easy to tell kids to take the day off. But the decision can be more complicated for adults, especially if an employee is paid hourly or fears retribution for missing work."There is some anxiety on calling in sick," Robertson said. "There is a tendency to drag yourself in."But workers may not be all that useful to employers when they are sick. "You can go to work in that state, you will take longer to get better and you lose more with productivity and time," Robertson said.
If you must go to work or school with a mild illness, be mindful of not spreading your sickness. Bring disposable tissues for coughing and sneezing, and pack disposable wipes to clean communal phones and doorknobs, Robertson said.
Demmel packs cough drops and takes over-the-counter medication so she doesn't disturb her classmates. And though it's tolerable to sit through a statistics seminar with a sore throat or slight fever, there are times when a person is too sick to go to work or school.
So how sick is too sick? There are some clear indicators on when adults should put on their pajamas and head back to bed.
Consider staying home
• If you have abdominal pain. It may be a precursor to vomiting or diarrhea, said Dr. Russell Robertson, professor and chair of family medicine at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine.
• If you are experiencing frequent vomiting or diarrhea. Robertson said working with these symptoms may be difficult, to say the least, and both could be a sign of a viral illness.• If you have an incessant cough or yellow-greenish sputum. Both are indicators of an upper-respiratory infection, and Robertson recommended seeing a doctor and staying home from work because the infection could be passed to co-workers.
• If you feel light-headed, have a poor appetite or dark urine. These symptoms suggest dehydration, and mental focus may be affected. For a dehydrated and lethargic person, "simply driving to work can be dangerous," Robertson said.
• If you have been diagnosed with an infection and just started taking antibiotics. Robertson said it's best to stay home for at least 24 hours so the medicine can take effect. This will reduce the risk of sharing the infection.
When to think twice
Some low-grade fevers can be controlled with ibuprofen, which makes it harder to determine whether you should stay or go.
• Stay put if you have a fever for more than 24 hours. "You are likely infectious," Robertson said. "You will take what you've got and spread it to people you come into contact with."
• Also stay put if you have a fever of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher and you have co-workers or classmates with chronic illnesses who may not be able to handle an infection as easily. Robertson said people who have diabetes, asthma or heart disease or who are undergoing chemotherapy can be more harshly affected by the same virus.
Keep kids home
Keeping kids home can be just as confusing. Parents don't want to send a sick child to school, but they also don't want to keep a faker home on the day of a test. So how can parents tell whether their child is really ill?
• If the child has a 101-degree temperature (in the same neighborhood as Robertson's 100.4) or more, said pediatrician Lori Walsh with Glenbrook Pediatrics in Glenview.
• If stomach pain moves from the middle of the belly to the lower right quadrant. Walsh said this type of progressive pain probably means the child is ill, not just hoping to skip school or dealing with anxiety.
• If the child has a combination of sore throat, headache and stomachache. "That's a triad for strep throat," Walsh said.
Send them to school
• If the symptoms show up suddenly in the morning. Walsh said sudden symptoms may be more manageable or even a bit imaginary. In contrast, kids who complain of symptoms during the night are more likely dealing with an illness.
• If they can get out of bed and eat their breakfast. "If they say 'I've got this pain' and they are eating their breakfast, I would let them go and have the nurse call me," Walsh said.
• But be aware about whether your child is even welcome at school with an illness. Walsh said some schools have policies that forbid attending with illnesses.Of course, it's easy to tell kids to take the day off. But the decision can be more complicated for adults, especially if an employee is paid hourly or fears retribution for missing work."There is some anxiety on calling in sick," Robertson said. "There is a tendency to drag yourself in."But workers may not be all that useful to employers when they are sick. "You can go to work in that state, you will take longer to get better and you lose more with productivity and time," Robertson said.
If you must go to work or school with a mild illness, be mindful of not spreading your sickness. Bring disposable tissues for coughing and sneezing, and pack disposable wipes to clean communal phones and doorknobs, Robertson said.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Healthy Trust Immediate Care Begins Issuing Medical Discount Card
Healthy Trust Immediate Care in Wheeling, Illinois will be offering a discount card for medical services provided at the clinic, and pharmacies across the greater Chicago area. The card debuts on May 1st and the first distribution point will be at Chocolate Fest in neighboring Long Grove, Illinois during the first week of May.
