Health junction

Bernie Sanders was no fluke, his appeal to the youth of Generation Y and to some extent Gen Xers is marked by real evidence showing how their futures have been muted by financial decisions made by Congress. The President of the nation, theoretically, is elected by us, although recent elections have shown the arcane electoral vote, meant to secure the democracy when many voters were illiterate, has called this into question. It turns out the electoral college is just another version of the �old boys club�. This article examines the contract for Social Security which the United States has made with its working class and what that means for the future of your children and grandchildren, in other words, those whom will be paying the tab. Social Security Social Security Taxes Paid by your Grandparents versus Workers of Today Year 1940 1977 2017 Payroll tax rate is based on wage income and is split evenly between the employer and the employee 1% capped at $3,000; Medicare did...

None of the Republican proposals for healthcare include a single cost or quality requirement for payment to doctors, hospitals, or even insurers, which will add rocket fuel to the fee-for-service payment system which is the bane of U.S. healthcare. This payment method, which originated with the founding of Medicare in the sixties, is one of the main reasons why the price for health services is so much higher in the U.S. than any other country. Essentially, there is no budget and all healthcare providers are paid on volume, with the exception of some primary care folks.  You have undoubtedly read the stories of patients being charged for services by surgeons who didn�t even perform the surgery, which reflects the factory mentality of the surgical suite and the outsized incentive to make more money. The delivery of health services or improved health to the patient is often a bi-product. Tom Price is the Trump Administration appointee for Secretary of Health and Human Services, which ...

The first 100 days under the Trump reign have seemed like a thousand years of muffled screams and insults, which at times were hilarious because of the inaccuracies and grammatical errors. However, as William O. Douglas, former supreme court justice, once said, "freedom steals away in the night while we are sleeping." This article reviews the thrust of the Trump Administration and the Republican majority's stabs at "healthcare reform." Round deux, dos, or two, depending on your preference, of the attempt to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has slunk away in the night, lacking the requisite number of votes for approval. However, this latest iteration provides a glimpse at the approach the Republicans will apply to future legislation, in healthcare, and many other programs. Essentially, the R's want to shirk national leadership and have the states assume responsibility for more programs and consumer protections. The only area in which they...

How the Republican Healthcare Act Compares to the Affordable Care Act The Republican plan, euphemistically referred to as Trumpcare addresses insurance and not improvements in healthcare delivery. Insurance is NOT health care. This analysis examines how the proposed healthcare plan in House Bill 277 differs from the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare. For information on ACA improvements in health care at the patient level, refer to the link below. [1]  This article cites credible sources from nonprofit entities or government agencies and only facts are used, not false proclamations. Criteria Obamacare Trumpcare Medicaid Coverage is medical insurance for low-income folks Eligibility Standards Expanded eligibility for Medicaid to 138% of the federal poverty level; 32 states opted to expand coverage, increasing access to healthcare for 11 million people. [2] Beginning in 2020, repeals the Medicaid expansion, allowing existing Medicaid participa...

Orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Tom Price is now in charge of Health & Human Services and here is an analysis of the laws he may try to dismantle, programs which could lose government support, and the ensuing federal budget implications. This article is based on actual facts, not �alternate facts� which are popular with the Trump Administration. Budget Implications The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has been a revenue generator, while also providing medical insurance for 20 million low income people and has helped to reduce the federal deficit.   (ObamaCareFacts.com, 2017) According to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT), repeal of the Affordable Care Act would cause the federal deficit to grow by $137,000,000,000 by 2025.   (Congressional Budget Office, 2015) That�s right, a repeal of the ACA would increase the deficit by 137 billion dollars.   Here are some of the provisions which have generated money for the go...