Comments on: HHS says Senate health care reform bill will drive U.S. financial woes

By: Michelle

Michelle — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:26:14 +0000

Healthcare should definitely be available to more people. Mor people should have access to affordable health care. This is an issue that the government needs to stay out of completely. This is not something that should be handled by the federal government.

By: Gadema Korboi Quoquoi

Gadema Korboi Quoquoi — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 15:00:20 +0000

Our SkyRocketing Healthcare Spending, will Bankrupt this Nation. Our Only Option is that, we used some of the Stimulus Funds, to Properly Deployed HIT, in order to Contained this Unsustainable Healthcare Costs. We can not Continue to spend Beyond our Means.

We must View, this Healthcare Reform Process, as an Opportunity, to Build Smart/Intelligent Infrastructure Services for: Smart Grids, Transportation Systems, Broadband, and Healthcare IT. This Investment will Enabled New Jobs Creation and Economic Recovery.

Healthcare IT, now it is the Time for us, to Deploy HIT Solutions, with Harmonized Inter-State Laws/Policies, for the Protection of Individual’s Electronic Health Records (EHR)/Electronic Medical Records (EMH)/Personal Health Records (PHR).

Proper Deployment of Health Information Technology (HIT) Solutions and Training will Increased Productivity (i, e, medical data mining/warehousing, risks treatment, service delivery), Efficiency (i, e, medical errors, redundant and inappropriate care), and have a Costs Savings of around 20-30% of our Annual National Healthcare Expenditures (2008, $2.5 Trillions).

The Engine for Economic Growth in thuis 21st Century is “Broadband.” We mus start by, Deploying a pure Packet-based, All Optical/IP, Multi-Service National Transport Network Infrastructure, using Optical Ethernet throughout this National “Network of Networks.” This will Connect All Optical Islands, Nationwide.

The Investment in this National “Network of Networks”, in addition to New Jobs Creation and Economic Recovery, can also Serve as a Business Driver for: Transportation Systems, Energy Systems, e-Commerce, e-Healthcare, e-Education, Social Networking, Entertainment, etc.

This Investment is like the Investments that were made in the past, in Electrification of Rural Areas, and the National Transportation Inter-State Highways, which Increased Productivity and our GDP.

Please See: http://www.gkquoquoi.blogspot.com for NHIN Summary Deployment Plan.

Gadema Korboi Quoquoi
President & CEO
COMPULINE INTERNATIONAL, INC.

By: Joe

Joe — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 17:47:30 +0000

Hey Dr.M. Jay: Two simple adjustments with immediate and dramatic impact producing lowered costs (and therefore also accessibility). (1) Allow true competition among private insurers by allowing policies to be sold across state lines. (2) Meaningful malpractice tort reform. Unfortunately Dems will never consider these common sense reforms because it limits their control over people’s choices and hits their trial lawyer constiuency in the wallet.

By: Scott A Olson

Scott A Olson — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 17:44:36 +0000

The aim of the CLASS Act is not to create a new government entitlement program. It will be funded by the premiums of the participants (similar to Medicare Part B). But the $50 per day “average benefit” in the CLASS Act will only cover a small portion of the $60,000+ per year most Americans pay right now for in-home care. Most people who want to protect their savings will still need to purchase long term care insurance to supplement the CLASS Act benefit.

One of the biggest problems we face is the coming “long term care tsunami.” It will hit our shores in only 16 years when the leading edge of the Baby Boomers turns 80. Most Americans still think that Medicare or their medical insurance covers the cost of long term care. The CLASS Act addresses this problem by making a very clear statement: You have to pay for your own long term care. You either have to pay for your own long term care by using your savings, the $50 per day CLASS Act benefit, long term care insurance, or a combination of all three.

Most of the ten million Americans who own long term care insurance, own it because they’ve seen friends or family have to spend down their assets before qualifying for Medicaid. The CLASS Act will help alert the rest of the country to the fact that they need to financially plan for their future long term care needs.

Scott A. Olson
http://www.LTCInsuranceShopper.com

By: James M. Cabral

James M. Cabral — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 14:34:27 +0000

The previous two posts steal some of my thunder… Anyhow, previous to becomming a Financial Planner, I worked in the IT end of healthcare selling Practice Management Systems and Electronic Medical Records with eRx. On a daily basis I was in contact with the ‘movers and shakers’ of healthcare who thought Medicare was a nightmare/scam, our system was broken and the idea of a government run healthcare would make them scream or quit their jobs. To fix our healthcare system we would need to cut out the waste; streamline workflow; proactively manage preventive medicine, all using technology to accomplish it. We need HIPAA compliant national standards for information exchanges (EDI) to provide real-time info/records to emergency room physicians, and doctors, etc. so they dont need to run tests they dont need to run to cover their butt (cuts costs a lot there)and avoid drug interaction issues, etc. etc. and we need all doctors using EMR technology! Many are resisting. Having our government run our healthcare system to “cut costs” and “fix our system” is the equivalent to topping your pizza with bacon and icecream to improve your bodies overall health. IT IS INSANE THINKING!!