The whole idea of the card is to substantially lower health costs, and increase access to health care and prescriptions to residents of the surrounding Chicago North Shore communites.
The Healthy Trust Medical Discount Card is not Health Insurance
Too many families are going without adequate health care because of rising costs, high deductibles, no, or limited co pays, and in a lot of cases, no health insurance. The Healthy Trust Discount Medical card is not health insurance, and it is not intended to be a replacement for health insurance. However it provides significant discounts to those that use it at the medical clinic in wheeling, and at participating pharmacies in the area. The whole idea is to make quality health care more affordable, and give all patients more access to quality health care.
No Charge, No Applications, No Hassles
There is no charge, or application to fill out for the Healthy Trust Medical Discount Card. The Healthy Trust Medical Discount card is provided at no charge. You can either pick one up in person after May 1st at the Healthy Trust Clinic in Wheeling, or you can visit the website after May 1st to actually print your own card.
Healthy Trust Immediate Medical Care
342 S. Milwaukee Avenue
Wheeling, IL 60090
847-243-0333
The whole idea of the card is to substantially lower health costs, and increase access to health care and prescriptions to residents of the surrounding Chicago North Shore communites.
The Healthy Trust Medical Discount Card is not Health Insurance
Too many families are going without adequate health care because of rising costs, high deductibles, no, or limited co pays, and in a lot of cases, no health insurance. The Healthy Trust Discount Medical card is not health insurance, and it is not intended to be a replacement for health insurance. However it provides significant discounts to those that use it at the medical clinic in wheeling, and at participating pharmacies in the area. The whole idea is to make quality health care more affordable, and give all patients more access to quality health care.
No Charge, No Applications, No Hassles
There is no charge, or application to fill out for the Healthy Trust Medical Discount Card. The Healthy Trust Medical Discount card is provided at no charge. You can either pick one up in person after May 1st at the Healthy Trust Clinic in Wheeling, or you can visit the website after May 1st to actually print your own card.
Healthy Trust Immediate Medical Care
342 S. Milwaukee Avenue
Wheeling, IL 60090
847-243-0333
Monday, April 07, 2008
Healthy Trust Immediate Medical Care Discount Program
Healthy Trust Immediate Medical Care located in Wheeling, Illinois is introducing a revolutionary medical, and pharmacy discount program beginning May 1st 2008 which is designed to make quality health care, and pharmacy prescriptions available to all residents in their service area at a greatly reduced price.
Healthy Trust Immediate Medical Care is a believer in consumer driven health care. At Healthy Trust we realize that the cost of health insurance, and medical care has become extremely expensive. We work with families, and local employers in our local service area to help provide them with the finest quality health care at greatly discounted rates.
We feel programs like this help fill the gaps when you have not reached your health insurance deductible, do no qualify for a copay, are having a procedure, exam, or preventive screening not covered by health insurance, or simply do not have health insurance.
The best part of our discount program is that there is no charge to you or your family for the Healthy Trust Medical Discount Card. Unlike other similar programs we are not charging an annual membership fee. We feel that providing affordable, quality, health care is our duty to the community we live in.
The Healthy Trust Medical Discount Card can be very useful for individuals and families looking to save money on health care. That being said this discount card is not the same as health insurance. The Healthy Trust Medical Discount Program does not pay any part of your health care costs; instead, we require you to pay a negotiated discount fee for medical services at the Healthy Trust Immediate Medical Care Clinic in Wheeling, Illinois. Once again, the Healthy Trust Medical Discount Card is not health insurance.
Healthy Trust Immediate Medical Discount Program
This component of the program allows you and your entire family to enjoy heavily discounted medical services at the Healthy Trust Immediate Medical Care Clinic in Wheeling, Illinois. Even if you have insurance, Healthy Trust Immediate Care can help you save on many health care expenses that your insurance may not pay for, such as chiropractic care, physical exams, school physicals, sports physicals, health screenings, vaccinations, elective care, or allergy shots. If you don't have health insurance, Healthy Trust Immediate Care can make medical care more affordable, and accessible.
Healthy Trust is the newest and most modern medical clinic in Chicago's North Shore suburbs. Our staff of physicians have been practicing in the greater Chicago area for almost thirty years. We have the experience and knowledge to take care of your family's immediate health care concerns.
