Three Health Insurance Mistakes to Avoid

By Kimberly Lankford, Contributing Editor, Kiplinger's Personal Finance
January 29, 2009

I just switched to a new health insurance plan through my employer, which took effect on January 1. It's the first time I've had a high-deductible plan and a health savings account. What do I need to know to make the most of this kind of health insurance?

Switching to a high-deductible health plan account can save you a lot of money in premiums, and you get tax breaks for using a health savings account. But you also need to become a much smarter health-care consumer to make sure the insurer gives you credit for everything you deserve. Here are three mistakes to avoid when you have a high-deductible health insurance policy...

Beyond Disability: The Fe Fe Stories

By Jennifer Roche

When was the last time you saw a positive (or even negative) image in the media of a teenage girl with disabilities? It wouldn’t surprise the Empowered Fe Fes to hear that you can’t remember. So, rather than wait for a reflection of themselves to show up in the media, the Fe Fes, a diverse group of 12 young female Chicagoans with disabilities, created their own video instead.

Single-Payer Health Care Would Stimulate Economy

by John Nichols on 01/14/2009
The Nation

There is an unhealthy tendency on the part of politicians and journalists to see discussions about economic recovery and health care reform as separate debates.

In fact, one of the most important steps on the road to economic recovery – or, more precisely, toward a new, responsible and sustainable prosperity – involves the fundamental reform this country's broken health care system.

But it must be the right reform: the establishment of a national single-payer style healthcare reform system by expanding the existing Medicare system to cover all Americans. According to a new "Single Payer/Medicare for All: An Economic Stimulus Plan for the Nation" study released today by the National Nurses Organizing Committee/California Nurses Association, such a reform would provide a major stimulus for the U.S. economy by creating 2.6 million new jobs and infusing $317 billion in new business and public revenues into the economy. This reform would, according to the study, add $100 billion in wages to the currently sputtering U.S. economy.

Indeed, notes the NNOC/CAN, the number of jobs created by a single-payer system, expanding and upgrading Medicare to cover everyone, parallels almost exactly the total job loss in 2008. "These dramatic new findings document for the first time that a single payer system could not only solve our healthcare crisis, but also substantially contribute to putting America back to work and assisting the economic recovery," says NNOC/CAN c o-president Geri Jenkins, RN.

Specifically, notes Jenkins, expanding Medicare to include the uninsured, and those on Medicaid or employer-sponsored health plans, and expanding coverage for those with limited Medicare, would:
http://www.thenation.com/blogs/thebeat/396919?rel=hp_picks

“Nothing to Fear but No Health Care”

by Amy Goodman
January 14, 2009

Fifty million Americans are without health insurance, and 25 million are “underinsured.” Millions being laid off will soon be added to those rolls. Medical bills cause more than half of personal bankruptcies in the U.S. Desperate for care, the under- and uninsured flock to emergency rooms, often dealing with problems that could have been prevented.

Today's Topics in Health Disparities - Are Health Disparities Back on the National Agenda? Examining the Impact of a New Administration and Congress

12/9/2008
Kaiser Family Foundation - Washington, D.C. - Broadcast Studio

With a new administration and substantially changed Congress coming to Washington in January, there is a significant opportunity for new policy initiatives to tackle issues of racial and ethnic disparities in health and health care. The Kaiser Family Foundation hosts an interactive webcast to examine the implications of the changes as part of its Today's Topics In Health Disparities series.


During the webcast, expert panelists take a closer look at what types of policies and initiatives could emerge over the next few years. They also examine how the new administration might prioritize efforts to eliminate health disparities in the future.

American Health Care Since 1994: The Unacceptable Status Quo

2009 presents a rare opportunity for health care reformers to achieve their goals of affordable, accessible, and effective health care for all. American families and businesses are ready for sweeping changes after years of skyrocketing costs, increasing numbers of uninsured, and inconsistent quality of care. President-elect Barack Obama has promised to make health care a top priority, and congressional majorities are eager to pass reform...