24April Southerners Don’t Like Obamacare. They Also Don’t Want to Repeal It. - NYTimes.com
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/04/24/health/health-law-repeal-has-little-support-poll-finds.html?emc=edit_th_20140424&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=25414714&_r=0&referrer=
22April14 Looking at Costs and Risks, Many Skip Health Insurance - NYTimes.com
http://nyti.ms/1j2Pf6r Diabetes
Rates of heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure and
amputations dropped over the past two decades, federal researchers said.
The American College of Cardiology and the American Heart
Association said they would use cost data to rate the value of treatments.
15Apr14
Budget Office Lowers Estimate for the Cost of Expanding Health Coverage - NYTimes.com
Especially for Julie: The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) is a nonpartisan office. It provided "an update to projections from February, [which] shows the law costing less than in previous estimates in part because of the broad and persistent slowdown in the growth of health care costs" (italics added)
In New Health Care Era, Blessings and Hurdles - NYTimes.com
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/03/31/us/in-new-health-care-era-blessings-and-hurdles.html?emc=edit_th_20140331&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=25414714&_r=0&referrer=
NYTimes: Repercussions and Reprieves at Health Insurance Enrollment Deadline
NYTimes: Repercussions and Reprieves at Health Insurance Enrollment Deadline
After Monday, most people must have health coverage or
face a penalty, and the confusion of the last six months appears likely to
continue.
In the first article, the author addresses the substantial workload increase for doctors and nurse practitioners and how they are struggling to keep up with all of the new patients and records system. However, I think that the doctors and nurses just require time to adapt to the new way that things are run. I also think that the need for doctors and nurses will increase exponentially within the next few years, especially if the current workforce remains as busy and harried as they are now. This will create many new opportunities for students and those looking for employment because the need will be so great. As far as from the perspective of those looking for a place to get healthcare, for many this act is a godsend. Even those such as Donna Morse, who lost the insurance she has had for years, benefit from the new healthcare laws. However, I do see the negatives of such a system- longer lines could mean less personal healthcare and a system that focuses more on getting a person in and out rather than true patient- centered healthcare.
ReplyDeleteThe second article discusses some common questions about the Affordable Care Act that many people have. These questions include “What is the penalty for going without insurance?” and “Who is exempt [from the healthcare system]?”Although the new system definitely has its advantages, I think it is unfair that those who are already struggling to pay bills and afford healthcare would have to pay a fee for not signing up. Not only will it put more of a burden on that individual, the fee will probably never get paid because that person can’t afford it. The fact that premiums will be higher is also going to put more of a financial burden on those individuals.
From my own experience, I know several people that have benefitted from the Affordable Care Act. These are people that work multiple jobs but still do not make a living wage. This act has enabled them to get the healthcare that they desperately require in order to live a healthy life. On the other side of the debate, I know people who hate this act because they feel like the taxes and premiums they pay will be supporting those who can’t afford their own healthcare.
As you say the work load increase for doctors and nurses will create new jobs but are they the new opportunities students need? This may provide more jobs but will it be in specialized care or just general practitioners? Just because healthcare becomes affordable for all it does not mean that all areas of the medical field will see an increase in job opportunities.
DeleteThe first article addresses the increase in workload for doctors and nurses who are struggling to catch up with all of their new patients, new paperwork, and new procedures. I feel like right now is just a transitional phase that will pass. The doctors and nurses just need to get used to the new plan and I'm sure after some time passes, their workload will go back to normal. I feel like if anything, this plan will create new jobs and students who are going to school now to become doctors and nurses will be trained with this new plan before they even start working. I feel like the positives of this new healthcare system outweigh the negatives. Yes, some people will loose their current plan, but it's not like those people would then be overlooked. For alot of people, this is plan is a miracle and without it, they would have never recieved healthcare.
ReplyDeleteThe second article talks about the frequently asked questions that some might ask about the affordable care act. Although I do see this healthcare plan as a sollution, i do think that it's silly that someone who is already struggling to pay health care, would be finned even more for not signing up. I think that in that instance, the plan is doing what it pledged not to.
I agree with you on the fact that this will most likely create new jobs. With the physicians' workload increasing so substantially, all of the students coming out of medical school will have brand new opportunities. However, I do find it a little unfair that people with a plan may lose their health insurance plan due to Obamacare. They then face a fine and struggles they may not otherwise have faced. However, other than that, I agree that this system is a godsend.
