Posts Tagged ‘medical coverage’

Is New York following Massachusetts

Friday, March 26th, 2010

The health care process in New York has been on the revamping slide for a few years now. With Massachusetts as a role model, New York has investigated and kept a close eye on how the implemented health care reform measures have been working. At the same time, they have been instituting some of the health care measures within the state health care system as well.

Although not to the extent that Massachusetts has, for the time being it is working. For how long this system will continue to function positively is anyone’s guess. To continuously take in more applicants on all levels and have so few paying into the system is a system that will fail. This is what is happening in Massachusetts at this present time. The low cost health insurance that was promised in the beginning is slowly getting much more expensive driving more people to leave the state.

Yes, they too celebrated when State wide nationalized health care was instituted for all the citizens, but they all forgot to factor in who was going to pay for the process to continue and flourish. Today, they are floundering in a sea of red tape because the funds are scarce and growing scarce with each passing day.

Many residents fled Massachusetts for neighboring states, and today you could say they were the lucky ones. Ah, but New York is a completely new ballgame. Universal health care is a very bold and thoughtful ideal, but that is where it begins and ends.

This ideal of all for one and one for all is a utopian ideal that is not sustainable. You must have more money coming in than is going out, any business in the New York area already know that. Why does the state of New York think it do a better job of health insurance provisions than other states?

Then to consider mandating, as Massachusetts did, that all residents living and working in the New York area must comply.  The state of New York, like the state of Massachusetts really has no business in trying to run a universal health care plan when they understand very little of the concept. We already have failed government programs that are going broke at a rapid rate:

1.    Medicaid Insurance and Medicare Insurance

2.    Social Security

These are all going broke and for the same reason. There is more money being paid out to recipients, than taken in by those who participate in these plans. When did it ever say that every one is entitled to everything free? This is really unfortunate for those within the health care system that really do need it or they will not survive. There are others within the health care system that can most assuredly take care of themselves, but for some reason it is so much easier to put a hand out instead.

When are individuals going to understand that although help is out there for those who truly are in need, the mass majority can be quite self-sufficient? There are many in New York who understands this and they go through great lengths to take care of their own.

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Mandatory Health Insurance

Friday, March 5th, 2010

Over the past year, there is a concerted effort to push a health care reform bill through that in many peoples opinion will hurt the country rather than help the country. Why are our representatives insistent on turning the entire medical system up side down for the sake of a few? Sadly, comprehensive medical health insurance is not an entitlement as many think.

Most of the population acquires medical health insurance through their employers when they enter the working world. It has been this way since the end of World War II to help entice the returning men to return to the work force. At the time, it was impossible to offer higher wages and the employers began to offer comprehensive medical health insurance in its place.

The convenient, affordable health insurance coverage that was offered was not just for the returning soldiers into the workplace, but coverage for their entire families. The country as a whole was hurting and very inexpensive housing was built in various communities around the country to accommodate the returning soldiers. These men and some women were looking to return to a normal life, have a home, raise a family, and contribute to the communities they were residing.

This was working well until all the health care technology was introduced into the medical community to enhance the ability of the physicians to perform better and to have the tools to diagnosis and help more individuals. However, this also increased substantially the cost of all medical health care for every individual. Medical insurance was not a hot topic because insurance of any kind was not a necessity, yet today it has blossomed and is growing out of control and out of touch.

Most of the individual states today, if not all, offer a low cost health insurance and a no-charge medical care system to accommodate those who are unable at this time to pay. Is this a burden on the individual states, of course it is, but we have managed as a country to balance the needs of the individuals for many years.

Unfortunately, part of the problems that are mounting is the unfair balance of the health care system throughout the country leading everyone to believe that medical health coverage is an entitlement and that is far from the truth. It is one thing to help those who truly need assistance and another to have a free for all give away. It is the give away that is hurting the country and throwing the medical health care system into disarray.

Now when the country is hurting the most and millions of individuals are either unemployed or underemployed medical insurance is going to be a mandate on every citizens and employer. Unfortunately, this will leave more individuals without medical insurance that with and the unemployment rate will only grow higher. Would it not make more sense to help those who are without any individual health insurance?

Are we in need of medical health reform of some kind? Yes, but mandating every citizen must have medical insurance is only going to hurt the country more than it helps the country.

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Ingesting Drugs has Become the New American Diet

Monday, November 2nd, 2009

The crisis is consuming America and it is also consuming the rest of the world.  All you have to do is google “ a nation of pill poppers” and you will see the crisis is affecting the UK to Singapore.  More and more people around the world are turning to drugs as their solution for their physical and mental health care issues.  It makes the big pharmaceutical companies happy, but it does not necessarily make the individuals using these medications very happy.  There is no such thing as a “happy pill.”    Could it be that individuals especially with mental health issues are just trying to drown their sorrows with medication instead of the traditional alcohol? Furthermore what is the impact on the lives of people that are using medication and alcohol?

The media is a facilitator in this quest to medicate for mental and physical ailments.  At one time you went to the doctor with your complaints and he or she would prescribe medication if it were needed.  Now you go to the doctor and say, “I want this medication or that medication.  I saw it on TV and it explains my symptoms completely.”  Although it is a wonderful idea to take an interest in your symptoms and know exactly what it is you have and what are the treatment plans for it.  There are several things to look out for. Could the ailment be managed other than with chemicals? For example, Irritable Bowel Syndrome often responds to a change in diet and a reduction in stress.  Implementing these treatments and or prevention strategies will have a positive affect upon the general health care of the American people.

The question often left unanswered is, are these medications for everything and anything always safe?  Painkillers are so prominent in America; they can be purchased over the counter or by prescription. Yes, the advertisements warn of the side affects, but at what cost to our health care? It seems to take several years before you finally hear that certain drugs have been pulled from the market and this only because they wait to see what the affects on the public will be.

In October 2009, American Regent Voluntarily recalled Ketorolac Tromethamine Injection, USP 30/mg/ml; 1ml single dose vials. Ketorolac Tromethamine is a nonsteriodal anti-inflammatory used as a painkiller for mild, but not chronic pain. Sometimes it is used for severe pain, but only used for a few days. Ketorolac Tromethamine is sold under the brand name Torodol. The product was recalled because of the crystallization, which could obstruct the blood vessels and produce a heart attack or stroke.

In October of this year, the FDA recalled Heparin, which is an anticoagulant.  One of the concerns was the unit dosage.  The contaminated dosage has been associated with certain adverse affects including death of its users in the USA.  There you have it, two products recalled within the same month for different reasons and both products endangering the health care of some many Americans who rely on these drugs.

On Sept 16, the FDA issued a warning about the labeling for the product Promethazine Hydrochloride Injection, which is sold under the brand name Phenergan. This product is a sedative used for treating nausea and vomiting. Promethazine Hydrochloride is also used as an antihistamine for hey fever. When the injection form is not administered properly it will cause serious tissue damage.  There have been reports as far back as to 1969 – 2009 where cases of gangrene and amputation have been reported after using this drug.

The question remains, what is more beneficial to our over all health care, relieving nausea with this drug or risking its harmful affects when the health care professional makes a boo boo and boo boo’s our lives?

The list of products, which have been, recalled over the years go on and on. Sometimes as consumers we get to hear about them and sometimes we don’t. In the mean time we continue to pop pills, inject chemical drugs, but really do we feel good? Is the state of our health care better for it?

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