So, where did we leave off? Oh, I remember;
1. Retiring elderly couples will need $200,000 in savings just to pay for the most basic medical coverage. Many experts believe that this figure is conservative and that $300,000 may be a more realistic number. (I don’t have that money set aside and I am in my 50's. Do you?)
2. According to a recent report, the United States has $480 billion in EXCE$$ SPENDING each year to comparison to Western Europe nations that jave universal health insurance coverage. The costs are mainly associated with EXCE$$ ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS and POORER QUALITY OF CARE.
3. The United States spends six times more per capita on the administration of the health care system than its peer Western Europe nations.
To sum it all up; policymakers and government officials agree that health care costs must be controlled. But they disagree on the best ways to address rapidly escalating health spending and health insurance premiums. Some favor price controls and imposing strict budgets on health care spending. Others believe free market competition is the best was to solve the problems. Public health advocates believe that if all Americans adopted healthy lifestyles, health care cost would decrease as people required less medical care.
There appears to be no agreement on a single solution to health care's high price tag. Many approaches may be used to control costs. What we do know is if the rate of escalation in health care spending and health insurance premiums continues at current trends, the cost of inaction will severely affect employer’s bottom lines and consumer's pocketbooks.
Well that sounds depressing like everything else that is happening I our world such as, gas prices, loss of jobs due to outsourcing, the pollution and the need to educate all of us on helping our environment, taking back out political rights so when we vote it COUNTS, the failure of our Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae ( I think they should be married) and the general state of affairs of health issues and now obesity. Yes I can talk about that because I have that disease and I am fighting to remove it. Let’s get some feedback. I want to know what you see as a solution to these issues.
Email me @ mack.margie@gmail.com and let me see what you come up with. After all we have to be the change that we want to see in this world…and it is the only world we have, right?
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Monday, July 14, 2008
The Impact Of Rising health Care Costs
National surveys show that the primary reason people are uninsured is the high cost of health insurance coverage.
Economists have found that rising health care costs correlate to drops in health insurance coverage.
Nearly one-quarter (23 percent) of the uninsured reported changing their way of life significantly in order to pay medical bills.
In a Wall Street Journal-NBC Survey almost 50 percent of the American public say the cost of health care is their number one economic concern.
In a USA Today/ABC NEWS survey, 80 percent of Americans said that they were dissatisfied (60 percent were very dissatisfied) with high national health care spending.
Rising health care costs is the top personal pocketbook concern for Democratic voters (45%) and Republicans (35%), well ahead of higher taxes or retirement security.
One in four Americans say their family has had a problem paying medical care during the past year, up 7 percent points over the past nine years. Nearly 30 percent say someone in their family has delayed medical care in the past year, a new high based on recent polling. Most say the medical condition was at least somewhat serious.
A recent study by Harvard University researchers found that the average out of pocket medical debt for those who filed bankruptcy was $12,000.00. The study noted that 68% of those who filed for bankruptcy had health insurance. In addition, the study found that 50 percent of all bankruptcy filings were partly the result of medical expenses. Every 30 seconds in the United States someone files for bankruptcy in the aftermath of a serious health problem.
One half of workers in the lowest compensation jobs and one half of workers in mid range compensation jobs either had problems with medical bills in a 12 month period or were paying off accrued debt. One quarter of workers in higher compensated positions also reported problems with medical bills or were paying stability of the whole family.
If one member of a family is uninsured and has an accident, a hospital stay, or a costly medical treatment, the resulting medical bills can affect the economic stability of the whole family.
A new survey shows that more than 23% said that housing problems resulted from medical debt, including the inability to make rent or mortgage payments and the development of bad credit ratings.
A survey of Iowa consumers found that in order to cope with rising health insurance costs, 86% said they had to cut back on how much they could save, and 44% said that they have cut back on food and heating exspenses.....think...about that one.
Economists have found that rising health care costs correlate to drops in health insurance coverage.
Nearly one-quarter (23 percent) of the uninsured reported changing their way of life significantly in order to pay medical bills.
In a Wall Street Journal-NBC Survey almost 50 percent of the American public say the cost of health care is their number one economic concern.
In a USA Today/ABC NEWS survey, 80 percent of Americans said that they were dissatisfied (60 percent were very dissatisfied) with high national health care spending.
Rising health care costs is the top personal pocketbook concern for Democratic voters (45%) and Republicans (35%), well ahead of higher taxes or retirement security.
One in four Americans say their family has had a problem paying medical care during the past year, up 7 percent points over the past nine years. Nearly 30 percent say someone in their family has delayed medical care in the past year, a new high based on recent polling. Most say the medical condition was at least somewhat serious.
A recent study by Harvard University researchers found that the average out of pocket medical debt for those who filed bankruptcy was $12,000.00. The study noted that 68% of those who filed for bankruptcy had health insurance. In addition, the study found that 50 percent of all bankruptcy filings were partly the result of medical expenses. Every 30 seconds in the United States someone files for bankruptcy in the aftermath of a serious health problem.
One half of workers in the lowest compensation jobs and one half of workers in mid range compensation jobs either had problems with medical bills in a 12 month period or were paying off accrued debt. One quarter of workers in higher compensated positions also reported problems with medical bills or were paying stability of the whole family.
If one member of a family is uninsured and has an accident, a hospital stay, or a costly medical treatment, the resulting medical bills can affect the economic stability of the whole family.
A new survey shows that more than 23% said that housing problems resulted from medical debt, including the inability to make rent or mortgage payments and the development of bad credit ratings.
