Rob's Rant - March 4 & 5

Turning "Sickcare" into "Healthcare"

"The news plus my side of the story"


What a weekend, I came down with the flue and was not able to attend the healthcare forum here in LA. I do encourage those in the up coming cities to attend and voice your opinion. My rant machine is also running SLOW - brain just working like it normally does. I would like to thank everyone who has been sharing my "Rant" with friends. All I can say, keep it up because it is working, My subscriber ship is exploding all because you care. If you have not shared me with your friends, please do - WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!


The Mythology of Health Care Reform

Rob's Rant - MIKE GETS IT - It makes my day when I read an article and someone GETS IT. Cato is right on. Cato even gets the fact that POOR LIFESTYLE choices and a disconnected consumer are the leading causes of INCREASING COST IN HEALTHCARE.

Friday, March 03, 2006
By Michael Tanner

Health care is once again moving to the top of the national political agenda. The early evidence is that this debate will be dominated by misinformation and misconceptions. Advocates of a government-run, national health-care system will do everything they can to frighten Americans and discredit consumer-directed health care. But we would be advised to look at the facts and not the scare tactics.The Claim: The U.S. spends too much on health care. FULL STORY

Nearly $1 Billion Held in Health Savings Accounts, ICDC Reports

WASHINGTON, March 3 /PRNewswire/ -- In just two years, Americans have banked nearly $1 billion in tax-advantaged health savings accounts (HSAs), according to data gathered by Inside Consumer-Directed Care (ICDC) newsletter and reported in its Feb. 24 issue. The estimates are based on financial data provided by more than 60 financial firms including JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo and The Principal Financial Group. FULL STORY

Medical bankruptcies report challenged

Rob's Rant - Could the initial report be just another case where figures never lie but liars can always figure? The sad part is the fact that the damage has been done and reported. This new report will get no coverage so the TRUTH is irrelevant because every one has taken the first report as TRUTH.

February 28, 2006

WASHINGTON --A report that expensive illnesses lead to nearly half of all personal bankruptcies is being challenged by researchers who looked at the same data and concluded that such costs lead to fewer than one in five bankruptcies. FULL STORY


HSAs are far from a cure-all - Plans are getting big push from Bush

Rob's Rant - Hats off the Julius, as he has laid out the best evaluation I have seen from a reporter regarding the benefits of HSAs. One thing he did forget was the change in lifestyle habits. Consumers now get to benefit financially if they lead a healthy lifestyle. A healthy lifestyle will allow for accumulation of savings that can be used when the unexpected happens. The problem today, we have stacked the cards against us by the fact that we do what we want, when we want with no regard to the consequences.

By JULIUS A. KARASH
The Kansas City Star
Amy Corn of Lee’s Summit thought a health savings account would help her build a nest egg. So two years ago, at age 29 and in good health, the self-employed real estate agent began socking away tax-free savings in an HSA after choosing a high-deductible insurance plan to go with it. FULL STORY

Healthy, wealthy may get most out of health-savings accounts - For some, proposal would create 'mother of all tax shelters'

Rob's Rant - Steve Bankler is AN IDIOT and must not be able to ad. Figures never lie, but liars can always figure. I get so sick when I here the liberals say that HSAs are for the healthy and the wealthy and not for the sick and the poor. First, the poor just might not be so poor if they were given the financial benefits they have been paying for all these years. Instead their benefits have been going to a group of health Insurance companies who in turn pay out HUGE SUMS in dividends. I have shown time and time again that a DIABETICS would be better off with an HSA than a TRADITIONAL PPO. We have to rememeber the HMO now only covers 25% of the insured and PPOs the rest. What really makes me mad is the fact that Americans think diabetes can not be cured and has to be MANAGED. What a joke - the only reason we have this attitude is companies ARE MAKING BILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF PROFIT FROM cronic DISEASE MANAGEMENT. HSAs GO TO the heart for the problem - DEMAND. The HSA puts an incentive to GET THE FAT OFF AND STOP RELYING ON SICKCARE TO STAY ALIVE. Secondly, all critics and supporters evaluating HSA qualified high deductible plan vs a standard PPO must be done using the CashDoctor.com HSA evaluation formulas:

Premium evaluation: X (QHDP PPO Premium) + Y (HSA Savings) = Z (Traditional PPO Premium)

Annual exposure evaluation: X (HDQP premium + MAX out of pocket) + Y (Consumer Directed Healthcare benefit) = Z (Traditional PPO + MAX out of pocket)

The HSA even works for those who can not control what they eat (the the majority of diabeties is a result of what we eat) because the diabetic can use all pre-taxed dollars to support their drug habits. WARNING - We can not continue with a system that encourages reckless lifestyles. I do not care who is paying for the bill, if the consumer has no accountability, our system will crash into the ground regardless who is driving. Ted Kennedy is DEAD WRONG when he looks to Canada for solutions and should make my IDIOTS HEALTHCARE HALL OF FAME. He needs to watch dead meat and read this RANT to see what actually is going on in Canada.

BLOOMBERG NEWS
Friday, March 3, 2006
WASHINGTON

President Bush's proposal to expand health-savings accounts, intended to help contain spiraling medical costs, may prove a tax-free boon for the nation's rich. FULL STORY

Cheaper health plans grow in popularity

Rob's Rant - If you do not have one, or you do not recommend them to your clients - YOU WILL SOON!

By Cristina Rodriguez
crodriguez@gannett.com
March 5, 2006

Many companies are flocking to health savings accounts, now the center of public praise and scrutiny after President Bush promoted them in his State of the Union address. FULL STORY
http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060305/NEWS05/603030364/1064


Nelson protests drug policy - He says seizures of prescription drugs from Canada are a White House ploy.

Tamara Lytle
Washington Bureau Chief
March 2, 2006

WASHINGTON -- A U.S. Customs policy to step up seizures of prescription drugs from Canada is raising protests in Congress and allegations from Sen. Bill Nelson that it might be a ploy by the Bush administration to force Americans into the new Medicare prescription-drug plan. FULL STORY
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/health/orl-canadadrugs0206mar02,0,1021259.story?coll=orl-health-headlines


Health plan lifts the veil on charges
List of doctor, hospital prices is most extensive available
By GUY BOULTON
gboulton@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Feb. 23, 2006

More than 44,000 people in a new health plan now have access to the most extensive information made public to date on what hospitals and doctors in the Milwaukee area charge. FULL STORY
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=403820


Hospital checkups - Patients can shop for care the way they do for cars

Rob's Rant - Cashdoctor.com was right when we set out over three years ago to get hospitals to post their prices on the internet.....

12:00 AM CST on Sunday, March 5, 2006
By BOB MOOS / The Dallas Morning News
Patients are beginning to give hospitals a checkup. Most of the nation's hospitals have started measuring the quality of their care and reporting the information to government agencies and private groups that collect it, verify it and post it on the Internet. FULL STORY
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/DN-hospitalquality_05bus.ART.State.Edition1.3ed904b.html


Shopping List: Bread, Batteries, Health Exam ...

Rob's Rant - B.J Miller just does not get it. No one pays for full service at the gas station anymore, why in that be the case in healthcare? Americans have advocated their responsibly of maintaining their bodies and we are paying the price. Lifestyles in this country will change and it better be sooner than later. Now that Pandora's box is open, we can never close it. In store clinics are here today and will be here in the future in some form or another. Like any change, the original model may not survive, but a derivative will. Look at the banks, dry cleaners and even the starbucks that are in retail outlets. Everyone thought this would fail and some did, but many survived and are growing. CHANGE IS GOOD for consumers and bad for those make huge profits off of the old way.

BY MARILYN MUCH
INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY
Posted 3/3/2006
Not long ago you had two choices if you fell sick on a weekend: suffer through it, or endure the hassle and inconvenience of an emergency room. That's changing with the rise of clinics located in retail chains such as Wal-Mart Stores, (WMT) Target (TGT) and CVS. (CVS) The clinics are operated in partnership with companies that run health care centers. FULL STORY
http://www.investors.com/editorial/IBDArticles.asp?artsec=22&issue=200600302


