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...
we promote the idea of lively debate. this means you are free to disagree with anyone on any type of subject matter as long as your criticism is constructive and polite
creating a caricature rather than presenting reality.
following these simple, logical guidelines may not make for tantalizing discourse but it will empower you to hold your own in an intellectual debate with just about anyone
Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.
back to our topic: what the president and the ana says about our health care "reform"
tis extremely important that we have a seat at the table in this debate as nurses are the largest segment of health care providers.1 how this legislation is crafted will affect those who are direct providers: advanced practice rn's who bill for services and those who are indirect providers: lpn and rn employees in health care settings and educational institutions.
this consensus statement from the nursing community outlines six principles accompanied by specific policy recommendations and has been endorsed by 40 national nursing organizations. these principles, and the recommendations supporting them, illustrate the steps congress should take to fully recognize and acknowledge the nursing profession’s role in achieving the goals our country seeks in healthcare reform.
includes
recommendation:
address retention of nurses in acute care settings by ensuring that
hospitals establish valid, reliable, and adjustable unit-by-unit nurse staffing plans, that tie
staffing to quality outcomes, with direct input of nursing staff and based on each area's
unique characteristics and needs.
recommendation:
continue to request and obtain timely and comprehensive data from
agencies such as the bureau of labor statistics, the center for medicare and medicaid
services (cms), hrsa, the institute of medicine (iom) and the national science
foundation that accurately depict the demographics of the nursing population, current
shortages, and high-growth practice areas.
the american nurses association has advocated for universal access to health care for decades, demonstrated by its early support for the medicare and medicaid programs in the 1960s. its 1991 publication, nursing’s agenda for health care reform, 2,3 pre-dated the clinton health reform plan. ana continues its role as a leading advocate of meaningful healthcare reform that ensures access to high-quality, affordable health care for all people in the united states.
in this key policy document, the american nurses association outlines what it sees as the essential components to consider in reforming the u.s. healthcare system—access, cost, quality and workforce.
ana's principles of health system reform
the current fragmented and costly u.s. healthcare system is in a state of crisis and stands as evidence of the futility of patchwork approaches to health system reform.
health care is a basic human right – all people are entitled to ready access to affordable, high-quality healthcare services. care should not be conditioned on income, job status, health status, geographic location, race, gender, ethnicity or any other "qualifier."
a restructured healthcare system must ensure that everyone has access to a standard package of essential healthcare services.
accessible, affordable and high-quality health care will strengthen our health as individuals and our collective society’s well-being and productivity.
an adequate supply of registered nurses is necessary for an effective and affordable healthcare system. the impact of the current nursing shortage will intensify as aging baby boomers place increased demands on the system. advanced practice registered nurses must be utilized to expand access to high-quality primary care.
the six institute of medicine (iom) standards for a quality healthcare system - safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient and equitable – must be pillars of any comprehensive reform proposal.
the nation must increase its investment in community-based primary care, wellness and prevention services, as well as chronic disease management, to reduce the need for more costly and technology-driven emergency, medical and surgical treatments in hospitals.
reform must reduce the rate of healthcare cost growth in the long term. a public health insurance plan will provide a coverage option and help control costs. ultimately, a single-payer healthcare system is the most desirable financing mechanism
ana's recent activities on healthcare reform available here
want to have most up -to date info on this debate? consider joining ana's healthcare reform team
as a team member you'll get updates on the latest action from members of congress.
by adding your voice, you can have an impact on the most important legislation to shape healthcare and our profession for the next 25+ years.
I think another valid suggestion would be open up an interstate insurance exchange. Currently you can only get health insurance for the state where you live. Imagine if corporations could offer insurance policies across the nation that were not state specific. Costs would be lowered in the capitalisitic competition market; not because of government interventions. This wouldn't cost a dime to anybody.
Why hasn't this happened? I think because the lawyers in charge don't want it to happen.
Congress could simply change the federal tax code to give individuals and families tax relief for the purchase of health insurance regardless of where they work so that they can buy and own the coverage they want at competitive prices. In other words, by changing the tax code, Congress could take a dramatic step to creating a real, consumer-driven health insurance market. Going even further, if Congress allowed interstate commerce in health insurance—letting individuals and families to buy coverage across state lines from any state in the United States—it would create a single national market for insurance coverage. In this large market, with large health insurance pools, individuals and families would own and control their own health insurance. These reforms would create a robust system of consumer choice and competition.
