Hiatus
It has been awhile since I last posted. Now that I am done applying to graduate school and am close to wrapping up the semester I have more time to get back in the mix. And a lot has transpired in my absence.
9/11 Federal Trial of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed (KSM)
With the announcement that KSM will be tried in federal court in New York City, it is an apropos time to review the lens in which the Obama administration will be viewed leading up to the trial. This piece I wrote a few months ago sums it up.
Health Care Reform - Nationally Brewed, Locally Stewed
Earlier this week at the School of Nursing at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) the Health Policy Society, of which I am vice president, co-hosted a lecture entitled "Health Care Reform: From Four Unique Perspectives". It was moderated by Professor Carl Ameringer who has years of experience testifying before Congress on health policy issues and also has worked in the Maryland Attorney General's Office.
In addition, those invited to speak included: Professor Rick Mayes from the University of Richmond, Professor Marian Jones from the Wilder School at VCU, Professor Jennifer Mellor from the College of William and Mary, and Professor Larry Palmer from the William and Mary School of Law. The video of the lecture may be viewed here.
The Health Care Bill Simplified
This graphic by the New York Times simplifies what is actually in both bills that originated in the Senate and the House. Also, some are of the mindset that health care reform will not really have an effect even if passed. Not because the bill is ineffectual but because many aspects - but not all - are scheduled to be phased in over time. Ezra Klein does a superb job detailing the measures that will take place immediately once a bill is signed into law.
Klein lists 12 items:
1) Eliminating lifetime limits, and cap annual limits, on health-care benefits. In other words, if you get an aggressive cancer and your treatment costs an extraordinary amount, your insurer can't suddenly remind you that subparagraph 15 limited your yearly expenses to $30,000, and they're not responsible for anything above that.
2) No more rescissions.
3) Some interim help for people who have preexisting conditions, though the bill does not instantly ban discrimination on preexisting conditions.
4) Requiring insurers to cover preventive care and immunizations.
5) Allowing young adults to stay on their parent's insurance plan until age 26.
6) Developing uniform coverage documents so people can compare different insurance policies in an apples-to-apples fashion.
7) Forcing insurers to spend 80 percent of all premium dollars on medical care (75 percent in the individual market), thus capping the money that can go toward administration, profits, etc.
8) Creating an appeals process and consumer advocate for insurance customers.
9) Developing a temporary re-insurance program to help early retirees (folks over 55) afford coverage.
10) Creating an internet portal to help people shop for and compare coverage.
11) Miscellaneous administrative simplification stuff.
12) Banning discrimination based on salary (i.e., where a company that's not self-insured makes only some full-time workers eligible for coverage.
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