The revolutionary concept revolves around the current state of health care in the United States. We feel that every citizen deserves the very best health care available. We believe that every individual or family should be able to get quality health care for an affordable rate. We believe that every person in need should get the best medical services available regardless of their financial situation. Familes with high deductibles, no, or limited copay's, uncoveraged procedures, or in the worst case scenario, no health insurance coverage, all need help, and the best quality health care available. Healthy Trust is proud to be the first medical clinic in Chicago's North Shore suburbs to address these specific needs.
Healthy Trust Prescription Drug Discount Program
Prescription medications are expensive, and at Healthy Trust Immediate Medical Care we are dedicated to reducing the cost of prescription medication for our patients. We are proud to introduce the Healthy Trust Pharmacy Discount Program. Even if you have health insurance we can save you money where ever you have your prescription filled.
The prescription benefit part of your program provides you with discounts of up to 80% of the usual and customary costs of prescription drugs at participating pharmacies. The discount varies from drug to drug, and participating pharmacy. You can use your card at local pharmacies such as Walgreen's, CVS, Walmart, Target, and K-Mart plus thousands of other participating independent pharmacies nationally, and in the Chicago area.
If your are a resident of the following Chicago North Shore communities you are eligible for no cost enrollment for the Healthy Trust Immediate Medical Care Clinic and Discount Prescription Card. Healthy Trust Immediate Medical Care serves the Chicago North Shore Communites of Wheeling, Prospect Heights, Lincolnshire, Deerfield, Buffalo Grove, Northbrook, Highland Park, Long Grove, Riverwoods, Des Plaines, Palatine, Libertyville, Glenview, Highwood, Northfield, Libertyville, Winnetka, and Bannockburn.
Healthy Trust Immediate Medical Care is a believer in consumer driven health care. At Healthy Trust we realize that the cost of health insurance, and medical care has become extremely expensive. We work with families, and local employers in our local service area to help provide them with the finest quality health care at greatly discounted rates.
We feel programs like this help fill the gaps when you have not reached your health insurance deductible, do no qualify for a copay, are having a procedure, exam, or preventive screening not covered by health insurance, or simply do not have health insurance.
The best part of our discount program is that there is no charge to you or your family for the Healthy Trust Medical Discount Card. Unlike other similar programs we are not charging an annual membership fee. We feel that providing affordable, quality, health care is our duty to the community we live in.
The Healthy Trust Medical Discount Card can be very useful for individuals and families looking to save money on health care. That being said this discount card is not the same as health insurance. The Healthy Trust Medical Discount Program does not pay any part of your health care costs; instead, we require you to pay a negotiated discount fee for medical services at the Healthy Trust Immediate Medical Care Clinic in Wheeling, Illinois. Once again, the Healthy Trust Medical Discount Card is not health insurance.
Healthy Trust Immediate Medical Discount Program
This component of the program allows you and your entire family to enjoy heavily discounted medical services at the Healthy Trust Immediate Medical Care Clinic in Wheeling, Illinois. Even if you have insurance, Healthy Trust Immediate Care can help you save on many health care expenses that your insurance may not pay for, such as chiropractic care, physical exams, school physicals, sports physicals, health screenings, vaccinations, elective care, or allergy shots. If you don't have health insurance, Healthy Trust Immediate Care can make medical care more affordable, and accessible.
Healthy Trust is the newest and most modern medical clinic in Chicago's North Shore suburbs. Our staff of physicians have been practicing in the greater Chicago area for almost thirty years. We have the experience and knowledge to take care of your family's immediate health care concerns.
The revolutionary concept revolves around the current state of health care in the United States. We feel that every citizen deserves the very best health care available. We believe that every individual or family should be able to get quality health care for an affordable rate. We believe that every person in need should get the best medical services available regardless of their financial situation. Familes with high deductibles, no, or limited copay's, uncoveraged procedures, or in the worst case scenario, no health insurance coverage, all need help, and the best quality health care available. Healthy Trust is proud to be the first medical clinic in Chicago's North Shore suburbs to address these specific needs.
Healthy Trust Prescription Drug Discount Program
Prescription medications are expensive, and at Healthy Trust Immediate Medical Care we are dedicated to reducing the cost of prescription medication for our patients. We are proud to introduce the Healthy Trust Pharmacy Discount Program. Even if you have health insurance we can save you money where ever you have your prescription filled.
