Uninsured patients increase in number....

[HM2VikingRN]

from the census bureau.

income climbs, poverty stabilizes, uninsured rate increases

real median household income in the united states rose by 1.1 percent between 2004 and 2005, reaching $46,326, according to a report released today by the u.s. census bureau. meanwhile, the nation's official poverty rate remained statistically unchanged at 12.6 percent. the percentage of people without health insurance coverage rose from 15.6 percent to 15.9 percent (46.6 million people).

these findings are contained in the income, poverty, and health insurance coverage in the united states: 2005 [pdf] report. the report's data were compiled from information collected in the 2006 annual social and economic supplement (asec) to the current population survey (cps).

the trend lines are disturbing for both wages and access to health insurance.

[pickledpepperRN]

With national healthcare such as propose as "Medicare part V for Vets" for everyone people wouldn't have to choose between working or disability.

A friend with CP moved to Canada so she can work. She has been productive working in a hospital laundry for 40 years.

In the states she would be on SSI

I used to work at the VA too. The problems with people hospitalized for weeks and months was real. Many were on the med/surg unit who could have gone home if someone were there to care for them.

BUT my uncle was an outpatient and in my opinion lived longer with an excellent quality of life because of the care he received at the VA. A bus went from town to town taking them to their monthly appointment. He got education, teaching, hearing aides, and wonderful caregivers who laughed at his humor.

Yes, many were interns and even medical students.

Every VA is different. His opinion was that since so many WWII vets were still alive they could afford to care for them. Gulf war vets are getting the run around. They are dying too. Still I see some excellent care at the VA where I volunteer.

Household incomes rose from 2004 to 2005, but earnings fell among full- timers, the agency says. The ranks of uninsured grew by 1.3 million

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-poverty30aug30,0,3581819.story?coll=la-home-nation

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/opinion/15430540.htm

[rninme]

A society is only as strong as it's weakest link....don't know who said it first. We, as a nation, rank somewhere around dead last among the industrialized nations in healthcare for our citizens. What does this say about us as a country? We can build bombs but we can't build free clinics?? We can help other countries (not that helping others is wrong) but we can't help the people in need in our own backyards??

Some of the judgemental attitudes I've seen on this particular thread really bother me. I don't think anyone CHOOSES to be homeless or go without basic medical care. No one DESERVES it. No one member of society has greater value than another....JMOHO. I'm going to post this...and then sign off this thread before I end up smacking someone.

[Markthemalenurse]

And BTW, most of the uninsured here in the U.S. are the working poor- many of them with 2 or more part time jobs, where benefits aren't offered or aren't affordable. The problem is more complex than people just choosing to be uninsured.:yeahthat:

Not only that, some of the jobs that do offer insurance charge a riduclose (SP) co-pay. The one place I worked at was charging the workers 240.00 a month for insurance and I was only making 7.00 an hour. Plus the co-pays for the PCP and medications was a killer. I kept the insurance for a few months but had to drop it becuase my bills weren't getting paid and my family was hungry.

[Plagueis]

One thing that I noticed in one of the links for this report was the threshold for poverty. For a family of four, it is $19,971. That amount seems very low to me. That means that a family of four that earns, say, $21,000 per year is not considered at the "poverty level." I don't know how any family with two kids could live on that low amount, and not be considered poor. This state (NJ) does offer insurance for kids, but parents can't be covered if they earn more than the poverty level. There are many jobs around here that have people who work hard (grocery store, department store), but don't offer health insurance. I don't know what parents or single people do if they become sick.

[emsrn1970]

The only thing that has helped poverty was welfare reform that Clintonhad to be dragged kicking and screming to sign. Our current system is only broken because too many people are at the trough and only a few to pay for it. It amazes me that people scream about all these social problems that are broken or antiquated, but talk about reforming a filed program like social security and people are up in arms about it. We don't need a single payer system in this country we need people that will actually pay their hospital bills and not utilize emergency rooms for primary care.

The war on poverty was working. Poverty rates dropped to about 8% during the 70's but increased back up to about 12% with the "deforms" started during the Reagan years. The war on Poverty actually started during the Depression. Our current system is broken and in need of a serious overhaul towards at a minimum universal access but preferably single payer.

[pickledpepperRN]

emsrn1970:

What country are you in?

[pickledpepperRN]

Governor Schwarzenegger Announces Veto of Government-Run Health Care System

http://gov.ca.gov/index.php?/press-release/3751/

---------------------------------------------------------

Senator Kuehl Criticizes Governor's Planned Veto of Universal Healthcare

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

http://democrats.sen.ca.gov/templates/SDCTemplate.asp?a=6092&z=144&cp=PressRelease&pg=article&fpg=senpressreleases&sln=Kuehl&sdn=23

[PANurseRN1]

emsrn1970:

What country are you in?

I noticed that too.

[HM2VikingRN, RN]

Has anyone researched Ahnulds political contribution list? I would be willing to bet that PHRMA has dumped a pile of cash in his campaign fund. If I lived in CA I know that I would vote for Angelides.

[ZASHAGALKA, RN]

I guess it makes no sense to argue, in this day and age when the Constitution is a mere concept and not the actual founding of our law, to state that the Federal Gov't has no Constituional Power to enact national healthcare and that the 10th Amendment specifically forbids it from exercising Powers not specifically granted it.

The REASON why Congress has only limited, enumerated powers was to keep it from meddling in our lives. I neither want nor need such meddling. I don't see how lowering healthcare to the lowest common denominator is either Constituional or wise.

As such, requiring those that DO work to provide for those that DON'T is an unConstituional theft of not only the fiduciary nature, but of Power.

Or, as JFK once said, 'Ask not what your Country can do for you, but what you can do for your Country'.

When you take away individual responsibilities, you also take away individual rights. I just can't see the benefit of a gov't that coins the term, "Who's your Daddy" for itself.

~faith,

Timothy.

[pickledpepperRN]

The post above yours is for a STATE law. BUT I do have some questions.

Does the Constitution give the President the right to ignore a law he signed?

Does the Constitution provide for the Supreme Court to interfere with a state counting ballots thus electing a President by one vote?

WHO should be denied healthcare?

Have we been at war since WWII?

[HM2VikingRN, RN]

we the people of the united states, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this constitution for the united states of america.

article i

section 8. the congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the united states; but all duties, imposts and excises shall be uniform throughout the united states;

to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by this constitution in the government of the united states, or in any department or officer thereof.

congress would be acting within its constitutional authority if it established a single payer health system. as i see it the constitution was written for protection of the people not just corporations. no one person can go it alone. as a society we have to work together to make things better if we are to succeed over the long run. if we view society as only a series of competing groups without obligation to establishment of the common good and shared sacrifice we are then building a house divided against itself. i think it was jim hightower's father who said "everybody does better when everybody does better." health care is a matter of long-term national prosperity and defense. it is time to build a better system for the benefit of all americans. doing nothing is not an option.