Health Care Reform 101- Knowledge Check!

Welcome once again to our new weekly feature, Health Care Reform 101- Knowledge Check! Today. we have a new set of questions to test your skills on the new health care reform legislation. So get ready!



Health Care Reform 101- Knowledge Check!


Question #1:

Will the health reform law revise the current Medicaid program to uninsured and low-income adults regardless of whether or not they have kids?                 


-Yes

-No

Answer: Yes. Medicaid will be expanded to cover nearly all individuals under age 65 with incomes up to 133% of the federal poverty level ($14,400 for an individual or $29,300 for a family of four in 2010). 

Question #2:

Will the health reform law provide financial help to low and moderate income Americans who don't get insurance through their employer to assist them in getting coverage?  

-Yes                                                                                                   
 
-No

Answer: Yes. Individuals without access to affordable coverage who have incomes up to 400% of the federal poverty level will be eligible for premium tax credits based on their income. They will be able to purchase coverage through new insurance exchanges.

Question #3:

Will the health reform law prohibit insurance companies from denying coverage due to person's medical history or pre-existing health condition? 
                                                           
-Yes                                                                                   

-No

Answer: Yes. Starting in 2014, all health insurers will be required to sell coverage to everyone who applies, regardless of their medical history or health status, including pre-existing conditions. 

The High Cost of Health Care

Health care reform is certainly a hot topic in our country, especially today as new health care legislation is about to take effect. Many opponents of the new law claim that they are concerned with how the new bill will be funded to support the millions of new patients which will be added to the health care pool. They posit that the health care system will not be financially secure enough to support the new influx of patients, and thus, it will collapse under its own weight. This is a claim that was also put forward by presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, who vowed to repeal ObamaCare should he win office.They also claim that ObamaCare will raise premiums and taxes on the middle class, with the burden of providing for the masses of newly insured patients. This has been one statement in particular that has caused much backlash from Americans who are already under a lot stress from a failing economy.They fear that the new legislation will cause even more strain, and in revolt have vehemently denied the reform bill. Now although ObamaCare is certainly not free from its own set of issues, there is one important piece of the puzzle that opponents of ObamaCare are not considering. Under the current health care system we have in our country, we are already paying high taxes and premiums to support the uninsured. As Nancy Hudson, the executive health care director of the Charlotte Health Care Clinic explains, the 30 million uninsured Americans we have in our country are in desperate need of health care, and a good portion of the people she sees in her clinic are below the national poverty level. This means that they cannot afford health care, and thus, both preventative and routine medical care are not available to these individuals. Henceforth, the majority of their doctor visits are to the emergency room, which equates to high costs and dire prognoses for these individuals. In turn, these high costs are then passed down to us in the form of high taxes and raised insurance premiums. So, as we see, even if ObamaCare is non-existent, we still have this major issue on our hands. The difference however, is that with Obamacare these individuals can get preventative and routine care, which will in turn help them to become healthier, and avoid costly and life threatening emergency room visits. Moreover, Hudson also points out that the majority of the individuals currently without health care are the working class, who are unable to work and provide for their household if they become ill. This is yet another issue that opponents of the new reform bill may not be considering.The fact of the matter is, that ObamaCare is not a cure-all to the current health care system, and it has a long way to go before all the potential issues with the bill are worked out. However, we as a country need to also realize that things are not going so well with the status quo. In short, we need new health care legislation, and one that is willing to provide health care to those who need it the most must be commended for the initiative it is undertaking.

Being Fair on Healthcare.

Having an equal playing field avoids controversy but if it is not managed right it can go south.   People need to work hard and get educated themselves to support their own weight.   As well as government shouldn't have their foot in every door.  More over helping people that can’t afford a hospital bill; not set their whole future up.  According to the article the Herald, “If people are left to decide for themselves what they are capable of doing, life would be more predictable.”  Meaning that it would be so complicated, if someone couldn't afford something they couldn't get it.  But with government involved now all the sudden they can afford it.  That can be taken even further to the next level which would be socialism.  According to wikipedia, Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of means of production.  That’s what it is going to come down to, whether or not everything is going to be free to everyone.

