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Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Health Care Cost Rises Again

If John Boehner has his way Medicare recipients will get a big boost in cost shifting to their pocket book to the tune of 75%.  Here the increase is reported to be running about 50%.

What are your doing to regain responsibility over your health so you won't have to be at the mercy of these mercenaries?
, On Wednesday May 11, 2011, CNN
Health care costs for a family of four rose again in 2011, with employees paying a much larger share of the rising expenses, according to a new industry report Wednesday.
American families who are insured through their jobs average health care costs of $19,393 this year, up 7.3%, or $1,319 from last year, according to independent actuarial and health care consulting firm Milliman Inc.
More significantly, employers are making workers shoulder an even bigger share of total health care expenses.
Of the $1,319 annual increase, workers' out-of-pocket costs this year rose 9.2%. That was more than the 6.6% increase the prior year.
Payroll deductions for insurance coverage rose 9.3% this year, also more than the year before.
However, employers' share of workers' health care costs fell 6% in 2010, compared to 8% the year prior.
Of the $19,393 overall annual cost, employees' share is inching closer to 50%, said Lorraine Mayne, principal and consulting actuary with Milliman. Complete Article
How women fare with health insurance reform - 


Excluding mammogram which we do not endorse because of its connection with higher breast cancer rates, this news shows that currently women are hit very hard because of lack of coverage.

NEW YORK, May 12 (UPI) -- Nearly all of the 27 million U.S. uninsured women and will have access to medical care once healthcare reform is enacted, U.S. researchers say.

The Commonwealth Fund 2010 Biennial Health Insurance Survey indicates women are skipping needed healthcare. Forty-eight 48 percent say they did not see a doctor when they were sick, didn't fill a prescription, or skipped a test, treatment or follow-up visit because they couldn't afford it -- up from 34 percent in 2001.

"This report shows how rapidly rising healthcare costs and lagging incomes are leaving increasing numbers of women unable to afford health insurance and healthcare -- and millions are struggling with medical bills and debt," study co-author Sara Collins and Commonwealth Fund vice president, says in a statement. "But, the Affordable Care Act is already requiring insurance carriers to cover recommended preventive services like mammograms free of charge."

Thirty-three percent of women say they spent 10 percent or more of their incomes on healthcare costs in 2010 vs. 25 percent of women who reported similar spending levels in 2001.

Only 31 percent of uninsured women ages 50-64 reported having a mammogram in the past two years, compared to 79 percent of women with health insurance, the report says.

The 25-minute interviews of 4,005 U.S. women by Princeton Survey Research Associates International were conducted July 14 to Nov. 30. The survey has a margin of error or 1.9 percentage points.
 
© 2011 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

And we are seeing very little in the way of better care or truly reduced cost.

You'll find more than 30 articles about health insurance reform here at Natural Health News
Feb 04, 2010
What is so amazing is the ideas put forward that show absolutely no connection to the issues in health care and sound ways to reduce costs while improving care. What irritates me even more is the latest form John McCain of Arizona who. .

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