Reflections on Relationships Past

Growing up, my best friend's mom always helped me participate in extra curricular activities while both of my parents worked by picking me up at the same time as her daughter from school when we had play practice or an art club meeting. She was like my second mom, and she passed away when we were in 10th grade.  After that, her dad would pick us up from school if we needed to be picked up.  She was my sister.  They were my second family.

Recently my dad told me that when I was going to college for the first time that my best friends father told my dad that he was "a bad father who did not prepare for his daughter's future;" he was also resentful toward the scholarships I received from my church because I was attending a Methodist college and I was Methodist. My best friend and I were attending the same school; I had to pay for tuition and fees with financial aid, her dad paid in cash.  Dad did not try to defend himself or his inability to prepare for college, he knew that it would already be an uphill battle for me to go to school at all.

The situations that life presents to us are sometimes out of our control.  I had no control over who my parents would be, or that I would grow up poor, and before the age of 8 would be moved to Texas because my parents filed for bankruptcy due to circumstances that were out of their control (my dad's company that he was working for was doing something that he was punished for).  My dad didn't tell me that her father said any of this until about a month ago.  Something that I might have been upset about at first, but now that I am done, I can see his purpose for doing so. 

He wanted me to go through school without feeling bad that I needed to use Financial Aid Grants and Student Loans, he wanted me to finish school with the knowledge that I was improving my situation for myself, not to change the opinion of my ex-best friend's dad, or anyone else for that matter.  The thing that makes me sad about the situation is that I always aspired to be like her dad, successful, intelligent, a good parent.  It made me sad to think that someone that I looked up to for so many years turned out to be such a judgmental and hateful person. 

I know now that my true role model has always been my dad.  He truly has been the support system that my family needed, always giving us unconditional love.  He literally worked himself up from nothing, something that her dad never had to do.  He stuck by and believed in his family even when he had very little to give, he gave it all; and when he had something to give to others, he did so willingly, and never judged them by what they had or did not have. 

Mondays

So today is Monday, naturally, I assumed that it was going to be "a bad day."  I woke up with a headache, I had to go to a job fair for a job that I didn't think that I would really be interested in.  Both of my tenants had to pay rent today, and it's usually a battle to even get them on the phone, much less collect any money (disclaimer: one of my tenants is pretty amazing, they're really sweet people, and they actually care about me and my property.) Anyway, I just had a negative attitude about the whole day, something that I'm not usually one to have.  I'm normally the positive, "glass is half-full" type of girl.  So I dragged myself out of bed, and got the day going. 

Here's how I was blessed today, and how it has reminded me to always have a positive outlook on life:

First, I looked in the mirror to find that my face has significantly cleared up (I break out when I'm stressed)

Second, I couldn't decide what to wear, because I wanted to wear it all, which is quite the opposite of the "I don't have anything to wear" attitude.

After I left the house, I went to the job fair, and found that it was extremely crowded, and the person that I talked to didn't really seem interested in talking to me.  Maybe she could sense that I didn't really want to manage a Denny's; either way, I don't think it's a bad thing that it didn't work out.  It reminded me to keep my eye on my career goal.  To not get distracted by the jobs that I don't really have an interest in, just because they're there. 

I went by to see my friend Andrea, and she told me that she had a CD with pictures she took of me on Friday at our makeover/modelling session.  It's really great to get professional photographs of yourself and a $45 makeover for free!  She also invited me to go to the next shutterjunkies meeting, which was actually on a night that I could attend!  I'm so excited!

Then I was able to collect the rent!

And. . . drumroll!  I got an email requesting an interview for the Child Protective Services job that I applied for last week.  I completed their pre-employment screening tests on Friday, the deadline was today, and they emailed me literally hours after they received my tests.  I'm so hopeful for this position, since it's right in line with the plan I have for myself.  I want to work directly with people that are less fortunate than myself, to have an impact on people's lives, rather than just try to sell them stuff.  I have been praying about this job, and I think this is part of the answer to my prayers.  Friday will let me know the real answer!

So, what I've learned from today is that you really never know what a day holds.  I realize that if I go into a day with a negative attitude, it usually will end up in a negative way.  Luckily, I have amazing friends, and a few other positive things in my life, that allowed me to gain a more positive outlook on my Monday.

Originally Written: April, 2010 Healthcare Reform Analysis in 3 Parts

Following are a three part set of reports I wrote for my microeconomics class in April 2010.  I have an interest in updating these papers, but right now I'm just glad I found them.  

Health Care Reform:  A Fix for our Current Health Insurance System? (Part 1)

                Throughout American history, a national public healthcare program has been a desire of many presidents, though the funding for such a program has never been clear, and talk of such a reform has always been thwarted by the opposing opinion on the matter.  F.D.R. wanted to include a national healthcare program in Social Security in 1935, creating the seed for the bill that has come into existence. On March 21, 2010, a historical change in the way the American people will deal with health insurance and care was made.  “H. R. 3962 To provide affordable, quality health care for all Americans and reduce the growth in health care spending, and for other purposes.” [1] The vote to pass the reform was 219-212 in favor of the bill.  This bill was passed by democratic members of the House, without a single vote from the opposition.   The passage of this bill may have ended the political careers of many of the politicians that voted for it.  As stated in the introduction for the bill, it was not designed to provide health care to Americans, it was written to fix the parts of the system currently in place that are not working, and to put certain terms of operation into this system that protect people from being denied health insurance based on their medical history.