ObamaCare Makes History

Although the country may still be divided on Obama’s Affordable Care Act, it marks the first time in history that we have a patient’s “Bill of Rights’ so to speak. As the Huffington Post reports, one of the most significant measures of the new health care reform bill, is that it ensures patients will not be denied treatment due to pre-existing conditions. In addition, it prevents gender bias by not allowing insurance companies to charge more based on an individual’s sex. In short, it provides all citizens with basic health care coverage, something many Americans have gone far too long without. So, whether you are in favor of Obama’s new bill or not, we all must agree that it has set a major precedent in the area of health care reform. Furthermore, the Obama administration will be implementing wellness programs into the new legislation which will reward individuals for taking charge of their health with preventative measures, such as smoking cessation and weight loss. The Hill’s Health Blog reports that smokers participating in cessation programs will be eligible for as much as a 50 percent discount. This not only gives individuals an added incentive for taking a pro-active approach to their health, but it also helps prevent disease, which will make the individual healthier in the long run. Thus, the wellness initiative will not only be beneficial to the patient, but also to the medical companies by cutting down health care costs. Thus, everybody is a winner, and even the opponents of Obama Care cannot argue with that logic.

Here is a video about the new health care bill from President Obama, which was taken shortly after the Supreme Court upheld the decision that the Affordable Care Act was constitutional. It outlines the provisions of the health reform bill and explains who is affected by the new legislation, and more importantly, how they would be affected if ObamaCare didn't exist.

It's How You View It!

There are many ways to flip and turn the Obama health care plan.  One side of people says it’s not good while the other side is saying it is.  Here is what people are saying about it.  On one end of the spectrum are the people that can’t afford it.  Who work many hours and after all the bills and food that have to be bought to serve, there is not much left over to purchase health care.  There is just Medicare that is available and they can only be seen by doctors that accept it.  You also have the people who don’t want to work hard, that take advantage of food stamps and welfare, convincing themselves that they are entitled to everything, using the money in every wrong way.   So where do you draw the line for this?  How do u decide who really deserves free health care.  On the other end of the spectrum you have hard working people who are able to purchase health care, although at the same time having to pay higher taxes in order to cover for others who are unfortunate.  I feel as though people who have to cover for others won’t mind so much as long as people that are less fortunate are paying their dues and working just as hard.   I try to look at the big picture of this all and that is you are going to have more people who are not willing to put in the work as for people who are.  Ultimately that is going to have a domino effect because people are going to see that the other person right next to them is doing nothing while getting the same benefits as me.   So than the country will be losing out on more money and having to tax people of higher income a greater amount.  I would agree with everyone having health care, I just don’t thinks it’s fair to have to put more pressure on someone else who is already working hard to support their family and life style, now making them support other people who could make it easier who don’t.  I love supporting organizations and helping people who are in need but that ends up becoming harder to do when so much is put on me to have to take care of.  There are more and more responsibilities that have to be taken care of because priorities are left astray believing that someone is going to walk up and do it for them.  I guess ultimately you have to come to a point in your decision and say what would I really do if I was really in that persons spot of a higher income, would I want to be put under that pressure due to the lack of laziness or should they reap what they sow?  The world is not fair and it will always be like that but one thing can be fair and that is people holding their own, having to work hard.

Health Care Reform 101- Knowledge Check!

The new health care reform legislation is promising big changes to our current health care system. However, as we have seen many Americans are still in the dark about what the new legislation will actually mean to citizens, especially with all the misinformation out there about the new law. So we here at Healthcare Watcher are implementing a weekly feature titled: Health Care Reform 101- Knowledge Check! This weekly feature will offer you a short quiz on the new health care reform law to test your knowledge. So take our quiz and invite your friends and family to do the same and see if you know the real facts about our new health care legislation!




HEALTH CARE REFORM 101- KNOWLEDGE CHECK!

Question #1:

Will the health reform law require nearly all Americans to have health insurance starting in 2014 or else be subject to a fine?

-Yes

-No

Answer:

Yes. Starting in 2014, most U.S. citizens and legal residents will be required to obtain health coverage, or be subjected to a penalty. Some exemptions apply, such as those with religious objections or where insurance would cost more than 8% of their income. 