A survey of Iowa consumers found that in order to cope with rising health insurance costs, 86% said they had to cut back on how much they could save, and 44% said that they have cut back on food and heating exspenses.....think...about that one.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Part three of The health Care Crisis
Premiums for employer-based health insurance rose by 6.1 percent in 2007. Small employers saw their premiums, on average, increase 5.5 percent. Firms with less than 24 workers, experienced an increase of 6.8 percent.
The annual premium that a health insurer charges an employer for a health plan covering a family of four averaged $12,100 in 2007. The annual premiums for family coverage significantly eclipsed the gross earnings for a full-time, minimum wage worker ($10,712).
Workers are now paying $1400 more in premiums annually for family coverage than they did in 2000.
Since 2000, employment-based health insurance premiums have increased 100 percent, compared to cumulative inflation of 24 percent and cumulative wage growth of 21 percent during the same period.
Health insurance expenses are the fastest growing cost component for employers. Unless something changes dramatically, health insurance costs will overtake profits by 2000.
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research and Educational Trust, premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance in the United States have been rising four times faster on average than worker's earnings since 2000.
The average employee contribution to company-provided health insurance has increase more than 143 percent since 2000. Average out-of-pocket costs for deductible, co-payments for medications, and co-insurance for physician and hospital visits rose 115 percent during the same period.
The percentage of Americans under age 65 whose family-level out -of-pocket spending for health care, including health insurance, that exceeds $2000 a year rose from 37.3 percent in 1996 to 43.1 percent in 2003-a 16 percent increase.
The annual premium that a health insurer charges an employer for a health plan covering a family of four averaged $12,100 in 2007. The annual premiums for family coverage significantly eclipsed the gross earnings for a full-time, minimum wage worker ($10,712).
Workers are now paying $1400 more in premiums annually for family coverage than they did in 2000.
Since 2000, employment-based health insurance premiums have increased 100 percent, compared to cumulative inflation of 24 percent and cumulative wage growth of 21 percent during the same period.
Health insurance expenses are the fastest growing cost component for employers. Unless something changes dramatically, health insurance costs will overtake profits by 2000.
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research and Educational Trust, premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance in the United States have been rising four times faster on average than worker's earnings since 2000.
The average employee contribution to company-provided health insurance has increase more than 143 percent since 2000. Average out-of-pocket costs for deductible, co-payments for medications, and co-insurance for physician and hospital visits rose 115 percent during the same period.
The percentage of Americans under age 65 whose family-level out -of-pocket spending for health care, including health insurance, that exceeds $2000 a year rose from 37.3 percent in 1996 to 43.1 percent in 2003-a 16 percent increase.
National Health Care Spending part two
1. In 2007, health care spending in the United States reached $2.3 TRILLION, and was projected to reach $3 TRILLION in 2011. Health Care spending is projected to reach $4 TRILLION by 2016.
2. Health care spending is 4.3 times the amount spent on the national defense.
3. In 2005, the United States spent 16 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) on health care. I is projected that the percentage will reach 20 percent by 2016.
4. Although nearly $47 million Americans are uninsured, the United States spends more on health care than other industrialized nations, and those countries provide health insurance to all their citizens.
5. Health care spending accounted for 10.9 percent of the GDP in Switzerland, 10.7 percent in Germany, 9.7 percent in Canada and 9.5 percent in France, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
I had intended to do this is four parts but it may be a bit more and next will address the Employer and Employee Health Insurance Costs, stay tuned, peace Margie
2. Health care spending is 4.3 times the amount spent on the national defense.
3. In 2005, the United States spent 16 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) on health care. I is projected that the percentage will reach 20 percent by 2016.
4. Although nearly $47 million Americans are uninsured, the United States spends more on health care than other industrialized nations, and those countries provide health insurance to all their citizens.
5. Health care spending accounted for 10.9 percent of the GDP in Switzerland, 10.7 percent in Germany, 9.7 percent in Canada and 9.5 percent in France, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
I had intended to do this is four parts but it may be a bit more and next will address the Employer and Employee Health Insurance Costs, stay tuned, peace Margie
Monday, July 7, 2008
Facts on Health Care Costs
This is what my boss grant Born gave to us in our Monday morning meeting to help us understand what is happening in the health care crisis so that we can help all of you more efficiently;
By several measures, health care spending continues to rise at the fastest rate in our history. In 2007, total national expenditures were expected to rise 6.9 percent -two times the rate of inflation. Total spending was $2.3 TRILLION in 2007, or $7600 per person. Total health care spending represented 16 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP).
U.S. health care spending is expected to increase at similar levels for the next decade reaching $4.2 TRILLION in 2016, or 20 percent of GDP.
In 2007, employer health insurance premiums increased by 6.1 percent-two times the rate of inflation. The annual premium for an employer for single coverage averaged over $4400.
Experts agree that out health care system is riddled with inefficiencies, excessive administrative expenses, inflated prices, poor management, and inappropriate care and health issuance for employers and workers and affect the security of families!
Stay tuned for part two of this four part series on health care and what you need to know to protect yourself.
By several measures, health care spending continues to rise at the fastest rate in our history. In 2007, total national expenditures were expected to rise 6.9 percent -two times the rate of inflation. Total spending was $2.3 TRILLION in 2007, or $7600 per person. Total health care spending represented 16 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP).
U.S. health care spending is expected to increase at similar levels for the next decade reaching $4.2 TRILLION in 2016, or 20 percent of GDP.
In 2007, employer health insurance premiums increased by 6.1 percent-two times the rate of inflation. The annual premium for an employer for single coverage averaged over $4400.
Experts agree that out health care system is riddled with inefficiencies, excessive administrative expenses, inflated prices, poor management, and inappropriate care and health issuance for employers and workers and affect the security of families!
Stay tuned for part two of this four part series on health care and what you need to know to protect yourself.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