            In essence the bill, which totals around 2000 pages, has provisions for allowing American citizens who have a pre-existing condition, which by definition “is a health problem that existed before you apply for a health insurance policy or enroll in a new health plan” to gain coverage.[2] In many cases, pre-existing conditions prevent a person from receiving coverage from a health insurance company, whether or not they still had the condition that prevented the coverage.  For example, a person that has had cancer in many cases will not be able to get insurance, or their premiums would be so high that they were unable to pay for the coverage they need.   After the passage of the bill, people are able to apply for and receive coverage despite what has occurred before their application. To be determined is whether all Americans will be allowed coverage if they have a preexisting condition, or only children, while adults are put into a “high-risk pool” for which the government will provide subsidies to help pay health costs for the needs of these citizens.  Also to be determined is whether or not these subsidies will be enough to cover the costs for these high-risk people.[3]

                For the purpose of this research project, I will be exploring the changes made to the insurance industry, and how coverage requirements for individuals will be changed.  I will also be exploring what, if any the changes on the insurance industry will be in comparison with the way the market existed before the reform was passed.  I will provide basic information on other important points of the bill, but the following sections will contain in-depth information about the effects of the Healthcare Reform (H.R.) on the insurance industry, and the economic implications those changes may bring.  This section of the project will give a brief overview of the changes to the way insurance is administered; with details of how those changes affect the economy and the insurance industry in the remaining two sections. 

                The Healthcare Reform Bill achieves a goal for President Obama that has eluded presidents for a very long time.  Universal healthcare has been a goal for Presidents for years and years.  Though the bill does not have provisions for providing insurance or healthcare without cost to Americans, it provides a way for 32 million more Americans to get coverage, this is about 92% of all citizens will have a way to gain coverage, up from 83%.[4]

                Beginning in 2014, there is expected to be another step in the reform, which is that states will be required to set up “healthcare exchanges” or marketplaces, which would offer coverage to working people that are not covered by their employers.  Government subsidies will be available to those earning up to 400% of poverty level, which currently for a family of four is around $22,000 for the 48 contiguous states and Washington DC, according to the US department of Health and Human Services.[5]  These subsidies will aid in the purchase of insurance for the people who need help purchasing it.  These subsidies will be funded by one of two methods: reducing funding for Medicare by billions or imposing a new set of taxes on various products including a hefty 40% tax on certain high-priced insurance policies.

Another stipulation of the bill is that employers of 25 or more people will be required to provide group health insurance plans to their employees, or suffer a fine.  This does not only stop with employers, it is also extended to the public, that is, people who are uninsured now, and are not in the high-risk pool, are required to find a way to acquire insurance coverage, there will be a fine that will be levied against these people as well if they still are uninsured.  Of course this is a future affect of the bill as well, so the major points of this section of the bill still need to be worked out.   This is otherwise called “Title IV: Shared Responsibility.”  In other words, you as an individual are required to get coverage if your employer is required to provide it.  There are tax credits for small businesses that provide insurance plans for their workers if the company is below 25 employees, which encourages a company to provide a group health plan for their employees. 

Individuals who are younger than 26 may now remain under their parent’s health insurance plan if they are considered a dependent, until such a time that they can receive coverage from another source.  Immediately, children who were denied coverage due to a pre-existing condition are now eligible to be covered under the H.R. bill; while adult individuals over the 26 year old age limit may be included in this new coverage standard after the bill has been in effect for several years.   

There are changes included in the H.R. bill for government funded programs that provide healthcare to the public such as CHIP and Medicaid.  These programs are funded primarily by the working class, each working person is required to pay a total of 1.4% of their wages to fund Medicare, this is one half of a 2.9% tax, the other half is paid by the employer, there will be a 0.9% rate increase for both parties to the tax.[6]  There is to be a reallocation of some of the funds for Medicare to help pay for the government subsidies for low-income individuals to purchase insurance, these changes to fund allocation are detailed in the bill. 

Overall, the main purpose of reforming health insurance for America is to guarantee that all citizens are able to be covered under some form of a plan to provide healthcare when it is needed, while cutting costs to the lower- and middle-classes.  At face value, this law will cost the country $940 billion over the next 10 years, but it will also reduce federal deficits by $138 billion, essentially meaning an improvement of the country’s bottom line.[7]  Though $950 billion is a large amount of money, President Obama has requested that nearly $600 billion be set aside in the budget as a “down payment” for the bill.  The rest of the funding will arise from reorienting of funds, as well as making national programs such as Medicare and Medicaid more efficient, as well as the tax previously stated on high-cost, employer sponsored policies.  Medicaid, though being reworked, will now include an additional 16 million people by 2014.  This is made possible by increasing the efficiency of the program by reducing fraud, wasteful spending, and the inevitable reduction in health care costs. 

In the next section of my discussion, I will break down the positive changes to the health insurance industry as it pertains to insurance providers and individuals as consumers.  Also included will be information about some of the changes to budgeting and policy to offset the increased costs of operation for insurance companies. 