Question #2 

Will the health reform law allow the government to make decisions about end-of-life care for people on Medicare? 

-Yes 

-No 

Answer:
No. While it is true that early versions of the law did contain provisions that would allow Medicare to reimburse physicians for voluntary discussions with patients about end-of-life, these provisions are not a part of the final legislation.



Question #3
.
 Will the health reform law cut benefits already granted to those on Medicare? 

-Yes 

-No

Answer:
 No. The law reduces payments to privately administered Medicare Advantage plans, but  all benefits that are covered by traditional Medicare will continue to be granted. 

Success For the Future

Setting up systems for future success is an important strategy to come out on top in the long run.  Most people tend to want what’s most important now and not later.  Not looking at the big picture and realizing how this is going to affect us in the long run.  As it stands now, we as a country see that giving everyone health care is the right thing to do.  It may work for a couple of years but when the shit hits the fan than what.  How do we climb out of the hole we dug for ourselves.   Looking at this new socialized medicine it seems to me that we will soon be in a really big financial crisis.  Here’s my point, imagine that you have a class room full of students  and you told them that the class as a whole was going to have one grade how will that turn out in the end.  Most likely the system is going to fail because most people are not going to hold their end of the bargain and going to let others do all there work.    That is how this health care reform bill is going to be like.   You’re going to tax the rich more and more until they have no money, than what?  The only two things left to do is either barrow more money from other countries or have to see society at its finest fall to a system that is so corrupt.  How will we as a country even be able to fund the workers of these hospitals when there is so much in consumption that we use on the daily to provide for the sick and the hurt?  There are so many other things that we have to take care of in this country already.  In a business you don’t go to other companies and ask them to pay your employees for you.  You have to do it yourself, which means that you have make money and support your own weight so that you can live to see another day.  That is where we as a country don’t understand, hospitals are like a business too they need to make money and barrowing more money from other countries isn’t going to cut it for us.  Eventually it all fails.

ObamaCare Versus The States

Now that Obama has won a second term, the future of Obamacare seems hopeful... or does it? There are certainly still many hurdles ahead of Obama’s new health care legislation, which even the President and his administration acknowledge. Under the new law, Medcaid will be expanded to anyone who is below the current poverty level. The biggest challenge to Obamacare however is getting the states on board with this idea. Although the Supreme Court ruled that requiring individuals to purchase medical insurance is constitutional, it did not rule that states must agree to expanding their medicare budget. Huffington Post writer, Jeffrey Young reports that the Congressional Budget Office calculated that allowing states to opt out of the planned Medicaid expansion could leave some 3 million people uninsured. This of course counters what the Obama administration is seeking to achieve via its heath care reform bill. Therefore, this may prove to be quite an obstacle to the success of the bill. Another point to consider is that under the Obamacare plan, states must concede to forming health insurance exchanges. However, this is something many states are not necessarily on board with. State exchanges could mean higher taxes and fewer jobs, which is why many states are wary of agreeing to the formation of the exchanges. Michael Cannon of The Health Care Blog, believed that states are better off defaulting to a federal exchange. Cannon states that state exchanges coupled with Medicare expansion are too costly and risky to undertake. This is certainly a valid point, especially as many states, such as California are already facing major budget woes.