The prescription benefit part of your program provides you with discounts of up to 80% of the usual and customary costs of prescription drugs at participating pharmacies. The discount varies from drug to drug, and participating pharmacy. You can use your card at local pharmacies such as Walgreen's, CVS, Walmart, Target, and K-Mart plus thousands of other participating independent pharmacies nationally, and in the Chicago area.
If your are a resident of the following Chicago North Shore communities you are eligible for no cost enrollment for the Healthy Trust Immediate Medical Care Clinic and Discount Prescription Card. Healthy Trust Immediate Medical Care serves the Chicago North Shore Communites of Wheeling, Prospect Heights, Lincolnshire, Deerfield, Buffalo Grove, Northbrook, Highland Park, Long Grove, Riverwoods, Des Plaines, Palatine, Libertyville, Glenview, Highwood, Northfield, Libertyville, Winnetka, and Bannockburn.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Open Enrollment for Disabled Under 65 for Medicare Starts June 1st
With the passage of Public Act 95-0436, persons under 65 with disabilities who become eligible for Medicare will have additional rights. Beginning June 1, 2008, Illinoisans under age 65 who receive Medicare because of disabilities have the same open enrollment rights as seniors. That is to say, a person under 65 who qualifies for Medicare because of disabilities and who applies for a Medigap policy within six months after enrolling in Medicare Part B has a six-month open enrollment period beginning the day they enroll in Medicare Part B.
During open enrollment, a company must allow you to buy any of the Medigap plans it offers. This right is also available for persons who are retroactively enrolled in Medicare Part B due to a retroactive eligibility decision made by the Social Security Administration if they apply within 6 months after receiving notice of retroactive eligibility.Open enrollment will apply to all under 65 Medicare eligible individuals even if they have existing Medicare supplement insurance.
If you fit this description you will be able to choose from any plan offered by companies selling Medicare Supplement insurance in Illinois until December 1, 2008. Loss of Other Coverage. In addition, if you are under 65 and on Medicare, but declined a Medigap policy because you were still covered under an employer group health plan, you will have a 63 day open enrollment period if the employer plan terminates or ceases to provide health benefits that supplement Medicare.
Similarly, if you are either currently enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan or have a Medigap policy and the insurance company goes out of business, withdraws from the market, or misrepresented the product you purchased, you also will be eligible for a 63 day open enrollment period under most circumstances (see Guaranteed Issue Right below).
Cost of Coverage. For persons under 65 that become eligible to purchase a Medigap policy, companies may not be charge a rate higher than the highest rate on the company’s current rate schedule filed with the Illinois Division of Insurance.
During open enrollment, a company must allow you to buy any of the Medigap plans it offers. This right is also available for persons who are retroactively enrolled in Medicare Part B due to a retroactive eligibility decision made by the Social Security Administration if they apply within 6 months after receiving notice of retroactive eligibility.Open enrollment will apply to all under 65 Medicare eligible individuals even if they have existing Medicare supplement insurance.
If you fit this description you will be able to choose from any plan offered by companies selling Medicare Supplement insurance in Illinois until December 1, 2008. Loss of Other Coverage. In addition, if you are under 65 and on Medicare, but declined a Medigap policy because you were still covered under an employer group health plan, you will have a 63 day open enrollment period if the employer plan terminates or ceases to provide health benefits that supplement Medicare.
Similarly, if you are either currently enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan or have a Medigap policy and the insurance company goes out of business, withdraws from the market, or misrepresented the product you purchased, you also will be eligible for a 63 day open enrollment period under most circumstances (see Guaranteed Issue Right below).
Cost of Coverage. For persons under 65 that become eligible to purchase a Medigap policy, companies may not be charge a rate higher than the highest rate on the company’s current rate schedule filed with the Illinois Division of Insurance.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
UniCare Sound for Illinois Graduates
If you are graduating from college this Spring you are to be congratulated for your time, and effort! If you are taking some time off, or once you graduate, or leave college you are no longer eligible for your parents, or school sponsored health insurance. That can cause a bit of a dilemma as you take a little time off, or search for the first job of your career. You can be at serious financial risk if you go without health insurance.
There is an easy solution for health insurance, and it called UniCare Sound. UniCare Sound is the perfect plan for young graduates because it covers you from head to toe. Doctor visits, prescriptions, emergency room, hospitilization, surgery, wellness, dental, and vision are all covered under this easy to understand, and apply for health plan by UniCare.