I agree that this healthcare bill is a bad idea. Our countrie’s debt service doesn’t currently match the new debt we are creating. Not even close. By 2011 our National debt is estimated to be greater then our nations GDP. WONDERFUL! Lets just keep spending. To put it bluntly – we are paying for these entitlement programs and spending bills with credit cards that our children’s children will be paying down. And it scares me that it not only doesnt seem to bother most of our nations leaders, but they seem to have a bigger plan. Everything I’m seeing and hearing points to an adgenda that creates a massive government who will be micro managing the lives of people who cannot afford to live without the social benefits provided by the government. If you divorce the study of Economics and the brilliant Ludwig Von Mises and live in the world of make believe, than this form of governance is sustainable and the russians only failed to do it effectively because hey drank too much vodka.

By: Jeff Napel

Jeff Napel — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 11:23:00 +0000

The CLASS act is loaded with misconceptions. We can not predict when we might suffer a catastrophic change in health and require long term care services. With a five year vesting period to qualify for CLASS LTC benefits, what happens if health changes prior to vesting? What can a $50 dollar per day home care benefit provide in terms of service today? What will it pay for 5 or 10 years in the future? What if a greater level of care is required? Will a bandaid close a 5 inch gash? Will the CLASS Act allow individuals to select who will care for them?
For the same cost that the proposed CLASS act coverage (talk is $125 per month) will be levied on the public, individuals in realitively good health can by substanially more protection from A rate insurance companies to offset long term care services costs that will be immediately available,and grow in value to keep up with the rising cost of care in the future. Not everyone needs Long Term Care insurance from a private company, but everyone needs to plan for a long term care catastrophe. (google Jeff Napel LTC)

By: Dr.M. Jay

Dr.M. Jay — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 22:10:21 +0000

Is every one trying to kill the healthcare reform bill with all these negative notes without mentioning how to fix the problem with increasing cost because of inefficiency of the system. It seems to reward people who set up bogus companies to rip off billions of tax payers dollars without even providing any service and not rewarding enough to genuine hard working doctors, nurses , hospitals etc. No wonder US health care is in such a mess. 85% of Americans may already be covered, but how many millions are really struggling hard to maintain the cover, worried that one day they might lose the cover because of illness, loss of job, How many families and businesses have gone bankrupt after paying their medical bills. Improving efficiency , cutting down waste and creating an efficient fraud proof system will generate enough savings to provide a humane , affordable health care cover for 100% of Americans.

By: Jesse Slome

Jesse Slome — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 21:18:19 +0000

The proposed CLASS Act provisions sound so good and the legislation is so beautifully crafted that it is likely to pass (assuming some healthcare reform finally does emerge from the Senate).

The bill will never cover 93% of people as you note. But, to be fair and balanced, CLASS will be beneficial for a small segment of the nation’s millions of fairly affluent baby boomers who have no long-term care plan in place and are not able to health qualify for traditional long-term care insurance. That’s about 2 to 3 million at best.

CLASS Act provisions will be financially ruinous for hundreds of millions of Americans currently in their 20s, 30s and 40s who will ultimately pay the cost of this new entitlement program for decades.

This is simple to predict because the Federal government already has a voluntary long-term care insurance plan that is offered to federal employees (including Congressmen and women, Senators and even President Obama). It has been in place for several years. and of the estimated 13-18 million people eligible for this voluntary plan, less than 300,000 have ever signed up. We suspect President Obama is one who hasn’t (though we’d welcome being informed to the contrary).

Who will sign up for CLASS? Those with the funds to pay the cost. While government actuaries project the cost will need to be in the range of $2,000 a year ($4,000 when a couple both apply), it’s clear few Americans will be willing to have their paychecks reduced by such a substantial amount.

Thus, when CLASS is ultimately rolled out, it will need to be significantly under priced. Under pricing a plan that is highly attractive for those most likely to eventually claim benefit payments is a prescription for financial disaster.

But Congress has anticipated that. No claims are to be paid for five years, which is an eternity in terms of an elected official’s life. Basically, they are kicking the can further down the road by which time footing the bill for the national long-term care entitlement plan will be borne by those currently in their 20s, 30s and 40s. Unlike seniors and aging baby boomers, there are no lobby groups advocating on their behalf (AARP is a strong supporter of CLASS).

CLASS will likely sneak it’s way into the final health care reform. That will be regrettable for the future of our nation that will wake up years from now to discover the true cost. The need for a long-term care plan for the nation is necessary. This one, however, just isn’t the long-term solution — especially for those who will be left paying the bill for millions of baby boomers.

Jesse Slome
Executive Director
American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance
http://www.aaltci.org