A new survey revealed that a majority of “big employers plan to shift a larger share of health-care costs to their workers next year,” reports David S. Hilzenrath from The Washington Post. The survey found that 56 percent of employers plan to make their employees pay more of the costs next year. A lot of companies say they might “charge more to cover spouses, tighten eligibility standards for their health plans and dispense financial rewards or penalties based on the results of certain lab tests,” states Hilzenrath. Some companies even say that overweight employees might be excluded from the most desirable plans.
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Diana Rosetti from CantonRep.com reports that “watching politicians on television outline ways to save taxpayer dollars through health care reform spurred Dr. Cynthia J. Koelker into action.” Koelker is not your ordinary doctor; she makes house calls and keeps her practice small in order to establish close relationships with her patients. She stresses that patients should constantly ask their doctors questions, and be proactive in their healthcare. Koelker says, “I thought I could write a list of 100 things people could do today, so I sat down at my kitchen table and did it.” Koelker published a book entitled “101 Ways to Save Money on Healthcare” which reveals information medical professionals know and other’s do not.
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A new study showed that if healthcare reform doesn’t pass, rural residents will suffer substantially. Lynda Waddington from The Iowa Independent states, “Jon Bailey, director of the rural research and analysis program at the Center and author of the study, believes that existing health care policy, or lack of it, places rural people at a disadvantage that will worsen if steps are not taken by Congress.” Bailey went on to say that “the benefits far outweigh the risks of inaction.”
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W. J. “Billy” Tauzin, a former congressman from Louisiana, has announced that he is retiring in the summer as head of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America which creates a problem for Democratic leaders who are fighting to keep healthcare reform alive. Tauzin was an influential lobbyist, and “became a pivotal backer of health-care legislation after reaching a deal with the White House aimed at limiting damage to the industry,” reports Dan Eggen from The Washington Post.
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For heart patient Frank Amend, an engineer from North Carolina, his heaviest expense is healthcare, unlike the average American family whose mortgage would be at the top of the list as their biggest expense. Reuters states, “That’s why Amend and tens of thousands of patients with similar conditions find themselves at the center of debate over how to reform the $2.5 trillion U.S. healthcare sector — and whether the country can afford it.”
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A healthcare poll revealed that 63% of Americans want Congress to keep working on passing a comprehensive health care reform bill. The survey took place Thursday through Monday and involved more than 1,000 voters.
The key question was, “Do you think lawmakers in Washington should keep trying to pass a comprehensive health care reform plan, or should they give up on comprehensive health care reform?” Joel Connelly from Seattle PI states, “Sixty-three percent said “Keep Trying” while 34 percent opted for “Give Up.” By an 88 percent-to-8 percent margin, Democrats opted for trying. So did Independents, by a 56 percent-to-39 percent division. By contrast, by a 55 percent-to-42 percent margin, Republicans opted for the give-up option.”
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Sunday before the Superbowl in an interview with Katie Couric, President Obama revealed that on Feb. 25 he will assemble a public meeting with Republican and Democratic leaders to reach a bipartisan consensus on the healthcare reform bill. PriceDoc COO Patrick Bradley, Ph.D., says, “I like it because one, we will get input from both sides….and, the public gets to hear it. You would think for 1/6 of the nation’s economy, you would let the public hear the debate. Now, we may get reform that help American consumers and lowers cost.”
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The internet is becoming the go-to solution for almost everything. People use the internet for a news source, for communicating, for research, for entertainment, and now more and more people are using the web to look up health information. According to the first National Health Interview Survey, in one year a little over half of U.S. adults used the internet to look up health information.
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Congressional Democrats are trying to move forward with health care reform bit by bit, contrary to their original plan to pass a massive health care reform bill. Chad Pergram from Fox News reports that, “On Friday, two freshmen Democrats plan to unveil a bill to lift the anti-trust exemption that many health insurance companies now enjoy. House Democratic leaders plan to put that bill on the floor next week.”
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Andrew Rubin from The Huffington Post says he is upset about healthcare reform failing, but is most upset that many Americans are unaware of what has actually happened. He says, “Sure, they know the Senate and House reform bills were expensive. They certainly know that there are among 30 to 50 million Americans without health insurance coverage… We should also not forget about the 25 million under insured, most of whom do not even realize it until they actually get sick.”
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