Finding Solutions... Not Problems

Health care reform. It is a heated issue which many find themselves at odds with. On the one side, there are the people that applaud Obamacare and welcome the new legislation in the name of reform. Yet, there are also many on the other side of the fence who believe that Obamacare will make the current health care system even worse. Regardless of which side you fall on however it seems that many are losing sight of the bigger issue here. That issue is finding solutions. Many are quick to dismiss Obamacare citing its many faults and problems, yet they are not really providing any solutions to counter the issue. The fact is, that we are all in agreement that the current health care system is in need of a major overhaul. The unbelievably high cost of health care coupled with the high rate of uninsured Americans is cause for concern for everyone at the moment. By what are we doing about it? It seems that many of us are sitting by criticizing proposed reform plans while we are offering no real solution to the issue at hand. The health care system is wasting away money each day while we sit idly by and do nothing about it. CBS News reports that currently 750 billion dollars a year is squandered away. That equates to 30 cents of very medical dollar the average American spends on health care. The Institute of Medicine released a report detailing the areas of waste within the health care system. Those areas include unnecessary services ($210 billion annually); inefficient delivery of care ($130 billion); excess administrative costs ($190 billion); inflated prices ($105 billion); prevention failures ($55 billion), and fraud ($75 billion). Although there were some areas of overlap, the members of the institute agreed upon the rough figure of 750 billion dollars wasted annually. These are the areas of our health care system we should be particularly concerned with. Many Americans are left underinsured or dropped from their insurance companies altogether in order for them to save money and cut costs at our expense. We are paying higher costs while the money we are paying into the system is being used frivolously by those in charge. This in turn means that we are receiving a lower quality of health care due to the waste incurred by the health care companies. The fact is that 750 billion dollars annually is enough to provide health care for the uninsured, yet we are relying on higher taxes and budget cuts for a solution, when the real solution is cutting the waste of our current health care system. in my personal opinion the best way to counter these effects is to be cognizant consumers and become more educated about our health care system. After all the current system cannot survive if we both as citizens and consumers start asking questions and raising concerns about the state of our nations health care. 

Can We Really Afford It?

Where is it that we get the money to fund this new Obama Care plan? Now that everyone has this new, affordable health care plan how are we going to fund all the hospitals, equipment and medicines? My educated guess is going to be to raise taxes. It is kind of like everything else that we have to fund. For instance look at our state schools, where are we getting the money to fund these government run schools? From our taxes? A perfect example of this is Prop 30. Now that it has passed we have to pay the price and will wind up paying more money over the long run. People don’t realize it, but if you add up all the little tax dollars we pay over the years, you’ll find yourself spending way more than what you actually thought. It is funny how our society wants us to be educated, but you look at the students in college and there dumb as rocks when it comes to being economically smart.They think they’re getting five hundred dollars back, but really they there just going to spend that and even more in taxes in the next couple of months. My point to all of this is that at some point we are going to run out of money. We can only tax the rich, or should I say the upper class so much., and after that what is our solution? Eventually the well is going to dry up if you don’t conserve the water that is in it. So when Obama Care kicks in how much more are we going to be taxed, and how much more will be at a loss? The Obama Care bill is going to be one trillion dollars, so where are we going to get the money to support that? We are already at a shortage of doctors in this country, so what does that mean for all the people that now have to wait even longer? There already aren’t enough hospitals for the people that have health insurance and people that are using Medicaid. I’m just concerned for our future as a country and my own health. In the near future when I need medical attention I’m hoping that I will be able to see doctors and not have to be on a time belt on when I can see them. The other thing that scares me, is that we are now giving the government more power and say. They will be able to dictate what we need and if we need it. That all comes down to what is available to us. When medicines and equipment become scarce, it will soon be dictated who really needs it and who doesn’t. None of us want to be at the short end of the stick.  When we get to that point in time, what then do we do? People ask me and say what we should do then. The honest answer is sometimes we have to take two steps back to go three steps forward. Everything is a domino effect. You give people an inch and they take a mile, so holding peoples feet to the fire is what we should go back to and not have everything be a free be in life because that’s a fantasy world