The hospital price riddle

By Marion Davis
Staff Writer

Call it the $5 aspirin syndrome. For reasons that even hospital CEOs can be hard-pressed to explain, the gap between what it costs to treat a hospital patient and what shows up on the bill can be astronomical. And what hospitals are actually paid – well, that’s a whole other story. A 2004 R.I. Department of Health report shows that the actual cost behind every $1 charged by Rhode Island hospitals ranged from 95 cents at Bradley Hospital, to just under 30 cents at The Miriam Hospital (13 of the 14 institutions’ costs were under 57 cents). FULL STORY
http://www.pbn.com/contentmgr/showdetails.php/id/119818


Consumer - driven crossroads: Employers grapple with the best consumer-driven path to take

Leah Carlson Shepherd & Tom Anderson
Employee Benefit News • March 2006

Last year many employers answered the question, "What is consumer-driven health care?"
For some, consumer-driven health care meant fully replacing their health benefits with high-deductible plans and health savings accounts. Others gave employees a choice between HSAs, health reimbursement arrangements and traditional health plans. Still others didn't adopt HSAs or HRAs, but kept their traditional plans and used online tools to help employees select health care providers based on price and quality. FULL STORY
http://www.benefitnews.com/detail.cfm?id=8689


Constitutional health care amendment advances in Senate

Rob' Rant - I would be scared to live in Minnesota. Politicians can not balance a check book, how would they determine what is affordable and how would they pay for a promise that has no budget. They all get it wrong because the fact that people can change their habits because of their life environment is not calculated in to the equation. Just look at the growth of OBESITY under MANAGED CARE - up 300%. With all the diets in the world, we are getting fatter and fatter by the day. FREE first dollar coverage under any system will fail. Secondly, every doctor and hospital better run for the hills because is we do not control poor lifestyle habits, then we will have to PAY LESS FOR SERVICES and ration the amount of services delivered in order to maintain a BUDGET. Otherwise, politicians could throw the budget idea out and access the taxpayers every year a variable tax associated with the cost of healthcare from the year before - NOT! I can say this - WE HAVE AN EXPANDING PROBLEM ACROSS THIS NATION AND EVERYONE NEEDS TO LOOK DOWN, IF YOU CAN NOT SEE YOUR FEET, NON THE LESS BEND OVER AND TOUCH YOUR TOES, THERE LIES THE PROBLEM.

A DFL backed proposal to amend the state constitution to include a right to affordable health care is advancing through the Senate. FULL STORY
http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=119912


Lawmakers seek solutions for childhood obesity

Rob's Praise - Across the nation, communities are looking for a solution to our EXPANDING PROBLEM. All I can say is look in your REFRIGERATOR, YOUR PANTRY, AND ON YOUR DINNER TABLE and remember the old computer phrase "garbage in garbage out" our bodies are no different. The problem to day is the fact that we do not know and do not care what we put into our bodies. I praise any effort by our communities to improve the quality of our health for our children even if it means legislating our schools serve HEALTHY FOOD. Kids will eat good food when they are HUNGRY! Join my campaign to JUNK THE JUNK FOOD!

GRAND BLANC
THE FLINT JOURNAL FIRST EDITION
Friday, March 03, 2006
By Shantell M. Kirkendoll
skirkendoll@flintjournal.com • 810.766.6366

GRAND BLANC - Being a chubby kid is no joke unless you're Fat Albert. Lawmakers will gather today at Grand Blanc High School to discuss childhood obesity and new figures showing obesity may prevent today's kids from living as long as their parents. FULL STORY
http://www.mlive.com/news/fljournal/index.ssf?/base/news-35/1141399230253610.xml&coll=5


prevention works like a charm in cutting costs
Health funds are exploring ways to keep members fitter, and attract them younger, writes Clara Pirani

Rob's Rant - Wow what a revelation, healthy people cost less and they live longer. Sick people can improve their health via healthcare and reduce their need for sickcare. What are they going to think of next! The problem lies in the willingness of the individual TO CHANGE.

March 04, 2006

MARGARET Black's health fund has thousands of reasons to make sure she stays healthy. Members like Black, who has Type 2 diabetes, used to cost insurance company Medibank Private $4000 per hospital visit, double the $2000 it cost for those without the condition. FULL STORY
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,18337565%255E23289,00.html


Walk While You Work: Researcher

Rob's Idea - I am looking on craigslist to see if I can get one cheap in my neighborhood. I will keep you updated on my walking desk project.