[1] “FAQ About the Healthcare Reform.” Published by the White House. http://www.whitehouse.gov/realitycheck/faq#i2
[2] “Big Winner in Healthcare Reform? Insurance Companies, Eventually.” Terry, Ken. 22 Mar 2010. http://industry.bnet.com/healthcare/10002208/insurance-companies-stand-to-benefit-from-reform-in-long-run/
[3] “How the Healthcare Overhaul can affect you.” 21 Mar 2010. New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/03/21/us/health-care-reform.html#scenario-2
[4] “Healthcare Reform” New York Times. 26 Mar 2010. http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/health_insurance_and_managed_care/health_care_reform/index.html
[5] “HEALTH REFORM: Transforming High Risk Pools into Reality.” Hughes, Merideth. 26 Mar 2010. http://health.newamerica.net/node/29840
[6] “Covering Young Adults Through Their Parent's or Guardian's Health Policy.” National Conference of State Legislatures. March 2010. http://www.ncsl.org/default.aspx?tabid=14497
[7] “9 Major Changes in the New Health Care Bill.” by Julie Appleby and Mary Agnes Carey. 19 Mar 2010. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35947758
[8] ” Democrats Say Health Bill Will Pay for Itself in the Long Run” by Robert Pear and David Herszenhorn. New York Times. 18 Mar 2010. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/19/health/policy/19health.html

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Health Care Reform: Improvements to the Insurance Industry (Part 2 - Pros)

The White House says concerning Healthcare Reform: “Health reform must be built on three fundamental principles: It must lower the skyrocketing cost of health care; guarantee choice of doctors and plans; and assure quality affordable health care for every American. A public option would achieve those goals and give the American people more choices. It would foster greater competition; lower costs; and give consumers a greater variety of affordable choices.”[1]  The standard choices that will be available to individuals seeking coverage include:

·         Required Group Healthcare Plans – All companies with 25 employees or more will be required to provide a group health insurance plan. 

·         Subsidized Insurance – This type of insurance policy will be partially funded by the government, through an increase in taxes on certain health insurance products, an increase in Medicare taxes paid for by everyone, and a separate income tax paid that I will discuss later.

·         High-risk pools – these policies are the highest cost policies, which exist due to the pre-existing conditions that and individual may have which previously made them uninsurable under normal insurance plans.

·         Medicaid – Medicaid and Medicare are being expanded to include an additional 16 million Americans, there are changes to the way these programs are administered, which will also be told in detail later.

·         Miscellaneous other options – Increased dependency age.

With the passage of the Healthcare Reform (H.R.) bill, insurance companies are going to be the beneficiaries of many improvements to the way healthcare is handled in the US.  The simple fact that nearly all Americans will now be required to gain coverage in some form or another will greatly increase demand for health insurance from private providers.  In addition to the large influx of individuals seeking out coverage for their families, small businesses below 25 people will also be in the market for finding a suitable group healthcare plan for their employees due to a proposed tax credit incentive if they do so.  This change is expected to take place by 2014.  It is projected that this number of new customers for insurance coverage of some kind will be approximately 32 million people.   The increase in the number of Americans covered by health insurance will account for the 11% increase in the number of insured people in the US that is expected to occur between 2010 and 2014, when all Americans are expected to have a form of health insurance, or pay a penalty. Only a few will be exempt from paying this fine for not having coverage, since their lack of coverage will lead to higher prices for those that are paying for coverage.      

                Individuals who earn up to 400% of poverty level will receive a government subsidy for the purchase of health insurance.  This means that people will be more able to gain the coverage they are required to have by law.  These subsidies will operate on a “sliding scale” that will require the covered individual to pay somewhere between 2 and 9.5% of the insurance premiums, based on that individual’s annual income.  This subsidy will be offset by a slight increase in premiums for those who are not in the bracket eligible to receive this subsidy, but over time, as the large influx of cash comes to insurance providers, the rates for policies should decrease across the board.[2] 

                As the latter effects of the bill come into play in 2014, such as the implementation of “Insurance Marketplaces” or “exchanges” the further increase in supply of insurance providers will provide incentive for rates to be equalized at a lower price for individuals.  These exchanges will allow people to change the health care plans they have that may be less costly than insurance you are already covered by.  The ideal person targeted by a state-funded insurance exchange is one that their employer does not provide healthcare, and they are unable to be covered by Medicaid.  They will include nearly all types of insurance available to an individual from a private provider on the market, creating a very large source for consumers to choose the best option for them.  If one’s employer pays less than 60% of the cost for healthcare plan, or they are paying more than 9% of their income to receive that coverage, that individual will be eligible to “exchange” their insurance for a more cost efficient plan.[3]  The estimated 23 million people that are expected to still be uninsured by 2019[4] at that point will then be more likely to be able to afford coverage, further increasing income for insurance companies.  Before the reform, these people were likely to be the ones that only sought coverage after they became ill, had to make a visit to a healthcare provider and were unable to pay for that visit, which drove the cost for healthcare up for everyone.  If they are insured at the time of their illness, they are more likely to be able to pay the co-pay necessary to receive care, which reduces the cost of healthcare in the long-run. 

