Archive for the ‘Children’ Category

Health Care and Economy

Monday, May 10th, 2010

Individuals who are new to the institution of medical health insurance can find they are overwhelmed with the many choices of health insurance providers and the choice of plans. However, with even a small amount of effort it will soon become evident which health insurance plan is best for the individual at any given period of time.

Many grouped into the population of the young seem to have difficulty with the choices because they were used to being covered under their parent’s health insurance plan and never really gave it much thought other than they were covered under some plan. With time and patience even, the young can find out which plan is best for their needs and the only other question is to find the most low cost health insurance that is possible.

Be wary of some of the cheaper health insurance policies because many times you find out too late that the deductible is one that is very high and you are not covered for all the different things you were once covered when under a parent’s insurance plan.

When you have finished up with college and are out in search of your first full time employment, you may have the opportunity to buy into a temporary health insurance policy to cover your needs until you find gainful employment. This type of insurance is not exactly inexpensive, but it will see you through until you can pick up affordable health insurance with your new employer.

When you are young and healthy you are starting off on good footing. Though the health insurance quotes, you will receive by a variety of insurance carriers you will be amazed at how expensive medical health care coverage can be as you begin to age. Of course, much will depend on the type of insurance policy you are researching and the type of medical coverage you are expecting.

Understand that low cost health insurance as with almost any other aspect of the consumer driven market will sink or swim depending on how strong the consumer market remain. Similar to what is occurring today with almost every aspect of the consumer market spiraling downward. Just where all this downward activity will end, no one is really sure because we are all in new territory, including the health care territory.

In many ways, it is a sad legacy to find that our wealth and much of our health care industry is dependent upon a consumer state of mind. At one time, we were a nation of creative builders and growers and shipped through trading many goods across the seas and around the world. Can you figure out exactly what it is that we export today?

The country has lost its luster through floundering in self-indulgence.  We as a nation forgot how to stand tall to respect and honor all that came before. Those who laid the foundation for future generations to build are being tossed aside through arrogance and dependency in every faction of life.

This is true with the exploration of low cost health insurance as well because the public is making as many demands of what they want as the insurance providers are taking away. Whatever happened to independence and self-reliance?

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Children, Crisis Situation, Health Insurance, health, health care | Comments Off

The Need for Legislation against PVC’s in Children School Supplies

Tuesday, September 8th, 2009

The most precious people in our lives are our children. Not only do they grace our lives, but also they are our future if the human race is to survive.  However, what kind of life will they have if we do not take care of their health care now?  Of course we take measures to insure their health and welfare safe, but do we do it fast enough?  Do our governments act as fast as they can once they realize that there is a health threat present?

No matter where we go, no matter what we do, we are exposed to phthalates; they are at home, at work, in the hospital – they are in our environment everywhere.  Phthalates is a chemical resembling vegetable oil and is has been used in plastic products for at least the last 50 years. It makes PVC’s (polyvinyl chloride) more soft and flexible which is important for many plastic found such as garden hoses and other products, which need a measurement of flexibility to be functional.  Our world is saturated with plastic products and until recently it was not discovered just how much our health care is suffering from it. From plastic garden/rubber hoses to plastic bags, there are PVC’s all around us.

Through various testing done on animals, we are now finding how ingestion of this chemical substance can be toxic both to animals and to humans as well. Governments are now restricting the use of PVC’s in canned foods and plastic materials.  Major manufacturers from the food industry to the children’s toy industry must be more vigilant about our health care and stop using PVC’s in the production of their products.

In 2008, the American government banned the use of PVC’s in the manufacturing of children’s toys.  Research on children health care with regards to products made with phthalates and PVC’s shows severe developmental issues interfering with the children’s hormones. But wait, that is not the only horrible consequence of children being exposed to PVC’s. Birth defects have been noted in baby boys resulting from the influence of phthalates, and there has also been reporting of testicular cancer, liver problems, and early onset puberty in girls, which is also a risk factor for breast cancer in latter years.

The government banned PVC’s in toys but neglected another area just as important. They neglected schools supplies. There are so many schools supplies such as backpacks, lunchboxes, binders, pens, pencil cases, thermos, crayon cases, and more that have PVC’s in them.  Children are inundated with PVC’s and it does not stop there.  There are other toxins such as cadmium, and/or organotins and lead that are a danger to children’s health care.