The Medical Industry and Big Business

Every day millions of medical procedures are being performed across the country, however, we rarely stop and ask whether they are medically necessary. The Wall Street Journal ran a series on medical device companies that were physician owned and questioned whether implantation was made ethically and for the benefit of the patient, or rather as a means of profit. The same issue has been plaguing the medical industry and its patients for years. Doctors take an oath to ensure that a patients best interest is always put first when determining a course of treatment or recommending a procedure. However, the medical system is set up in a way that doctors get financially rewarded for performing a medical procedure, and in some cases get a kickback for using a specific brand of product or device in which the physician may share an ownership interest. After all, at the end of the day the medical industry is a business not unlike any other, and they only make profit if they “sell” their products and services. Of course the average American will trust their doctors advice and undergo any recommended treatment as stipulated by the physician. This of course makes it rather difficult to determine if a medical procedure a doctor recommends is truly necessary or not, particularly when a person’s condition is perceived as life threatening. Especially when we are brought up in society to resect a doctor’s opinion and hold it in high regard. However, we must also understand that unfortunately doctors are not God-like and not only make mistakes, but also act unethically at times especially when financial gain is involved. This of course is why many malpractice and ethics suits are brought against those in the medical field. That is not to say that every physician is only out to make money at the patients expense. However, it is certainly a realty in far too many cases to dismiss its existence. I have a personal experience some years back that really opened my eyes to this unfortunate atrocity occurring in the medicine. My father has congestive heart failure and was taken to the hospital where the doctors evaluated him and determined that he had bradycardia, which is a slow heart rate, and recommended a pace maker. This of course is standard procedure for someone with this condition. However, the doctor also ordered an angioplasty to be done which has nothing at all to do with the bradycardia, but rather is performed when there is a blockage in the heart. Upon questioning the doctor as to its necessity, he became very agitated and indignant. It was later after some research that I learned that the procedure was very costly, ranging from 38,000 to 45,000 dollars. My father did got through with the pace maker surgery yet opted out of the angioplasty despite some more coercing from both the doctor and his nursing staff, who stated that he would have another heart attack without it. Needless to say, that was over 5 years ago and he is doing fine despite not having gone through with the additional surgery, which would have put him at a much greater risk had he actually opted for the procedure. Of course I am not advocating going against your doctors orders or defying his or her medical opinion. However, as health care consumers we must be educated and cognizant enough to weight the risks and benefits associated with health care.

Are We Really Safe?

Do people really stop and think how this new health care plan is really going to affect us.  I understand why people are for this bill, so that others may be treated when injured or sick.  Can we really afford to provide for others when we as a nation are already struggling financially?  What about the doctor situations, are they going to be overwhelmed with a number of patients they now have to see in a given day?  As for doctors, there are many that will not see Medicaid patients because they do not have insurance.  According to an article in Examiner.com 38 percent of MD’s said they don’t see Medicaid patients.  So when Obama care kicks in how many doctors will refuse to see the Medicaid patients of the new Obama system.  Will patients with higher and better insurances go to the front of the line?  Now that everyone will have health care benefits this means that the waits will be longer at hospitals and the consumption of medicines and equipment will be at a loss, there will not be enough.   According to an article on News-Press.com, Richard Foster chief of Medicare services warned congress that Obama cares cuts will result in a 40 percent loss and hospitals might have to refuse Medicaid patients.

The Future of Health Care Reform Post Election

As the 2012 election secured another term for President Obama, many are still wondering what the future will bring in the area of heath care reform. Certainly, the Affordable Care Act is no longer in danger of being axed as was promised by Obama opponent Mitt Romney. However, many are still skeptical about the health care plan’s ability to perform as it is intended. Dr. Joanne Conroy writes in the Health Care Blog about the potential of Obama Care not living up to the hype when it comes to providing everyone with quality health care. One aspect she highlights is the inevitable shortage of physicians with the influx of newly insured individuals seeking medical care. Certainly, this will be an issue in itself, as the growing demand for medical treatment will far exceed the amount of resources available. However, these are not the only issues the Obama administration will have to contend with when it comes to health care reform. As noted in an article in The Washington Post, one of the biggest challenges they face is negotiating budget cuts with Republicans and nearly $500 billion in automatic tax hikes. This will inevitably cause a hindrance to jump starting the new health care reform bill which has been the staple of Obama’s campaign. Although they have gone on record stating they are up to the challenge, it seems that the Obama administration’s work is just getting started.

Obama on the Middle Class... Friend or Foe?