                 Even though a portion of the public required to acquire coverage will be considered to be “high-risk” due to the fact that they may not be denied coverage by 2014 due to a pre-existing condition, there will be an increase in the number of people allowed to be included in a “high-risk pool.”  The premiums on these types of policies are higher, but the government has set aside about $5 billion in funding to help cover health care costs for those included in these pools.  About 35 states already have a high-risk pool in place for the people who are ineligible to receive coverage from a regular provider.[5]   Under the H.R. bill, all states will be required to have some form of a high-risk program by late June this year, to cover those people currently ineligible to have coverage, until such time around 2014 when pre-existing conditions are expected to be eliminated for all citizens, children and adults alike.  A benefit to those covered under a high-risk pool plan is the cap set on maximum out-of-pocket expenses paid by the individual, about $6,000 annually, or $12,000 for a family covered under such a plan.

                Medicare and Medicaid are being retooled to include 16 million more low-income individuals and families.  The threshold for being covered by the new Medicaid is 133% of the poverty level for the US, or around $29,300 for a family of four.  Medicaid is having an increase in payouts to healthcare providers to make it a more viable source of health insurance for a family, which means that it will be more widely accepted by providers.  The payouts to health care providers made by Medicaid will be increased to meet those of Medicare, which were about 20% higher than those of Medicaid. 

                Young adults between age 19 and 29 account for 13 million of the approximate 47 million Americans currently living without health insurance.  The fact that most young adults are in and out of jobs so much during their early twenties or are attending school means that they are likely to be uninsured.  This change of the dependency age to 26 not only provides young people a way to have health insurance while they are trying to find a permanent career or finish school, but it also increases the number of Americans able to be insured by 13 million, which equates to 13 million additional premiums for health insurance providers from individuals who are most likely low-risk.  It is unknown what will happen once the child reaches the age of 18, if they have a pre-existing condition; as stated before, the elimination of pre-existing conditions for adults has not occurred yet.  The question of whether or not a young adult with a pre-existing condition will be insurable under their parent’s insurance policy remains to be determined.[6]  New Jersey has legislation that allows an individual up to age 31 to be considered a dependent under their parent’s insurance policy, given they have no dependents of their own.  At least 30 other states have similar legislation to extend dependency regardless of enrollment in school.

                To help alleviate the increase in costs involved with providing insurance to low-income families with subsidies, there will also be a tax imposed on individuals who earn an adjusted gross income of $200,000 annually or more, and couples making more than $250,000.  This tax is referred to as an “unearned income” tax of 3.8%.  This tax would include capital gains, interest, and dividend payments.  Essentially, this will help lessen the gap between the classes. These new taxes are proposed to generate $438 billion over 10 years.  The high-cost health-plan tax, which will be imposed on insurance companies, not individuals, will only generate $32 billion after the final revision of the H.R. bill, down from an original $132 billion, and this tax will not take effect until 2018.[7]  The new increase to the Medicare tax that was already in place will generate a $210 billion over 10 years, this tax is imposed on any person who has a job and earns income.[8] 

                 As a consumer, there will be multiple tiers of insurance available for purchase.  General healthcare plans cover around 60% of costs for health care procedures; insurance providers will be required to supply differentiated tiers of their products that cover up to as much as 90% of total costs of health care procedures, at a higher premium rate most likely.  Such plans will be available on the exchanges to the public.  Another cap on profits available to be made by insurance companies is the fact that they can no longer charge an elderly person more than three times the premium they would charge a younger person. 

                In conclusion, there are several benefits to consumers and health insurance providers alike, theoretically.  It remains to be seen if what has been projected will actually happen.  In the next section I will be discussing several negative points concerning the H.R. bill and how it affects the market for Health Insurance.   

[1] 111th Congress 1st Session. HR 3962. October 29, 2009. http://docs.house.gov/rules/health/111_ahcaa.pdf
[2] “Pre-existing condition” by Michael Bihari, MD January 5, 2010. http://healthinsurance.about.com/od/healthinsurancetermsp/g/preexisting_condition_definition.htm
[3] “Insurance for those with Pre-existing Conditions” Kate Pickert. April 2010. http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1983409_1983408_1983404,00.html
[4] “Making History: House Passes Health Care Reform.” Tumulty, Karen. 23 March 2010. http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1973989,00.html?xid=rss-fullnation-yahoo
[5] “2009 Poverty Guidelines” US Dep’t of Health and Human Services. http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/09poverty.shtml
[6] Title 26, Subtitle C, Chapter 21 of the United States Code
[7] “Health Care Reform.” New York Times. Updated Mar 26, 2010. http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/health_insurance_and_managed_care/health_care_reform/index.html

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Health Care Reform: Striking Negativity in the Health Care Industry (Part 3 - Cons)

The Healthcare Reform Bill is a novel idea; provide a way for everyone in the nation to get affordable healthcare coverage from an insurance provider, while still reducing the deficit by around $140 billion.  The cost should be few short-run inconveniences to provide for a healthier future, but several experts believe that the cost will be far greater than this, for everyone.   The greatest negative effect that anyone can see currently is simply the effect of the budget.  47 million Americans will be insured that were not previously insured.  The question will be whether the increase in the efficiency of the healthcare system will be enough to offset the increase in spending to cover those people now insured. 

Negative side effects and costs stemming from implementing the healthcare reform as it stands now may include:

·         A shortage of healthcare professionals.

·         A definite increase in taxes for all Americans, as well as hefty fees for those with higher income. 

