Health Care Reform Info

For anyone out there who had been out of the loop on health care reform, here is a primer.

 

Americans spent over $2.5 trillion dollars on health care last year.  In 2007, health care expenditures equated to over 16% of the GDP.  France is the next highest at 11%, while Canada is 10.1% and Ireland is 7.6%.  The average for modernized countries is 8.9%.¹

 

Over 45 million people in the U.S. under the age of 55 do not have health insurance.  This includes 9 million children.²

 

Despite spending more on health care than any other country in the world, the United States ranks 50^th in life expectancy³ and 45^th in infant mortality rate⁴.

 

American families with insurance pay a hidden tax of roughly $1000 for the cost of caring for people without insurance.⁵  In 2008, the uninsured cost Americans $57.4 billion.  Of this amount, 75% is paid by federal state, and local funds.  The other 25% by private dollars.²  We are currently paying for the uninsured via tax dollars or it is passed on to us in our health insurance premiums.

 

A recent study by Harvard University researchers found that 50 percent of all bankruptcy filings were partly the result of medical expenses.  According to the study, the average out-of-pocket medical debt for those who filed for bankruptcy was $12,000. The study noted that 68 percent of those who filed for bankruptcy had health insurance.⁶

 

The Obama administration believes that health care reform should:

• Reduce long-term growth of health care costs for businesses and government
• Protect families from bankruptcy or debt because of health care costs
• Guarantee choice of doctors and health plans
• Invest in prevention and wellness
• Improve patient safety and quality of care
• Assure affordable, quality health coverage for all Americans
• Maintain coverage when you change or lose your job
• End barriers to coverage for people with pre-existing medical conditions⁷

President Obama has promoted the creation of a public plan as an option in addition to the current private plans available.  Many of the uninsured would be covered by the public plan.  This is not socialized medicine but actually encourages competition within the private health insurance cartel.  

 

Many opponents of health care reform claim that the government will impose rationing of treatment.  These people do not realize that rationing by the private health insurance companies already occurs.⁸  Denying care to individuals is fundamental to health insurance company profits.  This denial includes current customers, as well as those seeking insurance.  Health insurance companies deny or drop care for sick customers in order to turn a profit - customers who have paid them lots of money for their insurance products.  This is a truly disgusting practice.

 

Opponents have also come up with the bizarre claim that the government is going to set up "Death Panels" that will euthanize Grandma and Grandpa.  Rather, the House bill provides an option for voluntary advance care planning.  This would allow elderly patients or terminally ill individuals to meet with health professionals and learn more about living wills, health care proxies, hospice care, and other forms of end-of-life planning. Advance care planning gives the patient control over end of life decisions and provides them with the information necessary to legally make these decisions.  Both Sarah Palin and Newt Gingrich have advanced the fallacy of death panels.  This is truly hypocritical, as both endorsed end of life counseling prior to taking the partisan stance of opposing it.⁹   

 

The battle over health care reform unfortunately is not about health care.  Blue Dog Democrats are worried about losing campaign money from insurance companies.  But mainly, it has turned into a purely partisan battle.  The Republican Party believes that defeating health care reform is their best way to strike a blow to the Democrats and President Obama.  They hope that by doing this, they will be able to claw their way back to prominence nationally.  It is unfortunate that they feel they must use the health of the American people as a pawn in their political game.

 

1. http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/46/2/38980580.pdf

2. http://www.kff.org/uninsured/upload/7451-04.pdf  

3. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2102rank.html

4. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2091rank.html

5. http://www.whitehouse.gov/realitycheck/faq

6. http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/reprint/hlthaff.w5.63v1

7. http://www.healthreform.gov/about/index.html

8.http://commerce.senate.gov/public/_files/PotterTestimonyConsumerHealthInsurance.pdf

9. http://thinkprogress.org/2009/08/13/palin-deathpanel-flipflop/

2009 Broncos Season

I have been fairly critical of the Broncos this off season, and that has led some to think that I may be turning my back on the team.  That couldn't be further from the truth, as I want the team to make it to the Superbowl every year.  This year, my head says that they are going to finish 6-10, but my heart says 10-6.  After focusing on many of the negatives over the past few months, I am going to focus on some of the positives.

 

Fresh Blood

The Broncos likely needed a new coaching staff, as players will eventually tune out a coach. You can only hear so many motivational halftime speeches from a coach before it becomes repetitive.   Broncos management and head coach Josh McDaniels have brought in a crop of new talent, and hopefully, that will fix many of the deficiencies from last season.

 

Improved Secondary

Champ bailey will likely be the only remaining starter from last year's secondary.  Although the lack of a pass rush is to blame for last year's problems with the secondary, it still needed to be revamped.   The team brought in Safety Brian Dawkins for his leadership and experience.  Check out this clip of Dawkins pumping up his teammates before a game.  The Broncos also signed Miami teammates S Renaldo Hill and CB Andre' Goodman.  As offensive coordinator for the Patriots, McDaniels had to face Hill and Goodman twice a year.  I am guessing that he saw something in them over the past few years and Broncos received some underrated talent.  The Broncos also drafted CB Alphonso Smith in the second round.  If he is as good as the hype, he will provide additional talent for nickel situations.  The biggest worry about the secondary is their age.  The four starters will be the oldest secondary in the NFL in the last decade.

 

Solid Offensive Line

The Broncos offensive line was sweet last year, giving up only twelve sacks over the course of the season.  After a full year together, hopefully, they will gel even more.   Center Casey Wiegman made the Pro Bowl last year, and LT Ryan Clady had an amazing rookie year, giving up only half a sack.  The Broncos also have one of the best blocking tight ends in Daniel Graham, so no wonder they gave up so few sacks last year.

 

Bounty of Offensive Weapons

The Broncos are stacked at wide receiver, with Brandon Marshall, Eddie Royal, and Brandon Stokely (assuming Marshall actually plays).  I have also heard good reports from training camp about rookie WR Kenny McKinley, not that he is expected to make an immediate impact.  

 

The running attack should be improved from last year.  Injuries to the running corps were a key reason for the Broncos missing the playoffs.  The Broncos added some veterans running backs, LaMont Jordan and Correll Buckhalter, and took the first running back, Knowshon Moreno, in the draft.  Throw in Peyton Hillis and Ryan Torain from last year's squad, and you have a nice group of rushers.  I just hope they can avoid last year's injury bug.

 

Areas of Concern

I still have no idea what the defensive line will look like, but in all honesty, they were so bad last year, that it won't be hard to improve.  New defensive coordinator Mike Nolan is switching the d-line to a 3-4 formation, so it will take awhile to see how the old and new players fit with the new scheme. 

 

That leaves the quarterback as the last major position that I haven't addressed.  Projected starter Kyle Orton is often called a "game manager", which is sometimes a euphemism for a weak arm.  We should expect Orton to do a good job of running the offense, but we shouldn't expect any amazing throws or deep bombs.  There is a story from training camp that highlights this issue.  Brandon Marshall was running a deep post route and was well ahead of Champ Bailey.  Orton and everyone else watching saw this.  Orton unleashed the ball and it floated and floated and floated.  By the time it came down, Bailey had made up the lost ground and broke up the pass.  In other words, if the Broncos have any huge passing plays, it is going to be up to the receivers to make yards after the catch.