i suffer no illusions that this will be an easy process. it will be hard. but i also know that nearly a century after teddy roosevelt first called for reform, the cost of our health care has weighed down our economy and the conscience of our nation long enough. so let there be no doubt: health care reform cannot wait, it must not wait, and it will not wait another year."
the president's american recovery and reinvestment act protects health coverage for 7 million americans who lose their jobs through a 65 percent cobra subsidy to make coverage affordable.
the recovery act also invests $19 billion in computerized medical records that will help to reduce costs and improve quality while ensuring patients' privacy.
$1 billion for prevention and wellness to improve america's health and help to reduce health care costs;
$1.1 billion for research to give doctors tools to make the best treatment decisions for their patients by providing objective information on the relative benefits of treatments; and
$500 million for health workforce to help train the next generation of doctors and nurses.
guiding principles
president obama is committed to working with congress to pass comprehensive health reform in his first year in order to control rising health care costs, guarantee choice of doctor, and assure high-quality, affordable health care for all americans.
comprehensive health care reform can no longer wait. rapidly escalating health care costs are crushing family, business, and government budgets. employer-sponsored health insurance premiums have doubled in the last 9 years, a rate 3 times faster than cumulative wage increases. this forces families to sit around the kitchen table to make impossible choices between paying rent or paying health premiums. given all that we spend on health care, american families should not be presented with that choice. the united states spent approximately $2.2 trillion on health care in 2007, or $7,421 per person - nearly twice the average of other developed nations. americans spend more on health care than on housing or food. if rapid health cost growth persists, the congressional budget office estimates that by 2025, one out of every four dollars in our national economy will be tied up in the health system. this growing burden will limit other investments and priorities that are needed to grow our economy. rising health care costs also affect our economic competitiveness in the global economy, as american companies compete against companies in other countries that have dramatically lower health care costs.
the president has vowed that the health reform process will be different in his administration - an open, inclusive, and transparent process where all ideas are encouraged and all parties work together to find a solution to the health care crisis. working together with members of congress, doctors and hospitals, businesses and unions, and other key health care stakeholders, the president is committed to making sure we finally enact comprehensive health care reform.
the administration believes that comprehensive health reform should:
reduce long-term growth of health care costs for businesses and government
protect families from bankruptcy or debt because of health care costs
guarantee choice of doctors and health plans
invest in prevention and wellness
improve patient safety and quality of care
assure affordable, quality health coverage for all americans
maintain coverage when you change or lose your job
end barriers to coverage for people with pre-existing medical conditions
please visit www.healthreform.gov to learn more about the president's commitment to enacting comprehensive health reform this year.
maybe it's me but the word "reform" sparks more anxiety then it does hope for the future. i suppose only time will tell. though i must say i didn't appreciate that our president only included registered nurses in his estimation as "nurses" on the one video i have attached. perhaps i am just being too easily insulted but i worked to become a nurse as well even if that means i'm not a registered nurse. as well such is life...
Specializes in Case Management; Home Health; Hem/Onc;.
I'm not talking about working for free; I'm talking about removing the profitability from health care. I don't know how old you are but there was time when there was such a thing as a not-for-profit hospital. Everybody got care, everybody got paid; and not everybody was driving around in BMW's.
Specializes in telemetry, medsurg, homecare, psychiatry.
Perhaps speaking as a Canadian, I can shed some light on how I feel about how our Healthcare system has worked. I have worked and lived in the US, so I know both systems quite well. I want to start by saying, it is unfortunate for Americans who have no health insurance, or can't afford it. I have listenned to countless Americans who don't believe in the healthcare reform, simply because they do not think they should pay for someone else. In my opinion, the "corporate greed" has corrupted the American system, and has already cost Americans a lot of money, as well as their health. America's healthcare is nothing more than a business. Where phamaceutical companies have been permited to overprice their products, while buying the support of your government. All this at your expense. The care is good, but many times too aggressive. I have worked on units where there are too many doctors, too many drugs, too much experimentation, too many tests, too much intervention. This is definately not always the best. Not only is it expensive, but dangerous to patients. Each case is individual i suppose, but this is how i feel. I had two children in the US, and even with health insurance, I had bills. Sometimes, I would even be double billed.
Now, I will give my opinion on the Canadian Healthcare system. There has never been a day that goes by where I don't feel blessed to be a part of a country with a Health care system that takes care of me and my family. We don't worry about premiums, bills, deductables preexisting conditions, etc etc. We get sick we go to the doctor. We aren't perfect, but I guess we are still generally happy about the security. Our jobs don't secure our healthcare. We get injured on a job, and get workman's compensation. If we get another job, the new employer is NOT ALLOWED to ask us about previous compensation injuries.
Now, I know this is long and boring, but I strongly believe that everyone should be able to seek healthcare without the stress associated with paying bills. That is sooo wrong. That's the least Any country can do! If people aren't going to be treated for illness, then they can't work. How is the US economy suppost to better itself if people living in the US aren't taken care of, and given the opportunity to get well when they can't afford insurance. Wouldn't it make sense for the government to step in and control this "grand manopoly". Healthcare costs, and preexisting conditions clauses that continues to sabotage people and their families when life strikes them with unfortunate circumstances.