·         A reduction in choice for the public to have healthcare due to fines that will be implemented for remaining without insurance coverage.

·         A possible underfunding and over inclusion for the Medicaid Program.  Though there will be an increase in the efficiency of how the program is administered, the increase in the number of people covered by it may outweigh the newfound changes.

·         Probably the largest potential problem with the new H.R. bill is the method of funding. 

The Healthcare Reform may mean that the supply of healthcare providers is significantly less than the demanded amount of healthcare due to a widespread increase in the number of people that can afford to seek out the care that they need.  The country may see a shortage of 160,000 healthcare professionals by 2025 under the reform.  The bill will insure an additional estimated 32 million people nationwide, while also changing the way providers supply care to their patients.  There will be a shift from high-cost complex disease treatment to low-cost preventative care and screenings as well, due to the H.R.  This means, essentially, that healthcare providers will be receiving around the same amount of money for nearly twice the work.[1] 

                The penalty that I have spoken about in the previous sections will occur in tiers, when first implemented in 2014, the fee for going uninsured whether in a high-risk pool, a subsidized plan, or otherwise, will be $95.00 or 1% of that person’s total annual income, whichever is higher.  This fee will be increased in 2016 to $695.00 or 2.5% of annual income, again, whichever is higher; the fees will continue to increase in incremental amounts as time passes.   These fees will be applied toward helping pay for the subsidies aiding people in purchasing coverage.   However, there will be exemptions for Native Americans or have religious beliefs that are against healthcare coverage.  Also excluded are those that would pay more than 8% of their annual income after subsidies to purchase coverage.  Fines charged to the public are to help offset the increased costs that will be incurred by other individuals who are paying for coverage when the uninsured person has an emergency and goes to a healthcare provider and is then unable to pay the charges owed.

                On average, Insurers have only been spending 74 cents on health care, the rest simply profit, or going back into the company itself. Under the H.R. bill, companies will be required to spend between 80 and 85 cents per dollar of premium paid by the people they insure on healthcare.  This creates a literal cap on the amounts of profit that a company is allowed to retain.[2]   Another method insurance providers make large profits was previously by charging over 3 times as much for a health insurance premium of an elderly person as they would charge for a younger customer.  Insurance companies are not likely to stand by and allow their profits to be significantly cut in this way.  A reapportioning and rearranging of what is technically a medical cost, and non-medical cost allows companies to retain more percent of each dollar paid in premiums by their customers as profits.  For example, many companies are changing plans by increasing rates for premiums and decreasing the amount paid out to providers for co-payments for their policy holders.  “At least one company, WellPoint, has already "reclassified" more than half a billion dollars of administrative expenses as medical expenses, and a leading industry analyst recently released a report explaining how the new law gives for-profit insurers a powerful new incentive to "MLR shift" their previously identified administrative expenses.”  MLR is an acronym that stands for Medical Loss Ratio, which equates to the amount of each dollar paid in premiums to the company as a “loss” or payment for actual healthcare.  This relocation of costs allows for a fluffing of the company’s budget, and the retention of a comparable amount of profits to the amount earned prior to the changes to policy.[3] The more administrative fees an insurance company can pass as “Medical” the more money the company keeps in their accounts as profit.  From a consumer standpoint, this is a negative thing.  As long as a health insurance company is keeping a larger percentage of each dollar paid in to help pay for non-medical costs that are classified as medical, the less money is being paid out for actual care, and this change will potentially do more harm than good. 

                Medicaid changes could potentially turn into a problem as they are described by H.R., due to the fact that funding for the programs will be cut drastically to help fund the government subsidies that will come into place in 2014 to help pay for health insurance for people who need aid, yet they are expected to cover an additional 16 million people nationwide.  This cut in funding and increase in number of people included in the program will occur while increasing payout to healthcare providers by around 20%.  A 0.9% Medicare tax increase for all working Americans will attempt to alleviate some of the additional costs incurred for the changes to Medicare and Medicaid programs.   The federal government plans to help the states absorb the costs of Medicare expansion from 2014 when it will be implemented to 2017, but with what funding?  Ideally this is part of the same funding that is planned to be used to pay for subsidies to help pay for private health insurance plans.[4] 

                This brings me to my next topic for discussion: funding.  It is obvious that the H.R. Bill “front-loads revenues and back-loads spending.”  This means most of the new taxes and changes in funding are taking effect this year, with little more than the new high-risk pools coming into play more prominently; most states already have a high-risk program in effect.   In short, the bill is generating revenues for 10 years only to pay for 6 years of spending, beginning in 2014.[5]  In order for the program to continue past the first 10 years, Congress would have to vote for an additional $114 billion in additional annual spending.   This is a cost that is not included in the budget office’s accounting for the bill.  The “Cadillac” policy taxes, or taxes on large insurance policies, that are scheduled to be implemented which should generate originally $132 billion from insurance companies has been reduced to $32 billion due to displeasure amongst healthcare giants.  Potentially when the time to actually implement this tax comes, will there actually be a tax, or will the burden of healthcare reform be carried by the public because Congress does not want to pass an unpopular tax?[6] 