DeleteYou said that "Yes, some people will loose their current plan, but it's not like those people would then be overlooked." How can you say that for sure yes I am sure that they will find another plan that they can afford but will it be the same as they lost or worse?
DeleteNothing is going to be the same here. That's the point that the universal health care system is trying to make. What I meant though is that the pros will outweigh the cons in this situation. It's impossible to please everyone on a universal level.
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ReplyDeleteAlthough, in the long run, the health care costs will rise, I think it has less to do with the cost of healthcare rising and the need of the individuals rising. As the middle-age population becomes elderly, they will require more healthcare and will require the aid of the ACA. The price of the care itself may remain steady or drop a little, but the overall cost will probably rise due to demand.
DeleteJulie, I think you are misreading the article. It consists of revised projections of two parts: the ACA and the Deficit. The quote you've pulled clearly says the ACA "should reduce deficits". The second part of the quote, I believe, is referring to the overall Federal deficit, right?
ReplyDeleteThe fact that the ACA will cost $100 billion less than originally projected is good news for politicians, taxpayers, and the country as a whole. One of the main objections to the ACA was that it would cost the country so much at a time when it was already trying to recover from a recession. The new news that the healthcare system will reduce the deficit is good for a recovering economy, especially when the deficit will inevitably rise in years to come. However, I still find it a little unfair that individuals will have to pay if they don't join the healthcare system. The article says, "It estimates that individuals will make $46 billion in payments over a decade...", which would be difficult for individuals that are already struggling to meet minimum payments.
ReplyDeleteThe first article is about the increase in workload for doctors and for nurses who are having trouble with keeping up with their all of their new patients and everything that comes with having new patients more paperwork and more people who need treatments. Right now, this is a transitional phase because more and more people are using going to the doctors faster than doctors and nurses can graduate from college and get in the field. So we get the right amount of doctors and nurses we need in field, and the workload is spread out evenly, there workload will go back to normal. It is too early to see if this healthcare system will work the way we need it to or not, however, almost anything is better than what we used to have.
ReplyDeleteThe second article states commonly asked questions that people have about “Obamacare”. One of the main disagreements I have with “Obamacare” is penalizing someone who didn’t sign up for healthcare because they can’t afford it.
I agree with your concern about the system. It seems a little silly to push people towards something, and make it mandatory if it's not possible for people to afford it.
DeleteI agree as well, trying to force people into this system would only create a greater workload for nurses and doctors whose current workload is already very stressful. Increasing the number of people who have health care and would use the system seems like a great idea at first glance but the fact of the matter is, just as Will has stated, we don't have enough medical professionals to care for the increasing number of patients not to mention the fact that not everyone can afford it as well.
DeleteThe NYTimes article "Repercussions and Reprieves at Health Insurance Enrollment Deadline" talks about how with the Affordable Care Act most people must have health coverage or face a penalty. I find the idea of imposing a fine upon individuals without healthcare unhelpful to the over all idea of the law. The law is suppose to make sure every American has access to affordable healthcare the idea being at this time they are unable to afford it. While the law does lower the cost of insurance it does not make it free that money still has to come from somewhere. What if even though it is more affordable you still cannot budget the cost of it? Then the US Government is suppose to fine you when it is tax time. While this law will help many Americans I am sure for others it will just be one more added expense they cannot afford.
ReplyDeleteI agree, I don't really see the point of imposing a fine upon individuals without healthcare. Are we trying to "motivate" them with this fine? To me, it seems almost threatening to say that a person will have yet another added expense if they don't sign up. I feel like this "solution" is only going to result in more unnecessary problems, rather than actually solving them.
DeleteHonestly, I felt bothered by the second article, "Looking at Costs and Risks, Many Skip Health Insurance". The individuals listed in the article failed to have a valid reason for not signing up for health insurance except ignorance and impatience. Maybe I am being insensitive, but I visited the healthcare.gov website for the first time this past week and maneuvered my way through without a problem. I collected information about the Affordable Healthcare Act, such as there are lower costs based on household size and income- which would have been helpful to Mr. Huber if he had obtained information from the site. Mr. Huber also would have been able to help his impatience on choosing which plan of care would be best by applying and seeing what he was qualified for.
ReplyDeleteAs for Heidi Reinberg, it is significant for her to understand that the penalty fines increase dramatically with each year. The cost for the penalties will eventually overbear the small fine for the first year.
I feel that a lot of the arguments made by the individuals featured in the article were uninformed.
