MS Maze

The charge toward health care reform is in full swing.

This Wednesday, President Obama will hold yet another town hall meeting to answer questions regarding health care reform, this one online. When it comes to health care reform, “inaction is not an option,” says the President. He will be taking questions from Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter (use hashtag #WHHCQ). You can watch the President’s video and post your own 20-30 second video response.

Now is the time to get involved — tell your own story and get your questions answered. If you’ve had to deal with the tangled mess that is health care policy in the United States, if you’ve struggled financially due to health care issues, if you do not have access to medical insurance, you have a lot at stake.

Read this post in its entirety and join the debate on Care2.com:

Online Town Hall on Health Care Reform: Wednesday, July 1

You are one of the lucky ones. You have good health insurance and your premiums are paid on time. You enjoy the peace of mind that comes from knowing that should you fall ill, your insurance company has your back. Think again.

Three of the nation’s largest insurers told legislators that they did not plan to discontinue the practice of canceling medical insurance for sick policyholders. At a time when the free market system is being touted as the answer to the nation’s health care woes, the practice of rescinding coverage on folks fighting for their lives does not bode well.

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Sick? Your Policy is Canceled!

National HIV Testing Day is Saturday, June 27, an annual campaign established by The National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA) in 1995.

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), is the virus that causes AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). According to the Centers for Disease Control, about one quarter of people living with HIV/AIDS do not know that they are infected, putting themselves and others at serious risk.

Photo: National HIV and STD Testing Resources

Get the details on WHO should be tested and WHY, and HOW testing is done at Care2.com:

National HIV Testing Day is June 27: Pass it On

We are fortunate enough to live in a country where we can vote for those who will represent us in Congress. In exchange for our confidence, they receive a salary and health care benefits. According to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, the Federal Employees Benefits Program offers “the widest selection of health plans in the country.”

To the members of congress who insist that a government fall back plan cannot be allowed to exist, or that the time is not right for health care reform, how about giving up your health care benefits for yourselves and your families and brave the individual market. Take your pre-existing conditions and go forth to find affordable individual medical insurance policies. It shouldn’t be particularly difficult from what I hear, especially since most of you are far wealthier than the average citizen. And then live with that coverage for a couple of years, through sickness and in health, just to make sure you fully grasp the details.

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Would Congress put their own Health Insurance Benefits on the line?

In a decisive victory in the war against smoking last week, both the House and the Senate voted by wide margins to give the FDA regulatory control over nicotine in cigarettes, clearing the way for an enthusiastic President Obama’s signature.

It is estimated that 3,500 young people smoke their first cigarette each day. Smoking causes an estimated 400,000 deaths in the United States annually and costs $100 billion in health care costs, amazing statistics when you consider it has been 45 years since the surgeon general’s warning that smoking causes lung cancer.

Smoking is a massive drain on health — and health care costs — no small matter given today’s health care reform debate and talk of controlling costs.

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FDA Regulation of Tobacco will Aid in War Against Smoking

Dr. Margaret Chan, Director General of The World Health Organization, in a statement to the press, announced that H1N1 (swine flu) now meets the criteria of a pandemic, raising the alert level from phase five to phase six.

As of this writing, 30,000 cases have been confirmed in 74 countries. The H1N1 strain in a new virus — not previously circulated in humans — and further spread is considered inevitable.

(Photo Credit: C. S. Goldsmith and A. Balish)

Will you alter your plans due to the H1N1 swine flue pandemic?

Read this post in its entirety and participate in Care2.com’s poll:

H1N1 Swine Flu Officially a Pandemic

The health care reform debate has reached fever pitch, and is finally getting the attention it deserves. With more than 45 million uninsured Americans, many others woefully under-insured, and people going without needed care, the time is right for you to put in your two cents worth… or more.

Three online sites offer you the opportunity to sound off, share your own successes and failures within the health care system, and state what you think must be done.

Care2 Reform Health Policy seeks to provide news and commentary on health policy and related issues. Care2.com encourages active participation and provides readers with the ability to create full profiles, network with other people with similar interests, and comment… comment… comment. I am a regular contributor to Care2’s health policy cause and welcome suggestions and insights from the community. Please stop by and drop me a line!

HealthReform.gov is a government website providing news and information on health care reform. There is a section to Share Your Story and Ideas about health care reform, and a place to Show Your Support, if you are so inclined.

MakingMedicineSmarter.org is a new site that shines a spotlight on numbers, such as the annual cost of treating chronic and complex health conditions in the U.S., and the possible annual savings on health care spending with electronic and protocol efficiencies. Actual numbers tell an eye-popping tale. The site is also open to comments and suggestions.

Help put a human face on health care in America.

Visit and participate:

Care2 Reform Health Policy

HealthReform.gov

MakingMedicineSmarter.org

The fear tactics are gearing up. I heard one of those ads again this morning. The ones that are supposed to strike fear into the hearts of Americans by warning of the dangers of “government-controlled” health care.

Forget a single-payer system — and to even consider a government plan for those who want (need) it, is, well, un-American, isn’t it? After all you do want to keep your options open and remain in control of your own health care, don’t you?

Read this post in its entirety and voice your support for comprehensive health care reform at Care2.com:

Health Care Reform Fear Tactics

HealthDay.com reports that in 2007, medical problems and expenses contributed to almost two thirds of all United States bankruptcies — a 50 percent jump from 2001 figures — and that was before the economic turndown. One can only imagine the figures for 2008-09.

The shocking thing is that 77.9 percent of these bankruptcies involved people who HAD medical insurance when their health problems began, only to lose it during the course of their illness. These are largely folks who’ve played by the rules and done what was expected of them. Mostly middle class, college-educated, tax-paying homeowners…

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Health Care Reform 2009: Just Words or Real Change?

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) includes opportunities for premium reductions and extended coverage under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA), but do you know whether or not you qualify… or how to obtain these benefits?

You qualify for premium reduction if your (or a family member’s) involuntary termination from employment occurred between September 1, 2008 and December 31, 2009. Eligible individuals will pay only 35 percent of the full COBRA premiums under their plans for up to nine months, and the rest will be reimbursed to the coverage provider in the form of a tax credit.

If you were offered, but declined COBRA coverage…

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COBRA Benefits under Economic Stimulus: Who Gets What?

The Centers for Disease Control reports that “since the 1980s, there’s been a dramatic increase in the number of cases of pertussis, especially among teens (10–19 years of age) and babies less than 5 months of age. In 2005, there were more than 25,000 total reported cases.”

Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, begins much like the common cold. It is most contagious before the coughing begins. As the disease progresses, violent coughing affects the ability to breathe, causing the loud whooping sound, and can lead to pneumonia or convulsions. More than 50 percent of infants under the age of one who contract whooping cough must be hospitalized. Death is rare, but 10 – 20 people in the United States die each year from pertussis…

Photo Credit: Centers For Disease Control/ Judy Schmidt

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Preventable Childhood Illness on the Rise