The high-risk pools that the states are required to have opened by June this year are causing several of the states to be fearful that the federal government will not be able to afford to keep funding the medical bills that the high-risk people will need to be paid.  In 2014, the people that are included in a high-risk pool will be allowed to gain regular medical insurance through an insurance marketplace because of the elimination of pre-existing conditions, but some believe that they will not want to change from a government funded program to a more self-sufficient plan.  One source says: “The new health reform law provides $5 billion to states to create temporary high-risk pools until broader reforms take place in 2014. But health care experts warn that $5 billion should last one year at most.”[7]  The question remains whether congress will allocate more funding for these high-risk pools.  Simply implementing these pools will cost $4 billion in funding for the 18 states that still need to start the program.  The end of funding will lead to a substantial increase in premiums for those people in the program, as insurance companies that are taking the risk in covering these people cannot simply provide coverage for free.  If a funding increase does not come from the government, it will come from the pockets of those covered.  The current caps on out-of-pocket expenses for those in a high-risk pool are around $6000 for individuals and $12000 for families.  All people with a pre-existing condition and that have been uninsured for at least six months prior to application will be eligible to be covered under a high-risk pool; greatly increasing the number of people demanding coverage, which also increases the number of people that have been promised aid in funding this coverage.[8]   

A foreseeable risk involved with extending coverage to those not currently insured is an increase in rates to those already paying for coverage.  On top of several increases in tax rates for every American, there is expected to be a 75 to 95 percent for the self-employed, small business workers, early retirees, and millions of other Americans who buy their own coverage.   Though penalties are being implemented for remaining uninsured despite the new laws, the penalties for going without coverage for most will not be enough to incentivize those people to find permanent insurance.  The people, an estimated 15 million, that go uncovered until they get sick are expected by the Republican Party to continue to do so.  The cost of paying the fee to go without coverage until it is needed is outweighed by the high premiums they would be paying to get insurance.  Especially people who are considered high-risk will consider paying the fee as opposed to high insurance premium rates. [9]  A $695 fee is, in many cases, less costly than the expensive insurance premiums a high-risk individual might encounter.   This will cause a further increase in rates for people who will continue to pay their insurance premiums, since those people who go without coverage until it is needed will simply get healthcare when it is necessary and more than likely be unable to pay for it.  The concept of health insurance is to help offset the cost of healthcare over time.  By paying premiums over a period of time to an insurance company, a person or group of people protect themselves from being overloaded with the large cost of healthcare all at once.  Health insurance does not pay for healthcare for people; it simply spreads the cost of healthcare for a person over a period of time.[10]   

In conclusion, if ways to offset extensive costs and prevent big business from manipulating the system, the health reform could potentially be a very positive thing for the United States.   Though the reform has a novel concept and provides for many issues that seem obvious, only a few months after its passage, new problems are surfacing that may prevent a system that works.

[1] “The Downside of Healthcare Reform: Doctor Shortages, Deadly Nursing Strikes.” Terry, Ken. 13 Apr 2010 http://industry.bnet.com/healthcare/10002427/nurse-strikes-could-be-more-dangerous-to-patients-because-of-reform/
[2] “How the Healthcare Overhaul can affect you.” 21 Mar 2010. New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/03/21/us/health-care-reform.html#scenario-2
[3] “Health Insurance Companies Shifting Costs to Protect Profits from New Law.” Foomkin, Dan. 15 Apr 2010. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/15/health-insurance-companie_n_539572.html
[4] “Health Reform: What are Changes to Medicare?” Interview. Julie Rovner. PBS News Hour. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/health/jan-june10/medicare_03-24.html
[5] “The Real Arithmetic of Health Care Reform.” Douglas Holtz-Eaken. 20 Mar 2010. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/21/opinion/21holtz-eakin.html
[6] “Misconceptions of Healthcare Reform Discussions.” Bregel, Amy. 31 Mar 2010. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2010/mar/31/misconceptions-abound-in-reform-discussions/
[7] “High Risk Pools, How Temporary?” Serafini, Marilyn. 19 Apr 2010. http://healthcare.nationaljournal.com/2010/04/highrisk-pools-how-temporary.php
[8] “Focus on Health Reform.” The Henry J Kaiser Family Foundation. April 2010. http://www.kff.org/healthreform/upload/8066.pdf
[9] “How Does ObamaCare Answer the Problem of Pre-existing Conditions?” 15 Apr. 2010. http://www.gop.gov/policy-news/10/04/15/how-does-obamacare-answer-the
[10] “Health Insurance.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_insurance

Post Grad: Job Search Week 1

My mood today is weird.  I feel the need to vent about my frustrations with the week, and I'm also hopeful about what the future holds.  So it leaves me feeling somewhat bi-polar in my attitudes.  My resolution today is that I'm going to take the day to reflect, I'm not going to talk to anyone about hiring me, or send out any more resumes, or cover letters.  It's all about me today, maybe I can find a sense of balance in doing so!

I read What Color is Your Parachute? A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers 2012 by Richard Bolles this week.  It's pretty awesome, has a ton of helpful advice, even if it is something I've heard before.  The thing that I liked most about it is that it has this neat little exercise that is soooo similar to Gail's HTGaJ class, but it has you put all your strengths and preferences in a flower design (I love flowers).  So I've been working on my flower exercise.  Gail's class is more geared toward finding your professional brand; not necessarily what you like to do, but what you're good at, then the rest of the time is spent learning the ins-and-outs of interviewing and professional writing.  I like this because it focuses on both your internal and external strengths.  After some reflection, I have decided that I want to pursue a career in non-profit management (not sure what type of management yet). I know I want to work with people. I know I want to plan, so maybe back to my project planning idea or project management for non-profit.  I'm sure as I finish my flower I'll know for sure!

