In 90 days, the government must create a program to cover people turned down by insurers because they have a pre-existing condition.
Help of uninsured kids with pre-existing conditions may not kick in until 2014
When President Obama signed health reform bill into law Tuesday, did he fulfill a campaign promise to “bring health care to all?” The short answer is — no.
Will reform pay for itself? The answer will come slowly over the next decade as the reforms gradually go into effect.
Of 2,608 primary care training slots available, fewer than half were filled by American med school seniors.
“When President Obama signs the final legislation into law, families in Washington state will begin to benefit immediately.”
The bill passed by the House would extend coverage to 32 million Americans by 2019, but also have an an effect on almost every citizen.
Wonks call them “early deliverables”–the benefits that would kick in this election year–but they could be called the Democrats’ “Incumbents’ Protection Plan,”
Reform will hold insurance companies accountable, protect consumers, and assure affordable quality care, the President says.
“It would put federal bureaucrats in charge of medical decisions that should be made by patients and doctors.”– Rep. Parker Griffith (R-AL)
The number of lobbyists working Congress on health reform more than doubled in 2009 from more than 1,400 in the first three months of the year to nearly 3,700 in the final quarter
“What’s being tested here is not just our ability to solve this one problem, but our ability to solve any problem.”
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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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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