A simple twist of the knee while water skiing this Summer could cost you up to $30,000 in medical bills, but with UniCare Sound all you pay is a small deductible, and everything else is covered!
All Sound plans are the same except for the deductible, $1500, $3000, and $5000. You choose the deuctible, and UniCare Sound takes care of all the rest.So if you are looking for a way to protect yourself, and stay healthy, UniCare Sound is your very best bet. With prices that start at only $67 per month, health care is now affordable for everyone!If you are interested in hearing more about UniCare Sound give us a call at 800-391-7469. We are the UniCare Sound experts, and enrollment only takes about five inutes, plus you can be covered the very next day!That is what I call hassle free health insurance!
There is an easy solution for health insurance, and it called UniCare Sound. UniCare Sound is the perfect plan for young graduates because it covers you from head to toe. Doctor visits, prescriptions, emergency room, hospitilization, surgery, wellness, dental, and vision are all covered under this easy to understand, and apply for health plan by UniCare.
A simple twist of the knee while water skiing this Summer could cost you up to $30,000 in medical bills, but with UniCare Sound all you pay is a small deductible, and everything else is covered!
All Sound plans are the same except for the deductible, $1500, $3000, and $5000. You choose the deuctible, and UniCare Sound takes care of all the rest.So if you are looking for a way to protect yourself, and stay healthy, UniCare Sound is your very best bet. With prices that start at only $67 per month, health care is now affordable for everyone!If you are interested in hearing more about UniCare Sound give us a call at 800-391-7469. We are the UniCare Sound experts, and enrollment only takes about five inutes, plus you can be covered the very next day!That is what I call hassle free health insurance!
Monday, February 26, 2007
Bush Clueless on Healthcare
Most Americans understand that our health-care system is not sustainable, and that without significant reform, it is headed for a complete meltdown. Too many people -- 47 million at latest count -- lack health insurance; far too many do not have a regular source of care and use costly emergency rooms for routine care; per-person health-care costs are as much as 250% higher in the U.S. than in any other developed nation; and the quality of care, even for those who are insured, is -- in the words of one recent expert report -- "mediocre at best."
In that context, President Bush is to be commended for making health insurance coverage a top priority for his Administration, and for calling on Congress to address the matter. The President has already demonstrated that he's willing to invest taxpayer dollars in health programs that generate results. Since taking office, he's prodded Congress to expand funding for Community Health Centers, resulting in 5 million more Americans gaining access to affordable primary health-care services.
Dubious Tax Breaks
In his State of the Union address, Bush outlined a roadmap that involves tax deductions for insured individuals and families, designed in part to give the uninsured an incentive to purchase coverage. But it doesn't necessarily chart the right course, and it contains a few too many detours. In other words, you can't get there from here.
Changes in our current system of health care must simultaneously deal with three important elements: cost, quality, and access. Even if we follow through with the President's proposal to change the financing of health care for millions of people, there is little promise for progress on either cost or quality. More worrisome still is that the Administration proposal could unintentionally trigger a serious erosion of current coverage without making health insurance more affordable to those who need it most.
This is because the tax changes proposed could lead both those who presently have adequate coverage and those who may seek coverage to pursue insurance policies that fall within the limits of the proposed tax benefit; the maximum allowable premium is relatively low. Unfortunately, most policies available today in this less expensive category fail to cover crucial preventive and primary health-care services -- the most cost-effective of all health-care services, because they lower the need for specialty care, reduce hospital admissions, and provide a vital, less costly alternative to emergency rooms.
Inadequate Primary Care
More than 6 million of the 16 million patients receiving care at health centers today are completely uninsured. Health centers tell us that they are seeing a new wave of people who are underinsured: those whose health insurance provides little or no coverage for the preventive and primary care the centers offer. Underinsured people often have policies that include very high deductibles -- from more than $1,000 to as high as $5,000 per family member. Such plans leave all of their primary health care uncovered, beyond their meager ability to pay for out-of-pocket expenses.
The waiting room of Lake Superior Community Health Center in northeast Wisconsin offers an on-the-ground perspective on America's ailing health-care system. More than 60% of the health center's patients have incomes at or below the poverty level, and almost three-quarters are uninsured. The demand for affordable primary health-care services is so high that the wait time to see a doctor can stretch to as long as three months.