In my last blog I described how ObamaCare will cause a burden on tax payers as well as health care providers. President Obama recently addressed the nation during an election debate with running mate Mitt Romney, citing his strong dedication to reducing the financial strains currently placed on the middle class during this troubled economy. What the president failed to mention however, is how his new health care reform bill, ObamaCare, will cause thousands of dollars in higher taxes to be passed down to the middle class. The same middle class which he vowed to help alleviate from their burdens.  The truth is that middle class Americans are no better off today than they were prior to Obama’s presidency. The economic downturn coupled with higher taxes and a soaring unemployment rate have caused major pressures. With the new tax hikes to take effect in January 2013, and ObamaCare’s hidden fees, there will surely be added stress on the already burdened middle class. Although the President has made a pledge to help support the middle class, his actions have already proved just the opposite. The real truth behind ObamaCare is that like many of the President’s other policies, it is structured under a strong socialist premise. One that functions on the redistribution of wealth, rather than actual governmental reform. Although the President may be saying otherwise, his actions certainly speak louder than words, and Americans are becoming more aware of the manipulations and hidden agenda behind ObamaCare. According to the Wall Street Journal, from the time Obama took office in 2009, “The Obama years have been brutal on middle-class incomes, wiping out $4019 in real income for families.” It is no wonder than, that many Americans are taking a second look at Obama’s health care bill, and perhaps we all should.

Is Obamacare really a cure-all?

There is certainly agreement from both the government and the American people that health care is in dire need of reform. Mounting medical costs coupled with an estimated 42 million uninsured Americans, is proof alone that our system is in need of a complete overhaul. To add fuel to the fire, many of those that are insured are finding that many necessary medical procedures are not covered by their insurance. leaving them to foot the bill alone, which in many cases causes a huge financial strain and hardship. So far, the President’s answer to the cries of the American people has been in the form of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obama Care. Although this bill promises that every American will have quality low cost health care, it may prove too good to be true. Certainly, as with any new legislation that seeks to provide care for a large group, there will be some expected drawbacks. For one, there will inevitably be higher taxes imposed on the middle class, who are already under a great deal of strain from the economic downturn, and as Obama has himself admitted, have been hit the hardest among any social class in America. In addition, those providers in the medical field, particularly doctors, will be also be facing a negative backlash from the new reform bill. Many doctors are already currently fed up with the low reimbursement rates they receive from government run programs, such as Medi-cal and Medicaid. This will certainly be an even larger concern when ObamaCare is enacted in 2014, when an estimated 32 million more people will be added to the health care pool. ObamaCare’s structure is such that it will increase demands for medical care, yet pay out low reimbursements to compensate for the high cost of health coverage. This will in turn cause many fed up doctors to seek other professions and likewise cause a shortage of qualified medical personnel. In addition, the government will have tighter control over health care decisions that will affect many Americans. There will be strict reporting requirements that will ultimately dictate how doctors practice medicine. Again, this is another reason why many physicians are considering leaving the field. Although I must also note, there are some positive points to Obama’s health care reform as well. Mainly, pre-existing conditions will no longer be considered as a reason to drop someone from their insurance plan, and there will be no annual limits to health care costs, which will be especially beneficial to those will terminal and chronic illnesses requiring consistent medical care.Whether or not these benefits outweigh the bad is for each individual to decide for themselves. For now, many uninsured Americans are looking to the government for assistance with an issue that they know will not resolve on its own. If Obamacare is the panacea to what ails them, we do not yet know, however there is certainly much to think about before wholeheartedly accepting the bill and all its baggage. 

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Do people really care?

