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.
Monday, December 10, 2012
Monday, January 23, 2012
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.
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.
Monday, January 16, 2012
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
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
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
Saturday, January 7, 2012
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.
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.
Monday, January 2, 2012
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:
- I want to write a book. This is the one that I doubt will be finished this year.
- I will make at least 1 piece of art a month. *Not including my photoshop projects, of course :)
- I want to start working on photography again
- I'll take at least 1 afternoon a week for me. Personal time with no distractions of work or projects - quality time with myself.
- 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.)
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
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?
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.
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.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Reflections - Fall, 2011
Well, here it is - post grad.
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.
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.
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.
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 |
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