This blog gets little activity and methinks it's because my acquaintances don't really blog. They often come here when a new post is shared on my FB page and then return to FB to leave commentary on my "share." OK, fine. So Jadon and I set up a page you can easily "like" and follow posts: facebook.com/recliningsociety.
I don't know how I feel about the change. While I am hoping for more activity, FB makes it too easy to become carried away with posting every thought and interesting article that comes around... And then it becomes overkill and loses its value. I'm really hoping that it doesn't turn into that.
We are also planning to do an actual live podcast, which was actually the main ambition when starting this little endeavor. We hope to have a show up soon.
I still plan to post actual blogs here for those that want to anonymously read without having to "like" anything, but please feel welcomed to join us on the dark side.
You can also listen to our podcast at http://www.podcasts.com/reclining-society-9b72cc1ae
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Healthcare CO-OPs
I had to write a paper for my course Professional Aspects of Advanced Nursing and "take a position" on a current healthcare issue. I had to limit it to two pages using APA format. This is what I came up with. Let me know what you think:
The
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) passed in 2010 is an
ambitious attempt to make healthcare a reality for every citizen, mandating
that employers provide health insurance to its employees and that every individual
has health insurance. This might become problematic for small businesses and the
self-employed or unemployed individuals. As it currently stands, small
businesses and the individual have more expensive plans than large employers
and coverage is often minimal within these plans. Small businesses and individuals
are relatively too insignificant to create favorable change within the current
market. Healthcare providers, including nurse practitioners,
often feel the strain of their patient’s financial burdens when they are
compelled to stray from the standards of practice due to the patient’s lack of
coverage or inability to meet high deductibles and co-pays.
To offset the burden of the mandate and
avoid forcing people onto government-run healthcare, section 1322 of the ACA
created the Consumer Operated and Oriented Plan (CO-OP) and provided each
prospective CO-OP the potential to borrow up to $56.4 million in federal funds
to cover the expenses of start-up. CO-OPs that take out a loan have several
contingencies they must follow: the health insurance issuer must offer plans on
a statewide basis, it must be governed by its own members, and it must be
recognized as a nonprofit organization as defined by the state while reinvesting
its profits to improve benefits or lower the premiums.
There is some opposition to the
implementation of CO-OPs. Since the CO-OPs are using federal dollars and there
isn’t a guarantee that they will be viable, some think that it’s too much of a
risk for taxpayers to invest in. Initially, the goal was for
all states to implement CO-OPs but because of pressure to decrease federal
spending, only 24 states received these funds before budget cuts were made.
Oregon is one of the 24 states that
received federal loans and is the only state to attempt two co-ops—Freelancers
CO-OPs of Oregon and Oregon’s Health CO-OP. A major appeal of a healthcare
CO-OP is that with each member being a part-owner, the individual will have
more autonomy within the healthcare system. Focus groups within Oregon found that
consumers are interested in established flat rates for their appointments,
being able to contact providers through email, having alternative medicine as
part of the plans, and affordable premiums. Enrollment for these two CO-OPs
begins in October 2013 and coverage will start in January 2014.
Oregon nurse practitioners should
consider supporting healthcare CO-OPs for several reasons. First, the nature of
a CO-OP not only respects the patient’s autonomy but it promotes
it. As part-owners of their healthcare policy, patients will be able to vote on
the type of care they want covered and the rates that are willing to pay.
Second, it is also a form of social justice. As the healthcare
system stands today, access to care is limited by the ability to pay. By
providing healthcare insurance with predictable costs, patients will be more
likely to seek early treatment for both acute and chronic diseases and injuries
from their primary provider and reduce emergency room visits. Patients will
also be more able to afford medications and procedures that they previously
could not.
Since healthcare CO-OPs that received
federal loans are unable to advertise and solicit membership, nurse
practitioners should draw attention to these healthcare plans by working within
their communities and informing small businesses and self-employed individuals
about this option. Having a large enough membership is crucial as it will
determine the CO-OP’s viability.
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Edding toward a Den of Snow
Edward Snowden has had his passport revoked, and is stuck in Moscow, according to Time.
The list of countries willing to take Snowden is shrinking as more say either "no" or "apply in person."
Whistle blowing keeps getting more dangerous. While Assange is holed up in an Ecuadoran Embassy, Bradley Manning is still facing a whole host of charges for having a greater allegiance to exposing the truth to the masses then protecting them by...what exactly? Withholding that information?
We are moving to an open source information age. Secrets are getting harder to keep. It is up to us to demand open access to information. We children of the 80's 90's and 00's are the next generation of policy makers. Our apathy is the only thing stopping us from greater knowledge, and secrets are like water slipping between the fingers of those that would keep it from us.
By my count, Snowden is a patriot. So is Manning. Dissent is patriotic.
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Obama said something about protecting whistle blowers once...
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