Obama care is a big step in the wrong direction.  People are not looking at this bill the right way. The reason for that is because it will soon raise taxes and impact the hospitals even more than what they are.  Is it ok to put more stress on doctors that can only see so many patients in one day?  Is it ok to make people wait even longer than what they have to just to see a doctor?  In this article, “Top Five Reasons Obama Care is Bad,” it talks about how in 2014 Obama Care will dump 19.5 million patients to Medicaid.   This will place an even greater strain on physicians to treat patients and doctors will be faced with decisions to not see patients that have this Medicaid or except even more patients and lower the cost.  If you have ever been hurt in any way where you had to go see a doctor it is not like you just walk right in and see them, there is a waiting time.  If it is to the extent where you have to go to the emergency room how much longer will you now have to wait till you can see the doctor.  Because the emergency rooms are already ridiculously impacted.  A good example that I have in my life is last year, my buddy Shane on my baseball team got cleated during a baseball game and it totally gashed open his arm.  When he went to the emergency room to get stitches he waited two hours.  After he got called in to get stitched up they didn’t even have a room to take him in to because it was so impacted, they sat him in the hall way and stitched him up right there.  So having the knowledge that he didn’t even have a room to go in, how is it possible that we are going to be able to add 19.5 million people.  If everyone is going to be entitled to Medicaid, shouldn’t everyone also be entitled to free food and shelter?  If you look at Los Angeles alone there are 73,000 homeless people.  Now if all of them have free Medicaid who is going to be pay for their bill and when they get treated they go right back into the environment where they got the illness.  Whether it was from lack of nutrition or being out in the cold they are going to end right back in the hospital a month later.  So now add 19.5 million people and tell me how this is going to work without having to raise taxes and barrow more money, putting us more in debt than what we already are.  Another thing is this bill does is destroy the doctor-patient relationship.  Doctors will now have to focus more on how government wants them to rule and regulate then to rather than the specific needs of the patient.  Doctors will soon be like UPS workers having to rush patients in and of their offices in order to treat more people.

Romney Vows to Drop Ax on Obamacare

It seems that the future of health care reform in America is still uncertain as the upcoming election could cause a dramatic shift in health care policy. Mitt Romney has already expressed his strong aversion to the Affordable Care Act, also dubbed as ObamaCare. Romney has stated that if elected, he will repeal ObamaCare, and thus leave the issue of uninsured citizens up to the state. Essentially, Romney's plan is to enable each state to construct an individual health care reform plan for its citizens, while the government’s responsibility will be to ensure fair competition. On the surface this may seem like a good idea, and proponents of the measure have cited Massachusetts success with creating its own health care reform plan from redirected monies derived from the federal medicaid program, as proof that health care reform can be successfully run at the state level. The reality is however, that most states, particularly those in debt such as California, will have major issues which will prohibit them from following suit. Massachusetts had a surplus fund of tax money which was reallocated to their citizens in the form of health care coverage, while many other states are not in the position to do so due to a lack of funds. Therefore, this would leave the health care situation as a lingering issue for many states, primarily those where a high population and unemployment rate are concerned. To add fuel to the fire, Romney met with the Columbus Dispatch editorial board this week, and was quoted as saying, "We don't have people that become ill, who die in their apartment because they don't have insurance." Romney said this in response to claims that millions of uninsured Americans are dying each year due to lack of health coverage. Romney pointed out that people do not stay home and face death even without health coverage, but rather they seek emergency care which is paid for either by charity, government or the hospital. What Romney fails to realize however, is that many individuals without health coverage seek emergency care only when it is too late and there may not be an option for recovery. Furthermore, these "emergency" room visits are costing billions of dollars each year which are being passed down to tax payers, thus contributing to the problem and maintaining the cycle.

Site#1 The American Thinker 

1.       Produced by rick Moran

2.       The websites content is against what the healthcare reform is about.  Why this bill won’t help out our economy

3.       American Thinker is a daily internet publication devoted to the thoughtful exploration of issues of importance to Americans.

4.       The content is only published once.

5.       Yes the comments to accompany the post.  Some of the comments support what the article has to say and others question some of the reasonings.

6.       Yes there is a twitter and facebook link.

Site#2.  The Week 

1.       This site is produced by the writers and editors of the week

2.       The website is blogging about different situations about the health care bill.  Whether or not it is going to work.

3.       The producer’s interest is seeing what people have to say about the topics that are being posted.

4.       The content is being published daily about different scenarios and situations about the health care reform

5.       The comments on the web site back up what Bill Frist has to say.  Some people give their own opinion about the topics

6.       There are no links to Facebook or Twitter.

Site 3.  The LibertyCrier 

1.       Ron Paul is the producer of the web site

2.       The Web site is about why the health care reform won’t work.  And it gives valid points on why that is.

3.       The interest of why the producer made this is to get people to see how this bill is not going to work.

4.       The content has only been published once.  In the video it is consistently being pointed out why this won’t work.

