Small business and health care is a hotly debated topic these days. If you’re a small business owner I’m sure you are keeping a close eye on the health care bills making their way through congress right now. I haven’t touched on it much here, but I want to share some of the results of a health care survey with you.
Today I have a sampling of a health care survey from TriNet, the survey covers more than 200 businesses from across the country, small businesses are weighing in on their opinion of health care reform. The survey found that …read more

For a while, reports have been circulating about the new Health Care Reform and how it will affect small business owners. Many are concerned that small business owners will be forgotten by the Reform and will be left out.
One of the ideas that has been floating around is to give the option to small business to be able to group together so that they can provide insurance to their employees as part of the Health Care Reform. This idea came about due to the mandate that small businesses provide health care to their employees. Yes there are exemptions in place …read more

Journalist F. Brinley Bruton writes about her experiences being treated for a urinary tract infection in London two weeks ago and compares it to her experience being treated for the same condition in New York City 10 years ago. Her article can be found here.
She feels that she was treated better in New York City, but her bills were astronomical in comparison to her bills for her London treatment. Her point can probably be summed up with her asking, “Would the elderly woman in my ward in London who repeatedly pleaded “Can someone help me please?” after being left on …read more

There’s buzz on the “internets” that Hillary might find a place as a health care czar in the Obama administration if Barack is successful with his quest. That position would likely not be a cabinet post, but would be similar to the role she had in her husband’s administration, when she was going to lead the charge in health care reform. However, with the enemies she made during that time, maybe she wouldn’t be the best individual to put Obama’s health care plan into action.
She mentioned health care 7 times in her speech at the Democratic National Convention — the …read more

The November presidential election is getting closer, and talk of health care reform and policy will be heating up in the next few months. The discussions will get more specific and that will mean lots of insider talk and what Public Citizen calls jargon. This could leave many Americans out of the discussion.
Public Citizen’s Health Research Group has put together a glossary of terms often used in the national political discussions of health care, insurance, policy, etc. I’ve only read through a view of the definitions, but I’m wondering if you find this helpful and straightforward.
Source:
“Talking the Talk: Decoding Political Jargon …read more

According to a survey by the Commonwealth Fund entitled Public Views on U.S. Health Care System Organization, the vast majority of Americans want health care reform in the United States. The project surveyed 1,004 American adults to assess their views on how the current U.S. system is organized.
The study’s leader stated that much of the current dissatisfaction with the system has come from people’s perception that the U.S. system is inefficient and disorganized. Also, high cost of care and affordability were cited as important factors missing from our current system, as was continuity of care, measured by getting to see …read more

[In a sarcastic voice:] Thank you, Heritage Foundation, for helping to confuse seniors and encourage them to choose health care plans that both cost more to taxpayers and offer less coverage at a higher price. That’s very noble of you.
Apparently, the definition of “success” is now “spending more, getting less, and ripping off taxpayers and the elderly at the same time.”
I especially love this part:
“Seniors enjoy an unprecedented level of personal freedom in choosing health care options that they think are best for them.”
Note the use of “that they think are best for them.” (emphasis mine) That’s probably because the …read more

Can we please re-name these privately administrated plans for the elderly “Medicare Disadvantage”?
If you thought that Medicare Part D was a hand out to private payors, you should be reading about Medicare Advantage plans. These plans basically entice seniors to forego coverage in traditional Medicare (Part A) and “MediGap” supplemental insurance (Part B) for a privately-run HMO-type plan that may have a lower premium, but can end up costing far more in the long run because of coverage restrictions, high co-payments, and benefit maximums and ceilings. Stranger still, these plans are subsidized by the government, but Medicare Advantage plans cost …read more