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Healthcare reform loses support from the elderly, chronically ill, and the disabled

8/12/2009 | Posted by Anonymous | Edit Post

As lawmakers went on their August recess, Americans from all sides of the political aisle had started debating on the merits of Pres. Barack Obama’s ambitious healthcare reform. Even though only a few legislators read the more than 1,000 pages of proposal to overhaul the medical insurance system whose budget constitutes a 6th of our economy, the administration had been rushing and pushing for changes that had been met with growing opposition.

The senior citizens, elderly, the handicapped and disabled are for a universal health care that is cheap. But they are up in arms against what they perceived to be a threat to their health and lives. Even with more than a trillion budget (contrary to Obama’s campaign promise that healthcare will be kept inexpensive,) the specter of rationing of services, prolonged waiting times in doctor’s offices, denial of certain medical tests and treatments, the weakening of America’s leadership in medical science, and the discrimination of the severely ill and those with disabilities are real issues that spark shouting matches in town meetings all over the country.

My Personal Experience

As a disabled with an unrelenting chronic medical condition, I have serious concerns about Obama’s healthcare proposal. Even with the current system, cost-cutting has already started. Presently, I am due for chemotherapy in New York, but my nurse told me, we have to hold-off because Medicare, our government insurance system, has not approved the treatment. In short, I am being denied access to a live-saving medical intervention. The disapproval is directly linked with cost-cutting and I need to appeal to justify my treatmen. Obviously, the denial is intrusive to medical wisdom and interferes with my doctor’s trained judgment. The delay in treatment it causes can surely jeopardize my health. So if this is happening to me now, how much more when the Obama’s proposal takes effect?

I worry for those who don’t know how to deal with the complexity of the current medical system. I'm apprehensive for us who'd be dictated by new rules that may shut-down apt treatment for the severely sick. The healthcare change will serve best if one is not sick, but when someone contracts a difficult health problem, the nightmare begins. From my experience, the sick is practically alone to negotiate the system in order to survive.

I was denied coverage of claims for certain medicines before and I had to dig deep into my pocket to pay for them. Scrimping on my budget, I had to buy additional medical insurances to supplement my coverage. Putting up medical claims is confusing and takes a lot of effort. Too much cost-cutting can lead to morbidities and deaths.

Questions Demanding Answers

Forty six (46) million people without insurance will be added in the system when Obama’s healthcare reform gets approved. How will America pay for them except from taxpayer’s money? In a socialistic bent, why will certain sectors of society pay more in favor of others? Why is personal responsibility not emphasized among us---giving priority to pay for one’s medical insurance, discouraging fraud, supporting medical tort reforms among others?

Do we have enough doctors and nurses who will take care of the newly insured? How can Obama assure there will be no lines in the ER and doctor's offices? On what basis will the sick be denied or approved of their diagnostics and treatments?

Who has the moral authority to select which patients deserve medical care over the other? Are the lives of the elderly any less important than the young as suggested by some of Obama’s radical healthcare planners?

How can the public trust Capitol Hill’s health experts when they demonstrate partisanship, show sharp adherence to their brand of morality and social agenda? Why is accountability in their decisions lacking?

Sen. Nancy Pelosi (California-Democrat) in criticizing those who oppose the healthcare plan immediately labeled them as “nazis” and "unAmerican." In her maturity, why can’t she engage in a rational, free and honest debate on the issues that will affect the people for generations?

Why do some administration officials like Obama and Pelosi rush the public to decide on the proposal just like the wishy-washy approval of the $787 financial bailouts of banks, housing and auto industries without the public’s understanding? These are some questions that aren’t satisfactorily answered by the administration who promised wild things during the past election.

As a result, in August 11, 2009, the Rasmussen poll has showed a precipitous drop in Obama’s approval---51 disapproved (with 37% strongly against) and 49 (with 30% strongly against) approved. This is expected to worsen as the real intent of his healthcare revamp is fully revealed to the public. In the meantime, the gnashing of the teeth is getting louder in limbo. (Photo Credits: Ben Heine; flikr Nurse; barack obama) =0=

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Labels: Barack Obama, controversy, disabled, elderly, handicap, Health, medical insurance, Medicare, poll, universal healthcare

Elderly parturient dies; leaves two toddlers as orphans

7/16/2009 | Posted by Anonymous | Edit Post

An elderly Spanish woman who went all the way to Los Angeles to have in-vitro fertilization and secure to be a single mom at age 66 died three years after--- leaving two innocent children without parents.

Sixty-nine (69) year-old, Cadiz-resident Maria del Carmen Bousada who was confident she would live long enough because her mother died in old age at 101, pursued her dream of motherhood in old age by selling her home for $59,000 to pay for the pregnancy and birth. It was unclear whether the "tumor" she suffered soon after the babies' delivery was related to the hormones she got to induce her pregnancy and perhaps contributed to her death.