I agree that the individuals were acting ignorant and impatient. I think that they could have really benefited from this opportunity that they were being given. In Mr. Huber's case with him not understanding how to work the site is somewhat understandable. There should have been places where people could go and receive assistance when signing up. I feel that he should have signed up regardless because he could have greatly benefited.
DeleteThe article listed a number of reasons why people chose to stay uninsured. Most of them can be chopped up to pure stubbornness. Not signing up just because you have an opposition towards Obama and you feel the need to spite him is not a justified reason. On the other hand I can see why the people that claim to be healthy are jumping at the chance to sign up for something they may not need. Even though I agree with them I still think that they need to obey the law and sign up. It's the same as car insurance you may be the world's best driver but that doesn't mean everyone else is. It's a chance game. If you don't need it today then you might need it tomorrow.
DeleteThese are all valid points. Sure it can be said that probably the number 1 reason people chose to stay uninsured is pure stubbornness. However, going along with what Maria said, not everyone has had exposure to navigating the internet and going on a website to sign up for something may be a foreign concept to them. At the same time, some arguments did seem impatient and informed but one has to take into account how these people are obtaining this information. Are they actively researching just as Tori did or was the information passed along by a friend or relative?
DeleteIt really surprises me that people are willing to pay the fine for not signing up because they dislike the president or are too impatient. I agree that these individuals are uninformed. I also visited the site and it was not that difficult to manage. All it would take is some time and some patience.
DeleteThe article titled "Southerners Don't like Obamacare. They also Don't want to repeal it.", is both interesting and confusing. It is confusing why if they disapprove of the healthcare why they don't act to repeal something they dislike. It is interesting to see that they would rather reform it then change it all together, I believe the people of these states feel that way because they believe that changing the healthcare plan would be easier than overturning it all together. I think that these states know that Obamacare is a good idea and that they want it to work but they just don't know how to make it work and they have just accepted that it has happened. I think that southerners either need to suggest ways to improve the healthcare and come up with reforms or stop complaining and see how it all plays out. This is a new program and it just started I think that people haven't given it enough time to really take full effect.
ReplyDeleteThe New York Times article on Diabetes was very interesting. It explained how recent research has indicated that there has been a decrease in some of the major complications from diabetes. Among these are issues like heart attacks, strokes, and amputations. While this is positive progress in medicine for this disease that affects millions of people, the article also stated that the number of people getting this disease (specifically type 2), continues to rise. Lifestyle issues seem to be a major concern. They also mentioned that other issues could play a part in proper care of diabetics, including social issues, language issues, and access to health care. I was stunned to discover that the medical cost from diabetic treatment is $176 billion. This number is astounding to me. It is incredible to think about how much of an issue this can be, when so much can be prevented through diet and exercise. There is a history of diabetes in my family, so the risk for me getting it is potentially higher than some. My sister is a senior nursing student and she has told me multiple times about how terrible diabetes can be, according to what she has seen in the hospital. I knew diabetes was a serious issue, but I did not realize until recently how serious it can get.
ReplyDeleteThat's a good point. Curing a disease is awesome and it's so cool that we are making positive progress in medicine but all that is useless if we aren't educating people on healthy lifestyles. Preventative care should definitely be addressed so that people aren't getting the disease in the first place.
DeleteIn the article, "Cost and Treatment May Influence Doctors", I shudder to think of our society reaching the point where we are so cost focused and budget driven that we would rather save a few dollars than provide the best possible medical care to our patients. This article states that doctors are beginning to redefine their roles, going from being solely concerned about individual patients to exerting influence on how healthcare dollars are spent. This could eventually result in doctors choosing one drug over another for cost reasons or even deciding that an end-of-life treatment is too expensive. When I read "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" for this class, I was shocked to encounter a portion of the story where Henrietta is taken off of pain medication because she is going to die, so ultimately the medication given to her would be a waste. That real life event took place within the 1950's, and it shocks me to think that we are repeating ourselves some 60 years later. I don't see how patient-doctor trust, which we have tried to build up and maintain for so long, could last with this type of "money" mentality.
ReplyDeleteThe article Southerners Don’t Like Obamacare. They Also Don’t Want to Repeal It makes me laugh. The only reason they dont like the new reform is because they dont like the person who signed it into action. Thats why they dont want to change it completely and start over because it is a good blueprint and building block for the future. I dont completely agree with everything in it myself from the little I know about it but will help some families gain medical insurance and receive the care that they wouldnt other wise have gotten.
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