Health and Disability

from The Onion:

DENVER—After years of battling crippling premiums and agonizing deductibles, local resident Michael Haige finally succumbed this week to the health insurance policy that had ravaged his adult life.

Haige, who had suffered from limited medical coverage for nearly a decade, passed away early Monday morning. According to sources, the 46-year-old was laid to rest at Fairplains cemetery, surrounded by friends, family members, and more than $300,000 of mounting debt.

"I miss Michael every single day, but at least he can finally rest now," said Sheila Haige, who watched as insurance rates ate away at her husband over time.

Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/

from Health Care for Health Care Workers: 

Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/

Download the report (pdf 180K)

New York state has been “a national leader” in expanding health care coverage for home care aides and other workers, yet 30 percent of its home care workers lack insurance according to a fact sheet from PHI’s Health Care for Health Care Workers campaign.

Caregivers Without Coverage focuses on home care workers because they are the largest and fastest-growing segment of the state’s direct-care worker population. It explains the conditions contributing to the high rate of uninsurance among direct-care workers, including low wages that make it difficult to afford premiums and copays.

Among the facts it presents:

• One in seven low-income workers in New York City is employed as a home care worker;
• Starting wages for home health aides are just $7.50 - $8 an hour in New York City, though its cost of living is one of the highest in the nation; and
• The statewide median hourly wage for home care workers is $9.74 an hour, compared to $16.91 for all workers.

Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/
Change: http://prosynergypsc.blogspot.com/

Download the report (pdf 1.9MB)

Report Shows High Rates of Injury, Inadequate Health Coverage May Result in Caregiver Shortage

As part of National Women’s Health Week, PHI’ Health Care for Health Care Workers Campaign will deliver a sobering report -– Invisible Care Gap: Caregivers without Health Coverage — on the health insurance status of our nation’s caregiving workforce, 90% of which is female. Based on the most recent data from the U.S. Bureau of the Census and Bureau of Labor Statistics, the report reveals that:

• Nurse aides have the highest rates of workplace injuries and illnesses in the country, making it America’s most dangerous job.
• Nearly 30% of direct-care workers have no health insurance coverage, twice the rate of the general population.
• The country’s fastest-growing workforce—jobs providing in-home personal care services—is the least likely to have health coverage.
• Direct-care wages are so low (median hourly wage of $9.56/hr) that nearly 30% live in or near poverty and few can afford high cost of insurance premiums.
  

Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/
Change: http://prosynergypsc.blogspot.com/

Click the Title Link and learn about this petition drive to assure every Michigan citizen health insurance. This is our best shot at changing the rules in this critical part of life. The language of the petition covers LTC as well.

The referendum doesn't dictate how health insurance would be provided. That would have to be decided by the Michigan legislature and the Governor (AND US!) if the referendum passes in November.

You can get involved and help reach the goal of 450,000 signatures, too!

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan said Wednesday it is strongly opposed to alternatives being proposed by the chairman of the state's Senate Health Policy Committee to overhaul individual health insurance affecting 322,000 people.

he issue is shaping up as one of the top state legislative battles of the year while the number of consumers shopping for health insurance grows as employers drop health benefits.

The bills as written "will benefit consumers struggling today" to pay for insurance and provide a "long-term way of sustaining health insurance coverage for individuals," said Andrew Hetzel, vice president of corporate communications for Blue Cross.

The nonprofit insurer is supporting legislation to let it price and structure its money-losing individual policies more like commercial insurers. It wants to be able to immediately raise rates, subject to subsequent review by Michigan's Office of Financial and Insurance Services, with no challenges by consumers and Michigan's attorney general.
Growing trend

The legislation affects people under age 64. In 2006, the latest year for which figures are available, 256,000 people purchased their own health insurance in Michigan and another 66,000 had so-called group conversion policies that extend workplace coverage they once had, according to the insurance bureau.

The individual market, now 6 percent of all insurance sold in the state, will grow to 25 percent of all insurance policies in the next five to seven years, according to Blue Cross estimates. Using those projections, the individual market could affect as many as 2.5 million Michigan residents, said Sen. Tom George, R-Portage, chairman of the Senate committee.

The bills quickly passed the House in October by overwhelming margins.