These toxic substances may be ingested, or seep out and distributed in the air where your children will breathe in the vapors.  It doesn’t matter how much or how little exposure a child gets to these substances, they are toxics and therefore dangerous. We need to put pressure on the government to ban the use of these toxins in school supplies as well.  Our kids are at risk and so is their future, not to mention the drain on the health care system for all the medical attention that will be needed to treat our children as these toxic substances destroy their young bodies.

You can detect PVC products by looking at the label, if it says vinyl it contains PVC’s. Some products will be labeled PVC or V, or number 3 and that can be found under the recycling symbol. Avoid these products, as well as shiny backpacks with plastic designs, modeling or Crayola Air-Dry clay, notebooks, which have plastic on them, or plastic spirals holding them together, and colored plastic paper clips.

Don’t be fooled by shoes and shoe brand knock offs. For example even though the brand names shoes like Crocs are PVC free the charms on them may not be.  Crocs knock off, Kamid Doodle are made with PVC’s.  However you may be happy to know that brand names shoes such as Nike, Puma and L. L. Bean are PVC free.  

Until the government is willing to take action and legislate against PVC’s in children’s products and until manufacturers of children products take their social responsibilities seriously and stop using PVC’s on their own, we as parents have no choice but to monitor everything that goes anywhere near our children.  We must boycott the products that have not conformed to standard and save our children from future damage to their health care and well being. We must avoid a catastrophe before it happens.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Children, Health Insurance | 44 Comments »

Why are Uninsured Children in America Still Suffering?

Friday, May 1st, 2009

As we enter the second quarter of 2009, there are still too many children in America that have no health insurance coverage. Why is that? Whether the number is one or 9 million and one, like it was back in 2003, there are still far too many children suffering without health insurance in American cities and towns.

This means that there are still too many low-income families that don’t have enough residual income to afford insurance through America’s health insurance providers. This also means that there are currently not enough openings, even with the current boost in health insurance funds, CHIPRA program, at the White House to prevent children under the age of 19 from suffering.

The expansion of this program allowed states to increase their coverage for children, and because New York and New Jersey had already increased state funding for children of families in poverty, they had additional funding to capped allotments in the CHIP program; thereby further lowering the number of uninsured children in their states. Way to go!

Despite Medicaid coverage, which is readily available, nearly one-quarter of all children still remain under or uninsured and the majority of them are adolescent, live in families with one parent working, but the reality is uninsured depends on ethnic background, race, age, and income. White and African-American children are more likely to be insured than Asian or Hispanic children are, due to these children having no or low access to private health insurance providers or Medicaid.

Medicaid is the equivalent of a critical-care trauma unit in a hospital. It is the safety net for millions of children from low-income families. Medicaid makes sure that children can visit the hospital, see the doctor, and have vision and dental checkups and care. Medicaid coverage for children is now supplemented by the CHIP program, which targets low-income, uninsured children under 19 that do not qualify for Medicaid.

Although most states have reached out to ensure that there is an easy enrollment process, as well as improved eligibility for all children, too many children remain uninsured, which begs the question…Why?

Maybe the answer is better communication and further education. Maybe we, as responsible citizens are obligated to get the word out there to low-income families, so that their children are not falling through the cracks, due to parental lack of knowledge about what programs are out there, and whom they support. We all have a responsibility to see that today’s children are covered for health insurance; after all, they are our future for tomorrow.

Every state has a program with its own eligibility rules, but most states insure that children 18 or younger with families that earn less than $44,500.00 a year, with four in the family, qualify for low-cost or free health insurance. Every state has many health insurance providers and even if the family has been turned down before, they are wise to reapply, especially with the new rules and regulations in place.

So, if you are low-income and have uninsured children, or know someone that does, please spread the word. Children now qualify for insurance more than ever before!

To learn more about registering your children for insurance, and to obtain assistance to fill out the application forms, please call 1-800-698-4KIDS. The good folks who run this service will be happy to help you find out information about your state, as well as eligibility requirements, and they will help you fill out your application.

Or, you could visit the following websites to find out more:

www.nyhealthinsurer.com www.nychealthplan.com

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Children, Health Insurance | 41 Comments »