Saying she was 55 years-old, she lied about her age in the fertility clinic in order to qualify for assisted pregnancy. Now, her brother sold her story to a TV outfit hoping to raise funds to support the orphaned children.

It is uncertain who will take care of Bousada’s hapless children, but before she died, the post-menopausal mom was contemplating of marrying a younger man to support her family.

The report brings a sorry note of how innocent people get entangled into self-serving plans of others. At 66, it is astonishing that a woman will opt to have children without enough safeguards for care, in case something horrible, like an unexpected death occurs.(Photo Credit: Celikins) =0=

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Labels: assisted pregnancy, elderly, ethics, fertility, in vitro fertilization, Maria del Carmen Bousada, moral values, multiple births, pregnancy, Spain, Totie Mesia

Fake Bus Stop for Confused Patients

9/14/2008 | Posted by Anonymous | Edit Post

In Dusseldorf, Germany, in front of a Benrath Senior Center is a fake bus stop designed for Alzheimer’s patients who may wander around wanting to go places. A bit heart-rending and funny, this idea became a solution for some confused patients suffering from memory loss who go astray on their intent to go home, visit friends or shop by themselves.

The bus stop with a yellow and green sign is something the patients recognize as a place they can take a ride. But the buses don’t really stop there. The oldies are often advised the bus comes later in the day and if they are invited for a coffee, most of them forget that they wanted to leave.

Richard Neureither, the director of the Benrath senior facility said, the fake bus stop which goes to nowhere is an effective way to rein over the patients with dementia and difficulty of remembering. The “trick” has been used by other senior facilities in the country. AARP Bulletin (09/08 Vol 49, no.7; Telegraph.co.uk (06//03/08) =0=

Labels: Alzheimer's, disabled, elderly, fake bus stop, Germany, Health, mental

The ageing population & the challenges ahead

9/13/2008 | Posted by Anonymous | Edit Post

After rising four-fold in 2006, the number of 100-year olds in Japan rose again from 28,395 to 36,276 (21.8%) at the end of September 2008. This increasing trend of centenarians, 86% of which are women, is a worldwide reflection of longer life expectancy attributable to improvements in health care, diet, exercise, and lifestyle. To date, the world’s known oldest person is Edna Parker, 115 years old who lives inn a nursing home in Indiana, USA.

274,000 American Centenarians by Year 2025

“The number of centenarians -- people who are 100 years or older -- in the United States has grown 60% since 1990, to about 61,000 people, and will continue to increase in coming decades, according to the Census Bureau. In another 10 years, the number will more than double to over 130,000 people, and it's expected to double yet again to 274,000 in 2025.”---Healthy Aging Center (WebMD)

WHO STATISTICS

Number of Doctors per Capita by Countries

Countries/ Doctor Nos./ (Doctor numbers per 1000 )
Europe (Advanced countries)
Belgium 46,268 (4.49)
Denmark 15,653 (2.93)
Finland 16,446 (3.16)
France 203,487 (3.37)
Germany 277,885 (3.37)
Ireland 11,141 (2.79)
Italy 241,000 (4.2)
Netherlands 50,854 (3.15)
Norway 14,200 (3.13)
Sweden 29,122 (3.28)
UK 133,641 (2.3)

North America
USA 730,801 (2.56)
Canada 66,583 (2.14)

Oceania-Asia PacificAustralia 47,875 (2.47)
NZ 9,027 (2.37)
Japan 251,889 (1.98)
S Korea 75,045 (1.57)
Malaysia 16,146 (0.7)
Philippines 44,287 (0.58)
NB: the doctor figures from different countries may be from different years- as reported to WHO. (Source: nofearSingapore.blogspot.com/02/20/07)

The decrease of birthrates in many industrialized countries and rising longevity, worry economic planners who foresee greater strain in health care and the social security system (SSS.) Demographers observe that more people marry late, want few or no children, and more are likely to devote greater time for their careers, finances, and preferred lifestyles. With expanding elderly population, more people will need doctor services and greater health care in the future.

The above is also true in the United States with the graying of the baby boomers and the rise of retirees. With a per capita expenditure of $5,711 (followed by France with $3,048,) there are about 46 million Americans without medical insurance coverage. Of these, about 11 million are illegal aliens, 15 million are eligible for state-sponsored Medicaid, but don’t apply, 15 million adults with children eligible for free insurance and 10 million childless adults. The number of medically uninsured Americans is about half the total population of the Philippines, a country also trying to fix its healthcare system.(Photo Credit: Koroko1; highschoolphotojournalist/bythekevichang)=0=

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Labels: ageing, elderly, France, Health, Japan, medical insurance, Medicine, Philippines, Population, social, social security, USA

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Healthcare reform loses support from the elderly, chronically ill, and the disabled

Elderly parturient dies; leaves two toddlers as orphans

Fake Bus Stop for Confused Patients

The ageing population & the challenges ahead

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