I've been taking the advice that so many have given me, and started truly utilizing social media outlets. I really dug in and figured out how to effectively use Twitter.  Even if it does no good as far as searching for jobs right now, I feel that I'm making some valuable contacts with people in the Non-Profit sector.  This will be highly useful later in my career if I do ultimately decide to go that route.

I applied for several jobs with the University.  All of which can be considered along the lines of helping people. My favorite pick, and also the one I'm least likely to get (I think) is a position for Community Liaison through the Ingenuity Center.  In a nutshell, it involves working directly with the community to educate them on the importance of family and the reduction of abuse.  If I conveyed my summary of the work I've done with R.P. correctly, I might have a shot.  In all, including the jobs I applied for with the university, I probably made contact with and/or sent a resume to about 20 different employers.

I'm really excited about Rising Phoenix.  I wish I could do that for the rest of my life, but it doesn't pay.  On Tuesday, my co-chair, who was supposed to attend the House Meeting at the Crisis Center quit two hours before she was supposed to be there.  I feel relieved about her quitting, she was highly unproductive, and caused conflict about every decision that I made for the project.  At the same time, I feel sorry that she quit.  I know that deep down this project is important to her.  She says that it's my fault that she quit, that I'm too controlling; Dr. Wooldridge says that she's only being defensive.  I take that personally.  It is my last intention to control everything in the project, I just want to make sure it's successful.  Since I took over as chair at basically the last possible minute before we got going in December, I feel like I needed to push a little harder.  If I had taken over as lead back in September, it would not be so crucial that I check and double check everything.  I'm not saying this to make myself feel better, I just need to say it.

Resolutions

Originally posted as a note on Facebook.

I drove for a few hours today already and while I was driving I thought about the meaning of resolutions, and what I want mine to be this year.  I think that resolving to do something should be for the benefit of yourself first and foremost.  The happiness of others will radiate from your journey to personal happiness.  So, in discord with my past new year resolutions, which have always been to make someone else happy, or to become more successful, or to do some other thing for someone other than myself, this year, my resolutions are to make myself a better and more completely happy person.  I finally realize that happiness comes from within, and the only person that you really need to be proud of you is yourself.

I resolve to do the following this year, whether they are completed or not, I'll see!  Not in any particular order, here they are:

1. I want to write a book. This is the one that I doubt will be finished this year. 
2. I will make at least 1 piece of art a month.  *Not including my photoshop projects, of course :)
3. I want to start working on photography again
4. I'll take at least 1 afternoon a week for me.  Personal time with no distractions of work or projects - quality time with myself. 
5. I want to reconnect with friends that I've fallen out of touch with. 

I encourage you all to keep me accountable for any and all of these!  (Also, I hope that you will choose to take the same approach when making your resolutions this year.) 

Christmas - Pagan or Religious?

Christmas Part 1

This Christmas has been something different all around.  For the first time, I've started to consider (thanks Brian. . .) whether the religious holiday we have all been brought up to celebrate is really what we think it is at all.  The long story short: Christmas eve morning, Brian and I were discussing several things in the Bible.  He stated that he watched a documentary once that showed Christmas as being invented by the Romans (it was actually the Winter Solstice) and the day of Christmas actually falls on the 25th because that was the last day of the Winter Solstice.  During the Winter Solstice, people were permitted to commit any mortal sin they wished to, and on the 25th they had to remember Christ who died for their sins and repent.  I agree that Christmas today is not what it was meant to be originally, but really?  Am I supposed to believe that we are not supposed to celebrate the birth of Christ at all? 

The debate found its way to Facebook, where two other friends joined in.  My brother's high school English Teacher brought up the point (with a source, of course!) that according to "The Man Who Invented Christmas" by Chip Wood (I'm sure that's a made up name, by the way),  Christmas was made to be a "big deal" (more or less) by Charles Dickens who wrote A Christmas Carol. Before 1843, Christmas wasn't really a holiday.  After self-publishing the book, it was adapted to a play - and the rest is history!  Everyone knows the story, and it's been remade year after year.  I even participated in the play when I was in 6th grade.  (Not a main role, of course.)

About the same time, a friend from my Lon Morris College Days (Meghan) said: "It's not the fact that it's pagan, it's the fact that the early Christians adopted a lot of pagan traditions a). because that was all they knew and b). because they wanted people to convert. The date December 25th was actually the birthday of the god Mithras, who was the god of Mithraism, a competing monotheistic religion during the same time as early Christianity. The actual date of Jesus Christ's birthday has been known to be in the summer time. Therefore the Christians adopted the December 25th date to try and outshine Mithraism. Certainly the tradition of decorating a tree is pagan."