Thanks for listenning, and God Bless Everyone:nurse:
The U.S. was founded on the concept of self relaince and rugged individualism or as I like to call it Freedom. The economy works here because of capitalism and the idea that if you work hard and apply yourself you can achieve great things. Within the last four decades what we have is the people who are lazy or made poor choices in life living off the backs of the people that actually make this country work. The "frequent flyers" that are constantly dealt with in the ER are not productive members of society. Our taxes are generally lower than most countries (at least they should be). As far as our health care it may not be perfect but there are a lot of people from around the world including Canadian members of government that come down here for there care. Our cancer survival rates are higher than Canada and our wait times are much shorter. It's not corporate greed as you like to call it. It's the fact that we want to kkep more of what we earned instead of squandered on inefficient government and people who have no intention of bettering themselves or their country.
Perhaps speaking as a Canadian, I can shed some light on how I feel about how our Healthcare system has worked. I have worked and lived in the US, so I know both systems quite well. I want to start by saying, it is unfortunate for Americans who have no health insurance, or can't afford it. I have listenned to countless Americans who don't believe in the healthcare reform, simply because they do not think they should pay for someone else. In my opinion, the "corporate greed" has corrupted the American system, and has already cost Americans a lot of money, as well as their health. America's healthcare is nothing more than a business. Where phamaceutical companies have been permited to overprice their products, while buying the support of your government. All this at your expense. The care is good, but many times too aggressive. I have worked on units where there are too many doctors, too many drugs, too much experimentation, too many tests, too much intervention. This is definately not always the best. Not only is it expensive, but dangerous to patients. Each case is individual i suppose, but this is how i feel. I had two children in the US, and even with health insurance, I had bills. Sometimes, I would even be double billed.
Now, I will give my opinion on the Canadian Healthcare system. There has never been a day that goes by where I don't feel blessed to be a part of a country with a Health care system that takes care of me and my family. We don't worry about premiums, bills, deductables preexisting conditions, etc etc. We get sick we go to the doctor. We aren't perfect, but I guess we are still generally happy about the security. Our jobs don't secure our healthcare. We get injured on a job, and get workman's compensation. If we get another job, the new employer is NOT ALLOWED to ask us about previous compensation injuries.
Now, I know this is long and boring, but I strongly believe that everyone should be able to seek healthcare without the stress associated with paying bills. That is sooo wrong. That's the least Any country can do! If people aren't going to be treated for illness, then they can't work. How is the US economy suppost to better itself if people living in the US aren't taken care of, and given the opportunity to get well when they can't afford insurance. Wouldn't it make sense for the government to step in and control this "grand manopoly". Healthcare costs, and preexisting conditions clauses that continues to sabotage people and their families when life strikes them with unfortunate circumstances.
Thanks for listenning, and God Bless Everyone:nurse:
I am not sure what Republican statement you are referring to.. I have not heard it, however, assuming that it was said in that way I too find it disturbing.. As I said in another post, we (being our legislators) need to stop this assinine behavior and start doing what is correct for the American Public and not what is in the best interest of a selected few.
"DEFINITELY NOT for this huge bill no one has read and is trying to stuff down our throats. I want to KNOW all the specifics. Then I will decide to revolt against or truly support." quote from JOPACURN's post
Jo: any time you want to know what the revision of health care that has been submitted, is about, go to http:http://www.DHHS.gov about 3rd down the list
It's all there, and I hope you'll read it and support it.
You are absolutely correct... The moneymongers ( the Doctors that spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on schooling and many are still paying for the tab) will leave... What do you suppose that will do to the healthcare system?? And as far as nurses go... Go to a nursing school and do a poll, I am willing to bet that at bare minimum, half say they are getting into healthcare for money and security of a job that is not leaving the country... I am certain that when you take away the money, and increase the duties (as it is inevitably going to happen) many of those fine would be nurses will chose other careers... What do you suppose will happen with patient care?
I agree... If you are not paid for your efforts... You would be a volunteer, and there are so many long term and hospice care centers that need volunteers that are in healthcare for the satisfaction of taking care of people rather than making a living.
Thanks for the clarification.... I am sure, Canadians, like Americans do not all agree about the healthcare system... I can tell you that in the Nursing Schools here (Medical Law and Ethics Classes) they use canadian policy as an example of what cannot happen... One very specific, is the number of deaths of patients waiting for open heart surgery that end up passing away before there turn is up... But again.. Thanks for the clarification.
Again, where is the idea that nurses won't make money if healthcare is reformed? VA nurses are compensated adequately for their work, they do not work for the sheer joy of it. It's a disingenuous argument.
I agree that the profitability needs to be removed... That being said, why would you suppose the drug manufactures support such a plan that threatens to limit that profitability?
Why? Because the FDA is run by the Government that is making the change... If I were a drug company, I would be forced to weigh my options or making less money or never getting another drug approved for the market (which in the end, leads to people in need not getting a potential life saving medication).
The true bottom line is that our lawmakers have created a circle that is never ending and we are stuck in the middle waiting to see what happens..
What is the average pay scale for Virginia Nurses? What are their current job requirements? When you say adequately is that in comparison to the cost of living? In many parts of the country, $15.00/hr is adequate but the cost of living allows for it, in other parts where gasoline is already nearing $3.00 a gallon and a gallon of milk is almost $3.00 or a loaf of bread is $2.50 then $15.00/hr for a family is inadequate.
NVRNCCM
8 Posts
I'm not talking about working for free; I'm talking about removing the profitability from health care. I don't know how old you are but there was time when there was such a thing as a not-for-profit hospital. Everybody got care, everybody got paid; and not everybody was driving around in BMW's.