Category: Health Insurance
President Barack Obama will attend a town hall meeting on health care reform next Wednesday. You can submit questions for the President online. You can also post a 20-30 second video response to his video inviting Americans to join the online discussion on YouTube. To submit your question and post your video response—and see what [...]
President Barack Obama argues that the U.S. health system must be reformed because the status quo is unacceptable and cannot be sustained. Today, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius issued a “Health Care Status Quo” report designed to bolster that argument. The report provides statistics on all 50 states. Among the report’s findings [...]
New York Times columnist hopes Obama “tunes out” the AMA New York Times columnist Nicholas D. Kristof calls on President Barack Obama to tune out the American Medical Association, which is opposing a public health insurance plan that would compete with private insurers. Instead, he bids the president heed Dr. David Scheiner, what was Mr. [...]
In his June 23 press conference President Barack Obama said health-care reform must control costs and, while he endorsed a public health insurance plan, he did not say he would veto legislation that did not include a public plan. “…we have not drawn lines in the sand, other than that reform has to control costs [...]
Seattle Times comes out for public-health insurance option “Creation of a public-health-insurance option is central to the health-care reform debate underway in Congress,” the Seattle Times editors write in today’s issue. “Consumers need a competitive choice that is affordable, portable and fairly priced.” To learn more: Read the Seattle Times editorial: Include a public-health insurance [...]
By Jenny Gold, Eric Pianin and Julie Appleby – Kaiser Health News June 22, 2009 Democrats, desperately looking for ways to pay for their increasingly expensive health care legislation, are scrutinizing a raft of ideas to raise funds and cut costs–including some that have been rejected in the past. One indication of the challenge: House [...]
An Ad Audit: “What if?” “Ad Audit” is KHN’s new feature examining advertising campaigns designed to influence the health reform debate. In this campaign, called “What If?”, Health Care for America Now, an advocacy group funded by unions and other organizations favoring major health care changes, pushes one of the most contentious elements of the [...]
By Rochelle Sharpe JUN 17, 2009 With no health insurance and little money, Gilberto Carrasco, a Reno, Nev., auto mechanic, didn’t see much point in getting a physical. At 50, he felt healthy and couldn’t afford treatment even if a doctor found a medical problem. But then his girlfriend, Eren Hernandez, figured out a way [...]
By Andrew Villegas – Kaiser Health News June 17, 2009 Three former Senate majority leaders today unveiled a bipartisan health care reform package that would tax health benefits and includes individual and employer mandates. The price tag for the plan outlined by Democrat Tom Daschle, and Republicans Bob Dole and Howard Baker is estimated at [...]
By Mary Agnes Carey – Kaiser Health News With the Democratic-controlled Congress working on a potentially sweeping health care overhaul, questions abound for consumers, including whether they might have to change their insurance or buy coverage if they don’t have it. Here’s a guide to the top issues: Q: I don’t have insurance. Will I have [...]
To learn more: Visit the White House Healthcare Issue page. Visit the American Medical Association’s Web site.
By Eric Pianin and Mary Agnes Carey of Kaiser Health News A major Senate health reform bill would cost the federal government $1 trillion over the coming decade while reducing the number of uninsured Americans by a net of only 16 million, according to a preliminary analysis released yesterday. President Obama and congressional Democratic leaders are pressing for [...]
LocalHealthGuide is a health news and information web service for Seattle and the Puget Sound Region. We are independent and unaffiliated with any hospital, medical association or insurer. If you have questions or if your group has an upcoming event that you would like us to cover, please let us know by going to our "Contact Us" page and dropping us a note. -- Michael McCarthy, Editor
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Seattle Times Health News
Lost in translation: Lack of trained interpreters can lead to medical errors
Interpreter services at hospitals and other medical settings are often inadequate, forcing family members, including children, to step in, or the task falls to medical staff members who may not speak the language well.
Some insurers deny ER coverage to people who have been drinking
Laws in more than half the states permit insurers to deny payment for medical services related to alcohol or drug use. Faced with the prospect of not getting paid for care, some ER personnel sidestep the problem by simply not testing patients’ blood or urine for alcohol.
Travel insurance can protect your wallet — and your health on vacation
Think your regular health insurance policy will cover you if you get into medical trouble overseas?
Don’t bet on it.
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