The tax policies proposed in the President's plan would have, at best, exceedingly limited impact in this rural pocket of America, and would do nothing to shorten the wait to see a doctor. Indeed, the scarcity of affordable primary health-care services is the other half of the health-care debate missing from the halls of leadership. Some 35 million Americans have no access to basic services, even though many of them do have insurance. Coverage without an available provider is as worthless as currency without a marketplace.
Sabotaging the Safety Net
Perhaps the biggest flaw in the President's proposal is that it wagers a risky bid for giving broader flexibility to the states on the backs of safety net providers. The proposal, which likely won't pass muster with Congress, redirects funding that currently flows to safety net providers -- the hospitals that see high volumes of Medicaid and uninsured patients -- to instead fund his new insurance coverage initiatives.
Yet, no matter how successful these initiatives may be, there will continue to be millions of uninsured Americans who will need ongoing care from providers committed to serving them. It does no good to destabilize or decimate the already fragile health-care safety net to address the issue of coverage; the only viable approach lies in attempting to strengthen both.
Medequote
UniCare Sound
In that context, President Bush is to be commended for making health insurance coverage a top priority for his Administration, and for calling on Congress to address the matter. The President has already demonstrated that he's willing to invest taxpayer dollars in health programs that generate results. Since taking office, he's prodded Congress to expand funding for Community Health Centers, resulting in 5 million more Americans gaining access to affordable primary health-care services.
Dubious Tax Breaks
In his State of the Union address, Bush outlined a roadmap that involves tax deductions for insured individuals and families, designed in part to give the uninsured an incentive to purchase coverage. But it doesn't necessarily chart the right course, and it contains a few too many detours. In other words, you can't get there from here.
Changes in our current system of health care must simultaneously deal with three important elements: cost, quality, and access. Even if we follow through with the President's proposal to change the financing of health care for millions of people, there is little promise for progress on either cost or quality. More worrisome still is that the Administration proposal could unintentionally trigger a serious erosion of current coverage without making health insurance more affordable to those who need it most.
This is because the tax changes proposed could lead both those who presently have adequate coverage and those who may seek coverage to pursue insurance policies that fall within the limits of the proposed tax benefit; the maximum allowable premium is relatively low. Unfortunately, most policies available today in this less expensive category fail to cover crucial preventive and primary health-care services -- the most cost-effective of all health-care services, because they lower the need for specialty care, reduce hospital admissions, and provide a vital, less costly alternative to emergency rooms.
Inadequate Primary Care
More than 6 million of the 16 million patients receiving care at health centers today are completely uninsured. Health centers tell us that they are seeing a new wave of people who are underinsured: those whose health insurance provides little or no coverage for the preventive and primary care the centers offer. Underinsured people often have policies that include very high deductibles -- from more than $1,000 to as high as $5,000 per family member. Such plans leave all of their primary health care uncovered, beyond their meager ability to pay for out-of-pocket expenses.
The waiting room of Lake Superior Community Health Center in northeast Wisconsin offers an on-the-ground perspective on America's ailing health-care system. More than 60% of the health center's patients have incomes at or below the poverty level, and almost three-quarters are uninsured. The demand for affordable primary health-care services is so high that the wait time to see a doctor can stretch to as long as three months.
The tax policies proposed in the President's plan would have, at best, exceedingly limited impact in this rural pocket of America, and would do nothing to shorten the wait to see a doctor. Indeed, the scarcity of affordable primary health-care services is the other half of the health-care debate missing from the halls of leadership. Some 35 million Americans have no access to basic services, even though many of them do have insurance. Coverage without an available provider is as worthless as currency without a marketplace.
Sabotaging the Safety Net
Perhaps the biggest flaw in the President's proposal is that it wagers a risky bid for giving broader flexibility to the states on the backs of safety net providers. The proposal, which likely won't pass muster with Congress, redirects funding that currently flows to safety net providers -- the hospitals that see high volumes of Medicaid and uninsured patients -- to instead fund his new insurance coverage initiatives.
Yet, no matter how successful these initiatives may be, there will continue to be millions of uninsured Americans who will need ongoing care from providers committed to serving them. It does no good to destabilize or decimate the already fragile health-care safety net to address the issue of coverage; the only viable approach lies in attempting to strengthen both.
Medequote
UniCare Sound
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