Kieran Firenze - Healthcare Reform

Health Care Reform

Healthcare reform affects everyone, everywhere.

Did you know?

“Medicaid enrollment fell by 0.6 percent in 2018 — its first drop since 2007 — due to the strong economy and increased efforts in some states to verify eligibility, a new report finds.” 

“But costs continue to go up. Total Medicaid spending rose 4.2 percent in 2018, same as a year ago, as a result of rising costs for drugs, long-term care and mental health services, according to the study released Thursday by the Kaiser Family Foundation. (Kaiser Health News is an editorially independent program of the foundation.)”

“States expect total Medicaid spending growth to accelerate modestly to 5.3 percent in 2019 as enrollment increases by about 1 percent, according to the annual survey of state Medicaid directors.”

“About 73 million people were enrolled in Medicaid in August, according to a federal report released Wednesday 9 [October 24, 2018].”

“Medicaid spending and enrollment typically rise during economic downturns as more people lose jobs and health benefits. When the economy is humming, Medicaid enrollment flattens as more people get back to work and can get coverage at work or can afford to buy it on their own. The national unemployment rate was 3.7 percent in September, the lowest since 1969.” (US News.) 

If we took everyone on the aptly named “Obamacare” and dropped them completely, we would have a crisis on our hands.

In fact the destination is, my hope, to get Universal Healthcare for all. So no more people die from loss of desperately needed healthcare.

But before we go too into depth let’s look at the Pros and Cons of the Cost of healthcare.

The Pros of it

“The good news is that available information indicates the doomsayers were wrong, and premiums under President Barack Obama's health care law aren't going through the roof.”

“The average increase for Obamacare plans will be 8.2 percent next year in 29 states and the District of Columbia where data about health insurance premiums for 2015 are available... That's significant, but it's a little lower than the 10 percent annual rate hikes typical before the Affordable Care Act." (Procon.org)

The Cons of it

“Measured over two years, Obamacare's rate hikes remain toxic. And further increases are on the horizon in 2017, when some of the law's subsidies to insurance companies are set to expire...”(Procon.org)

Affordable Care Act (Obamacare)

In many ways The Affordable Care Act brought us close to a Universal healthcare Ideal. In other ways it caused a lot of problems for all involved.

My Opinion

This Healthcare Reform is important to me because I live on MEDIcal and I am covered for mental health which is very important. I have PTSD, Anxiety, Depression and OSDD. I cannot go without therapy or medications. I am afraid with the reform I will lose my benefits of healthcare and mental health care. I will not be able to function in society and will go back to suicidal thoughts. I chose this issue because I am personally affected by it and  know my mother has Diabetes type 2 and requires medication as well as regular Doctor visits. I’m afraid with healthcare reform that she will lose her benefits and eventually pass away because of lack of access to healthcare and medications. She literally needs the medications to stay alive. Without them she will die.

  

The Opinions of Those I Interviewed

David Gallivan said, “Healthcare affects my family a great deal. We have to buy it from the company I work for. Since my son has seizures, medical is a must have.”

Rhonda St. Laurent said, “Healthcare affects my family a lot because we live on tight funds and without healthcare in my older age I am afraid I won’t live long.”

Joshua Kiper said, “I pay for insurance so Obamacare makes it affordable. I tend not to worry about things in the future but I do worry about health care reform being negative. Did you know that the Canadians have had to come down here because there is a lot of lag in their own healthcare system.”

Emmanuel J. Mitsinkios happens to be a urologist and said, “That healthcare reform affects the way I treat my patients, affects how I do my job as a doctor and I am worried about Healthcare reform affecting how patients get access to healthcare.”

Civic Engagement Definitions

Civic engagement means working to make a difference in the civic life of our communities and developing the combination of knowledge, skills, values and motivation to make that difference. It means promoting the quality of life in a community, through both political and non-political processes.

Civic engagement is the participation of private actors in the pubic sphere, conducted through direct and indirect interactions of civil society organizations and citizens-at-large with government, multilateral institutions and business establishments to influence decision making or pursue common goals.

Engagement of citizens and citizens' organizations in public policy debate, or in delivering public services and contributing to the management of public goods, is a critical factor in making development policy and action responsive to the needs and aspirations of the people and potentially of the poor

Citations

“The Definition of Civic Engagement.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 7 July 2003, archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/ref/college/collegespecial2/coll_aascu_defi.html.

“Resources.” Participation & Civic Engagement - What Is Civic Engagement?, web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTSOCIALDEVELOPMENT/EXTPCENG/0,,contentMDK:20507541~menuPK:1278313~pagePK:148956~piPK:216618~theSitePK:410306,00.html.

News, Kaiser Health. “Strong Economy Helps Lower Medicaid Enrollment And Limit Costs, States Report.” U.S. News & World Report, U.S. News & World Report, www.usnews.com/news/best-states/articles/2018-10-25/strong-economy-helps-lower-medicaid-enrollment-and-limit-costs-states-report.

“Top 10 Pro & Con Arguments - Obamacare - ProCon.org.” Are the March 2010 Federal Health Care Reform Laws Good for America?, healthcarereform.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=003725.