So what's a beleaguered American to do?  Well, for starters many Americans are dropping their unaffordable for-profit insurance. It's crunch time and for so many, the choice comes down to food on the table, gas to get to work, or the monthly extortion for the health insurance industry.  So, many simply drop their junk insurance.

Then what happens? We know that the emergency room is where many Americans receive healthcare.  But these uninsured Americans also receive huge bills for utilizing the emergency room as the place to obtain long neglected primary care.

So some are doing the unthinkable and using an assumed name.  You know what I say?  I say, good for them.

There is only one solution to this national outrage and tragedy. Single payer healthcare. Barack Obama knows this. After the election, I hope he will use his enormous landslide victory to move the American people in this direction. And if he doesn't, we'll show him the way.

Go to Source

"I wasn't going to fight them alone, so I ended up hiring a lawyer and they eventually paid up but it cost me dearly. I lost six weeks of wages when I was off recovering from my injury. Our income is approximately $40,000 a year, and we have two kids in college and a mortgage. It has caused a lot of unnecessary stress both at home and at work. Why is this happening in one of the richest countries in the world? Why aren’t we entitled to guaranteed healthcare?"

Sponsored by the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee

——————————– 

Eighty-two percent of Americans think the U.S. healthcare system should be fundamentally changed or completely rebuilt (Commonwealth Fund, Aug. 7, 2008). America's nurses know that only single-payer, improved and expanded Medicare for all will fix our broken system and the tragedy of our devastated families. HR 676, by U.S. Rep John Conyers, is the most comprehensive, cost effective way to achieve guaranteed healthcare for all.

Go to Source

Sandra Block of USA Today Money reports that the average amount employees will pay for health care is expected to increase 8.9% in 2009. Her column also provides good advice on how to try to control your health care expenses.

According to the Hewitt Associates report the average amount employees will pay for health care is expected to increase 8.9% in 2009. The breakdown:

Premiums
2008 2009
$1,806 $1,946

Out-of- pocket costs
2008 2009
$1,707 $1,880

Total
2008 2009
$3,513 $3,826

Her article advises health consumers to take a close look at their health care options during the open enrollment period. As her article states - the difficulty I find is trying to compare plans/options/covered services/drug benefits/co-pays/deductibles, etc. This process is even tough for a health care lawyer and his lawyer wife. The bulk of Americans don’t have the skill and expertise to understand the subtle differences.

The folks at change:healthcare recently published a new survival guide for the health care consumer to better understand the the key terms on health insurance. You can download a free copy of the book, “My Healtcare is Killing Me.”

Sandra is a native of my hometown, New Martinsville, West Virginia. Great to see her offering good practical advice to health care consumers.

Go to Source

"My late husband's example emphasizes that unreasonable rationing is being done by HMOs now. If my insurer could ration and deny care when I have been a nurse for 28 years and I was more than able than most family members to advocate for my husband, I know this can and does happen to too many people."

———————————–

Sponsored by the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee

Eighty-two percent of Americans think the U.S. healthcare system should be fundamentally changed or completely rebuilt (Commonwealth Fund, Aug. 7, 2008). America's nurses know that only single-payer, improved and expanded Medicare for all will fix our broken system and the tragedy of our devastated families. HR 676, by U.S. Rep John Conyers, is the most comprehensive, cost effective way to achieve guaranteed healthcare for all.

For more information, or to contact this patient: Liz Jacobs, RN 510/273-2232.

Go to Source