I think that we can all agree that there is a major need to reform health-care in America today. It seems that every year premiums and deductibles get higher while care and access get worse. Out-of-pocket costs for even simple office visits are soaring and sinking many Americans. The subject is especially urgent in regards to low-income, uninsured or under insured children.
In the article We Cannot Delay Health-Care Reform, Senators Baucus and Kennedy attempt to persuade us that by reforming the health-care system, especially for children, we will also heal our economic woes. It is obvious that both Senators fully support a move to Universal Health Coverage and their audience would be liberal leaning Democrats. There are many impressive statistics and reasoning's for making this move. The Senators also approve of renewing the Children's Health Insurance Program. This is where I begin to question their knowledge. The Children's Health Insurance Program, or CHIP, sounds like a wonderful program. It is geared towards providing uninsured children with access to medical care. In reality, due to the extremely low reimbursement rate to providers for seeing CHIP patients, finding a doctor who actually accepts CHIP patients can be harder than winning the lottery. I have no problems with the government pouring money into a system that works, but CHIP does not work in its current state.
Reading this article, I can understand the logic and the passion with which the Senators have about the subject, but I think they should spend a little more time understanding what it will take to change the way insurance companies work. The article calls for more preventative care, which is often denied or limited by insurance companies. But I do agree that quality health-care should be available to Americans and that our current system is in need of a change. I would like to see how that change can realistically be made instead of just abstract ideas.

What about Us?

I came across an article in Newsweek that caught my attention. http://www.newsweek.com/id/160698 Aptly titled, "What about Us?", the article puts a human face to the worsening economic crisis that we are in the midst of. Everyday I hear about economic stimulus plans and bank bailouts, but what does that mean for the average American? Will we see any relief? What do those numbers mean for me?
Job loss is at its highest since 1974 and we all are certain to either know or be one of the many people effected by this number. In Miami, over a thousand people waited in line for the chance to apply for one of 35 openings for a firefighting position. It seems like everywhere you look, houses and businesses are being foreclosed upon. And as an average, middle class American, it appears to me the only people getting relief are CEO's on Wall Street. The government seems to be failing to meet the needs of taxpayers, workers, and homeowners, yet bailing out investment banks with fraudulant practices. The new stimilus plan that is expected to be signed into effect this weekend, is supposed to pump millions of dollars into the economy, but that money is being pumped mostly into government programs and not into taxpayers hands. How is that going to put food on the table of struggling families? I encourage you to take a look at this article, read the stories of people that are just like all of us. Its a scary time in America, an uncertain time. We need to find a solution that addresses all of the people and not just the wealthy.