By Ellen Wulfhorst

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Workers of the world, walk. Fueled by research conducted by a Mayo Clinic obesity specialist, some U.S. workers are spending their days on treadmills or indoor tracks, walking as they talk on the telephone, send e-mails and even hold meetings. FULL STORY
http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/413562/walk_while_you_work_researcher/index.html#


Economists at odds over savings rates

Rob' Rant - What a disaster when we have economist that wants to declare home equity as savings. What goes up can come down, and will come down. If we mislead Americans to into thinking they have savings because the equity in their home has gone up, while wages have not, WE WILL HAVE PROBLEMS. Our society will take that as a signal to SPEND (Wall Street loves this because they wil reap more and more in profits at the expense of the average Ameican), creating more debt. Be very careful when the real estate industry tells you to buy. Then what happens to our economy if values go down.....watch out BELOW!

NEW YORK (AP) — Now that America's savings rate has been negative for an entire year, a first since the Great Depression, the question is whether we're a spendthrift nation on its way to the poor house or whether we're looking at the wrong numbers when we calculate savings. FULL STORY
http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/2006-03-04-americans-savings_x.htm


The Health Care Crisis and What to Do About It

Rob's Rant - I will rant on this tomorrow as I just do not have the time and energy this morning. It will take all the strenght possible to take MR KRUGMAN and put him were he belongs - IN THE GARBAGE WITH THE REST OF THE TRASH!

By Paul Krugman, Robin Wells
Thirteen years ago Bill Clinton became president partly because he promised to do something about rising health care costs. Although Clinton's chances of reforming the US health care system looked quite good at first, the effort soon ran aground. Since then a combination of factors—the unwillingness of other politicians to confront the insurance and other lobbies that so successfully frustrated the Clinton effort, a temporary remission in the growth of health care spending as HMOs briefly managed to limit cost increases, and the general distraction of a nation focused first on the gloriousness of getting rich, then on terrorism—have kept health care off the top of the agenda.


60 Minutes Exclusive This Sunday: Uninsured Middle Class Families Overcharged by Hospitals
News Magazine Segment Has Embattled Hospital Industry Abuzz
NEW YORK, March 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Embattled hospital leaders, who have been talking internally for three months about a CBS 60 Minutes news segment on hospitals that overcharge uninsured patients, will finally be able to view the segment this Sunday, March 5, 2006.


Small Firms Trim Health Coverage

Less than half of nearly 2,000 companies surveyed offer insurance -- just 48.5%, down from 53.1% in 2003.

Rob's Rant - The HSA offers small business owners the best opportunity to offer INSURANCE (MAJOR MEDICAL) than any other offering in CALIFORNIA. The sad part of the story is the fact that the insurance companies and the brokers are not sharing the news with the business owners because they make the least on the sale of the HSA qualifed insurance - LOW PREMIUMS MEAN LOW COMMISSIONS AND PROFITS. GREED is the problem.

By Jack Robinson, Times Staff Writer
March 3, 2006
Fewer than half of small businesses surveyed by a California bank provide health coverage for their workers, according to a report to be released today. For the first time in the six years Union Bank of California has conducted its informal survey of small businesses in the state, companies that offer health insurance were a minority. Just 48.5% said they provide coverage, down from 53.1% in 2003. FULL STORY
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-insure3mar03,1,5556749.story?coll=la-headlines-business


Wyoming Senator To Introduce Association Health Plan Bill
March 3, 2006
Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chair Michael Enzi (R-Wyo.) early next week plans to introduce a bill (S 1955) that would allow association health plans to form under certain conditions, and he has scheduled a March 8 markup for the proposal, CongressDaily reports (CongressDaily, 3/3). Like two other pending bills, Enzi's proposal would allow small businesses and trade associations to join together to offer group health coverage on a statewide or nationwide basis. FULL STORY
http://www.californiahealthline.org/index.cfm?action=dspItem&itemID=119131&changedID=119114#


Dead Meat is a 25 minute short film which shows the reality of health care under Canada's socialized medical system: Canadians wait ... and wait ... and wait. ... And sometimes they die while waiting for free government health care. CLICK TO VIEW FILM

http://www.onthefencefilms.com/video/deadmeat /