5.       Yes there are comments about the video.  The comments are people backing up the video, agreeing with what the speaker has to say

6.       Yes, there is a Facebook and Twitter Link.

Site#4.  The Economist

1.       It was produced by writers and editors of the economist.

2.       The article that is being shown is about how states are don’t about of the bill that was passed.  Also Republicans think of it as an intrusion into private affairs.

3.       The producers interest in this article is showing both sides of the political parties on what they feel about the bill.

4.       The content was only published once for people to read up on it.

5.       There are comments and posts about the article and a lot of it are debates about the social topic. 

6.       Yes there is a Facebook and Twitter.

Peer Group Reconnaissance

 By: Linda Evan

Site #1: The New York Times' Health Care Topic Column

Question #1: The site's content is produced by the researchers and editors of The New York Times.

Question #2: The site produces neutral news based content on the issue of health care reform with timely updates on recent events. The articles are original reporting, and only internal links are provided to other related  NY Times articles pertaining to the issue.  

 Question #3: The Times' interest in covering this topic is for public information and awareness. Since health care reform is a significant social issue to many Americans, the NY Times covers this topic to gain visitors to their site and be regarded as a reputable news provider. 

Question #4: Their content is published on a daily basis, with stories that are either directly or indirectly related to health care reform. However, those articles specially related to my social issue are are published several times a week.

Question #5: Yes, there is a comments section after each article. The comments are mainly people's opinions on the issue of health care reform as it relates to the specific topic or event reported int he article.

Question #6: Yes, they have both a Facebook page and Twitter feed.


Site #2: The Health Care Blog

Question #1: The Site's content is produced by an organization running guest posts from influential bloggers across the health care community.

Question #2: The site produces content involving health and science issues, with special emphasis on the topic of health care reform. It is a news based commentary from various bloggers involved in the fields of health care and politics. It is original writing with no linking to outside sources, and offers content based on each blogger's own point of view, so it is not entirely neutral.

Question #3: The producer's intent is to provide the public with informational material on the topic of health care reform, from different perspectives of individuals working in the field.

Question #4: Content on this site is published on the topic of health care reform specifically, and is published several times each week.

Question #5: Yes, there is a comments section which is primarily readers responding to the posts and expressing their views and opinions on those posts.

Question #6: Yes, they have a Facebook and Twitter  page.


Site #3: Alan Katz' Health Care Reform Blog

Question #1: The site's content is produced by Alan Katz, the former president of both the National and the California Associations of Health Underwriters and founder of the Alan Katz Group, which focuses on health care reform and public service.

Question #2: The site produces current news on the topic of health care reform from a commentary standpoint. All postings are original reporting by Alan Katz and from his point of view. There are various links to other related sites where readers can gain more information on this topic. It appears to be neither liberal nor conservative, but rather from a neutral standpoint with the public's best interest in mind.

Question #3: Alan Katz writes about this topic due to his own personal interest and background in the health care field. The blog was created for the public good and to make people aware of how health care reform will affect them.

Question #4: The site publishes content about once a week to several times a week depending on recent developments in health care reform.

Question #5: Yes, there are comments which discuss reader opinions on the topic of health care reform, many of them being opposing views from different readers.

Question #6: No, this site does not have a Facebook or Twitter page.


Site #4 The Washington Post's Health Care Column

Question #1: The site's content is produced by the writers and editors of the Washington Post.

Question #2: The site produced neutral news based stories on health care issues, particularly on the topic of health care reform. It is primarily informational in content, yet their are a few articles with editor commentary. The writing is original reporting with no little to outside sources.

Question #3: The Post writes about this topic to provide the public with information on this social issue since health care reform is of great concern for many of its readers. The site generates up to date news stories on this topic to keep readers informed and ensure they frequently visit their site for more information.

Question #4: In general, the content on this site is published on a daily basis, and content specific to my social issue is published usually daily or every other day.

Question #5: Yes, there is a comments section after each article. The comments are mostly reader opinions on health care issues and other political issues indirectly related to this topic. Many times readers disagree on this issue and there is some debate generated.

Question #6: Yes, they are on Facebook and Twitter.