Can any of you that support Obama's takeover of the health care sector tell me how exactly you lower our deficits by adding millions to a government entitlement program? Or how you lower costs while still providing excellent care? Have you ever heard of anyone in this country being denied care due to lack of insurance? We have the best healthcare in the world for a reason. Yes, there are things that can be changed, but we shouldn't ruin it all together. One way to lower costs is to get government out of it. The sub-prime mortgage mess is an excellent example of how the government creates more problems than it solves. Also, take a look at the VA, Medicare, medicaid and the IHS to see what government run health care is all about. It stinks!
People who oppose healthcare reform do not care about the American in the street. They are representing vested interest. Rush Limbaugh does not have to worry about health care. He is made. Ask joe blow who lost his job and his doctor in one pen stroke.
Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.
obviously, post #36 by nrskarenrn was ignored:
debates
we promote the idea of lively debate. this means you are free to disagree with anyone on any type of subject matter as long as your criticism is constructive and polite
Is it the belief that a lack of support for the proposed health care reform is a lack of support for any healthcare reform? I am a conservative believing nurse. Yes, that is what I said. I am a conservative and also a nurse. Hard to find much company I must say. I would like to see access increased in healthcare but I disagree with the ANA position statement of a single payer system. Also, there have been comments made regarding the "profit motive" as being at the root of all evils in healthcare. I disagree but the obvious point to make is that there are a multitude of non-profit healthcare systems currently in existence. Medicare and Medicaid are significantly flawed. I would not like to see them abolished but have little faith in government run institutions to ferret out inefficiencies, waste, and fraud. Please, someone point out a government run benefits program that has resulted in lower costs and increased efficiencies, perhaps then I could consider what is being proposed, until them, I am in the - we can fix what we have without demolishing the whole thing camp. I say no to government run healthcare reform.
Is it the belief that a lack of support for the proposed health care reform is a lack of support for any healthcare reform? I am a conservative believing nurse. Yes, that is what I said. I am a conservative and also a nurse. Hard to find much company I must say. I would like to see access increased in healthcare but I disagree with the ANA position statement of a single payer system. Also, there have been comments made regarding the "profit motive" as being at the root of all evils in healthcare. I disagree but the obvious point to make is that there are a multitude of non-profit healthcare systems currently in existence. Medicare and Medicaid are significantly flawed. I would not like to see them abolished but have little faith in government run institutions to ferret out inefficiencies, waste, and fraud. Please, someone point out a government run benefits program that has resulted in lower costs and increased efficiencies, perhaps then I could consider what is being proposed, until them, I am in the - we can fix what we have without demolishing the whole thing camp. I say no to government run healthcare reform.
Welcome to all nurses.
The ANA supports the administration's Public Option plan. This will introduce a new choice in the health care market place. If these private insurance companies are so good, they should be able to compete. You also have the choice to enroll in whatever you want.
Conservatives keep bringing up Medicare into this argument and I don't understand why. I suppose its an easy target. But you just have to dig a little deeper to see that Medicare isn't at all similar to a nation wide option.
Medicare's population cohort is 65 years old and over and people who have total disability. These people are our most needy citizens - of course they will use more services than say the population cohort of Blue Cross. After all, Medicare doesn't get to deny everyone who won't be profitable like private insurance does.
I'd like congress to experience life without health insurance coverage, while they are determining whether or not revision should occur, and how it should occur. Then they'd have the experience that President Obama had when his mother was dying of cancer, and that of the 47,000,000 other Americans (that figure does not include illegal aliens).
They could be offered the chance to participate in a pilot study of being included in the revised public plan (maybe half of them, with the other half as a "control" group). That would probably move things along faster......
In case you didn't know......guess who has their insurance benefits managed by PRIVATE insurance companies. Your Congressmen and women.....all of them.
I guess Congress thinks private healthcare is a bit better than what the government offers. Think about it!
In case you didn't know......guess who has their insurance benefits managed by PRIVATE insurance companies. Your Congressmen and women.....all of them.
I guess Congress thinks private healthcare is a bit better than what the government offers. Think about it!
That might be true, IFthey had another option - that of getting government FUNDED healthcare.
Since that option doesn't exist for the private or public sectors, who work for more than adequate money to fund their health insurance premiums for managment of their health care (I don't know if the government pays the entire premium of members of congress - the house and senate), or if those individual representatives of the people (most of whom must pay at least a part of the premium for their family's health care) do pay at least a part of their premiums.
NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN
10 Articles; 19,199 Posts
:typing
terms of service