This is a disturb ing report, IMO.


WASHINGTON -- -- More than one-third of the people in the United States under the age of 65 had no health insurance for some or all of 2006 and 2007, according to a study released Thursday by Families USA, an advocacy group for the uninsured.

The 89.6 million individuals identifying themselves as lacking insurance for at least a month, according to the advocacy group, was almost double the number of uninsured reported by the Census Bureau for 2006.

"It's simply unacceptable that for lack of basic health coverage, nearly 90 million Americans had to live in fear of illness and injury in the last two years," said Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, which oversees national healthcare programs.


SOURCE

And the more the politicians shift the burden to the employer the worse it will get. Evey health care proposal being put out there suggest making the employer pick up at least part of the cost, and stats show they pass the cost along to the employee who ends up dropping coverage.

It's a scam to suggest involving the employer in a formula to fix heath care. IMO.

Amazing how fast this got thru, considering all Dems have a health plan, something was needed to counter it and now this gets the green light. A bit suspect for me.


The federal government has given the go-ahead for seven health plan sponsors to resume marketing Medicare private-fee-for-service plans to seniors after finding them in compliance with program requirements.

The organizations had agreed to voluntarily suspend marketing the plans in June after the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services expressed concern over deceptive practices by some insurance agents.

Humana Inc. (HUM), United Health Group Inc. (UNH), Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee and Aon Corp.'s (AOC) Sterling Life Insurance unit were the latest of the seven health insurers to receive approval from CMS to resume promotion of their private fee-for-service plans, following a comprehensive review, the agency said Monday.


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The federal government has given the go-ahead for seven health plan sponsors to resume marketing Medicare private-fee-for-service plans to seniors after finding them in compliance with program requirements.

I haven't seen a reviews of this marketing plan but I'm thinking there has to be something more to it than just the insurance companies now being in compliance. They are still being given the green light to target seniors with deceptive advertising practices. Does anyone actually think they just now have seen the light and are in full compliance?

Sorry to say, that seniors are an "easy" sell. They are worried about their health more than anything else, for most time it is all they have left. Shabby practrice.

Fixed income people really need a 24% increase in costs.


Retired Tokay High School teacher Norman Walker of Lodi describes the experience of selecting a Medicare Part D drug plan as like walking through "a labyrinth of misunderstanding."

Big changes - and possibly a big shock - are in store for thousands of San Joaquin County's 77,000 Medicare beneficiaries on Jan. 1.

That's when monthly premiums for California's standalone prescription-drug plans will increase an average of 24 percent. And the premium for the least expensive plan in 2007 will increase by 96 percent for 2008. That's almost double for WellCare Classic, which charged $9.70 a month in 2007 and will collect $19 starting January.


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