Health Care

Salt Lake City Tribune Brings Up a Number of Topics to Debate Now That Obamacare Is Renewed Obamacare has been renewed, and it’s here to stay for at least another year. In an article written for The Associated Press, an argument is made that there are now a number of different topics to debate in light of Obamacare being here to stay. According to the article, the current conversation is revolving around insurance and political issues in the health care arena. An argument is made that divisions in policymakers is raw, and is causing a disconnect between people’s perception of the issues and policymaker’s priorities. Democrats believe the winds are already changing toward what people really need, while Republicans believe the next year and a half will only see more arguing in Washington DC The article continues to suggest that, instead of arguing over the politics and insurance of Obamacare, other issues should be discussed, as priority and not as an aside. Prescription Drug Prices This is a topic which should be foremost in the eyes of policymakers, especially since it affects the greatest number of people. Studies show that most Americans find drug prices highly unreasonable. Breakthrough drugs, such as those for liver damage or cancer, are mostly affected. Drugs that have been proven to help or eradicate conditions are unattainable due to price. Insurance Costs The article argues that insurance cards mean nothing when higher premiums and other associated costs are continuously added to a patient’s overall costs. Even some politicians, such as John McDonough, find that Affordable Care simply isn’t affordable enough. Coverage for All Individuals are being used as pawns in a game, according to the article. Certain states will not accept changes in Medicaid, which is stopping some from getting the insurance needed. While Obamacare has gained coverage for 90 percent of all Americans, according to the article, it is still not covering everyone. Long Term Care Long term care is in danger of being underfunded through Obamacare, which is a serious issue for older adults. While the article does not go into great detail on this point, it is a point worth discussing further. Quality and Efficiency Costs The article states that everyone, from employers to government programs, is interested in getting away from compensation to providers based on volume of services. However, defining quality care has proven to be very difficult, which means that approaches to reduce costs might be equally as hard. The article expects changes to happen, but when is anyone’s guess. Change will be sped up by computerized medical records and upgrades in data analysis. Cost Control The article argues that the United States government continues to spend too much on health care. According to economist Eugene Steuerle, this is due to conflicting policies and the government having too much to do with health care as a whole. The article states that money – and cost to the individual – is what should be discussed over political finger pointing and political agendas. Read the full article at Salt Lake City Tribune, and feel free to discuss with a Vancouver Home Health care Agency professional. At Vancouver Home Health Care Agency, Caring and Compassion is our business.

Salt Lake City Tribune Brings Up a Number of Topics to Debate Now That Obamacare Is Renewed Obamacare has been renewed, and it’s here to stay for at least another year. In an article written for The Associated Press, an argument is made that there are now a number of different topics to debate in light of Obamacare being here to stay. According to the article, the current conversation is revolving around insurance and political issues in the healthcare arena. An argument is made that divisions in policymakers is raw, and is causing a disconnect between people’s perception of the issues and policymaker’s priorities. Democrats believe the winds are already changing toward what people really need, while Republicans believe the next year and a half will only see more arguing in Washington DC The Salt Lake Tribune. The article continues to suggest that, instead of arguing over the politics and insurance of Obamacare, other issues should be discussed, as priority and not as an aside. Prescription Drug Prices This is a topic which should be foremost in the eyes of policymakers, especially since it affects the greatest number of people. Studies show that most Americans find drug prices highly unreasonable. Breakthrough drugs, such as those for liver damage or cancer, are mostly affected. Drugs that have been proven to help or eradicate conditions are unattainable due to price. Insurance Costs The article argues that insurance cards mean nothing when higher premiums and other associated costs are continuously added to a patient’s overall costs. Even some politicians, such as John McDonough, find that Affordable Care simply isn’t affordable enough. Coverage for All Individuals are being used as pawns in a game, according to the article. Certain states will not accept changes in Medicaid, which is stopping some from getting the insurance needed. While Obamacare has gained coverage for 90 percent of all Americans, according to the article, it is still not covering everyone. Long Term Care Long term care is in danger of being underfunded through Obamacare, which is a serious issue for older adults. While the article does not go into great detail on this point, it is a point worth discussing further. Quality and Efficiency Costs The article states that everyone, from employers to government programs, is interested in getting away from compensation to providers based on volume of services. However, defining quality care has proven to be very difficult, which means that approaches to reduce costs might be equally as hard. The article expects changes to happen, but when is anyone’s guess. Change will be sped up by computerized medical records and upgrades in data analysis. Cost Control The article argues that the United States government continues to spend too much on health care. According to economist Eugene Steuerle, this is due to conflicting policies and the government having too much to do with health care as a whole. The article states that money – and cost to the individual – is what should be discussed over political finger pointing and political agendas. Read the full article, and feel free to discuss with a Vancouver Home Health care Agency professional. At Vancouver Home Health Care Agency, Caring and Compassion is our business. The Salt Lake Tribune

The Real Issues Behind Medical Tourism There are patients who travel abroad for certain medical treatments which are not legal in the United States, or which the patient believes is better than what is offered in the states. However, this travel can, and often does, lead to infections or complications which only cost more in the long run. One of the biggest reasons patients travel for medical treatment is for cosmetic procedures. Sadly, these procedures result in costly repairs after the patient comes back home, according to The Medical News. Botched work done overseas costs millions a year to fix, and usually, the repairs are necessary due to infection or disease brought back by the patient from the foreign land. Medical tourism is largely associated with globalization. Cheaper air travel and the Internet have boosted this type of travel. Medical providers can advertise to other countries, which leads to this type of travel. Unfortunately, the providers are not always professionals, and the patient comes home with life-threatening mistakes, such as infections or illnesses. Additionally, the patient may bring diseases back from the country visited. They may not even realize they have an illness until they return home. While most people aren’t sneaking off to another country to have medical work done, they are risking additional health issues through travel abroad. Our health is not the only thing at risk, either. If a mistake is made medically in our home country, we are covered financially in certain ways. If a provider makes a mistake abroad, our insurance rules and financial coverage will not cross country lines. In a world where a plane will take us anywhere and the Internet will show us everything, we must think twice before we participate in medical procedures. Please follow the link to a handbook on medical tourism and how to consider all the options before buying a plane ticket. At Vancouver Home Health Care Agency, Care and Compassion is our business. www.news-medical.net