Personally, I do not disagree that we definitely have adopted some very materialistic traditions, but the fact remainst that every Christmas morning, my dad would wake my brother and I up, and after all the excitement of opening our presents was over, he would sit us down at the kitchen table and read us the Christmas story straight from the bible.  I think that maybe we should remember Christmas for the real reason for the season, whether we choose to celebrate it in December, or otherwise, and that is that God gave us his son, he was a gift to this world.  My point still remains: yes, the Roman Catholics may have invented Christmas to atone themselves for their dirty-rotten sinning, but remembering that God gave his son is still important.  If we remember that, it doesn't matter what silly pagan traditions we adopt - our hearts are in the right place.  You might call me silly, or ignorant, but I have faith!  And I wont call you silly or ignorant for what you believe in. 

http://www.personalliberty.com/straight-talk/the-man-who-invented-christmas/

http://www.vexen.co.uk/religion/mithraism.html
http://www.religioustolerance.org/xmas_tree.htm

Christmas Part 2

On Christmas Day, I ate dinner twice.  Something I don't normally do.  I ate with my family, and then that evening I ate with Brian's family (his dad's side).  He didn't tell me before we went that I was the first girl he'd ever brought to ANY family event, but his uncles told me.  I'm not sure exactly what to think about it, and he claims that he didn't tell me that because he didn't want it to go to my head.  But it did - not in a negative way, but in a "he actually really does care about me, enough to bring me around his family, and even if he doesn't always act like he cares" kind of way. 

People never cease to surprise me.

Reflections - Fall, 2011

Well, here it is - post grad. 

My father and I

I've been sitting back the past few days, reveling in the glory of not having to go back to school, of being "done." It's been nice to spend time doing things I just haven't had time to do lately - watching movies, sitting and talking with my dad, playing video games with my boyfriend, sleeping, and even cleaning the microwave!  But in that time I've been thinking also - about a few things the past semester has taught me.  My last semester of my B.B.A. taught me four things:

The Rising Phoenix Project logo.
By Cassandra Bartley

1. Never think you know exactly what you want to do.  My last semester in school taught me that.  I went in thinking, "all I have left is 4 months - then USAF and a career in HRD."  I joined SIFE and found that I definitely picked the right major.  I want to plan things, I want to coordinate things - I want to manage things.  I was given a project called The Harvey's Project - to reopen a restaurant on campus as an entrepreneurship project class (there were WAY more things involved in it than just the final decision - red tape, etc. . . The University is a bureaucracy - what more can you expect?)  Anyway, I was trusted by just one person to take over - and I was successful! 

My success in that role led to the SIFE team entrusting me with their "high-profile" project - the Rising Phoenix Project.  I loved reorganizing the project while still keeping its mission in sight.  It gave me a sense of purpose, of accomplishment.  And the fact that my advisers hand picked me for the project let me know that I am highly respected.  Something I have always struggled with - it's hard to know sometimes if you're just doing a good job.  I know I've found my calling.  One day, I told my adviser, Tammy Cowart, that I would love to purchase the project from SIFE one day - to ensure that it would be able to continue on.  Then, I jokingly said, "once I get rich!"

Dr. Barbara Wooldridge (left), Dr. Tammy Cowart (right), and I on my graduation day.  December 17, 2011.
Say "SIFE!"

2. Never, EVER, judge a book by its cover.  This semester I started dating Brian Zemer.  If there is one thing he taught me, even indirectly - never think that you know someone's whole story just off of first impressions.  Those people that you think are horrible people often surprise you - they might seem like they are out to take what is yours, or ruin everything, but end up being the only one who will help you with what you need to do.  It's a huge surprise.  I think I taught the very same lesson to someone too.  One of my professors gave me a graduation present, something that is nearly unheard of - because of my drive to make something that has nearly no benefit to me, a success. 

I have to work on not judging people, I don't want to be judged, so why should I do it to others?  I have been offered jobs on the basis of being "pretty," or tall, or white, or a woman.  I want to be offered something on my merit - I want to earn it.  I try hard to show people the real me - an intelligent, ambitious woman who is not afraid of failure but who learns from it. 

3. Keep your friends close-  You never know when you wont have them anymore.  Your true friends are a part of your family - keep a close eye on them, know when they need you to be there.  To listen, and give them comfort.  I lost a friend this semester to suicide.  It made me realize that I should never take those people I care about for granted.  I will miss him, he was always the person I could turn to when I needed someone that cared about me.  If only I had known just how he really felt.  Rest in Peace, Jon, until we meet again one day.

4. Don't forget traditions.  Brian and I have developed a tradition: to eat at Stanley's.  When he and I started dating, I didn't consider it a date to go out to Stanley's, it wasn't romantic, it wasn't all that "special."  But now that we've done it together enough, it is a tradition.  If I go in there without him, it feels off, wrong.  And they even ask me where he is.  That's when I realized that I should be content with the little things that make your relationship with someone special.  Whether that be your boyfriend or girlfriend, or your parents, or just a friend.  If you do something together, hold onto that, make it yours. 



My little brother and I - post graduation

 Don't get embarrassed when your little brother screams at the top of his lungs when you walk accross that stage, "THAT'S MY SISTER!"  Own it!  That's your little brother, and he's proud of you, just like he has been since he was old enough to be proud of anything.  So, don't cover your face, don't be embarrassed - raise your head high, and walk accross that stage, knowing that he single-handedly is the loudest cheering section for anyone graduating that day.  And carry on the tradition at the next opportunity - maybe next time it'll be my turn to yell, "THAT'S MY BROTHER!" though, I don't think my voice booms like his does.