WTF Has Obama Done? - Issue No. 024 - Health & Wellness

Hey guys, I'm sorry that these posts have been far and in-between, but they are very time consuming.  Just this one particular blog takes me an hour from start to finish.  So I'm posting them weekly for the time being.

When it comes to our health and well-being, regardless of your political affiliation, you should be proud of this president.  I don't care what the REDs are telling you, President Obama does care, and no he is not giving away free healthcare.  One very important thing you have to keep in mind, that the same people who are voting against the President when it comes to their Health and Well-being, are the same people who claim they want "less government", yet they need and use all these programs.  More REDs use the Nutrition Assistance Program than Democrats, and when they vote to have less government intervention, they're voting against their own interests.  Think about it... look at all those RED states, do you really think all those poor people in those RED states are Democrats?  More than likely not, they are poor REDs using everything government has to offer.  Not because they want to, but because they have to.

The President has established an independent health institute to provide accurate and objective information, established the National Prevention, Health Promotion, and Public Health Council, ended the Bush-era policy of cutting FDA and circumventing FDA rules, and has also implemented an HIV/AIDS Strategy.  And it doesn't end there, the President has provided five areas for funding, and over 15 targeted actions including First Lady Michelle Obama's anti-obesity effort.

Today, we will be covering one broad policy, one funding initiative, and a targeted action in reference to Health & Wellness.  I will add more in a later issue, as the President has accomplished so many over the last 3 years.

WTF-70

Established HealthCare.gov, a web portal for determining and comparing all consumer health insurance and health care options.

Though the health-care bill doesn't really kick in until 2014, it mandated that the Department of Health and Human Services build out the Web site for comparison shopping by July 1, 2010. That seemed a bit odd to me, as the shopping it could promote wasn't shopping through the exchanges, but in any case, HealthCare.gov is live now, and it's a slick, easy-to-use site, which may be the best thing out there for seeing both the public and private health-coverage options for people in your situation in your area. And the obvious advantage of starting the site this early is that there's a lot of time for the tech team to play with it, improve it, and get comfortable with it before 2014, when it really needs to be working. [Read More-1]

Important new information about the quality of care available in America’s outpatient and emergency departments, including how well hospitals care for patients with heart attacks and protect outpatients from surgical infections was added to the new HHS website HealthCare.gov. The information can be found as part of the Compare Care Quality link on the front page of the new site, http://www.healthcare.gov/compare/index.html.  It can also be found on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Hospital Compare website, www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov.

“The more information consumers and patients have, the better the options and choices are for them when it comes to their health care. HealthCare.gov is designed to put the power of information at the fingertips of Americans and our quality compare tools are a critical part of this new website,” said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.  "This new update to CMS’ Hospital Compare feature will help patients and their families better compare quality at America’s hospitals. And thanks to this new update this year,  for the first time, Medicare patients can see how efficiently facilities use certain types of imaging equipment and keep them safe from exposure to potentially harmful radiation that may not be necessary.” [Read More-2]

WTF-71

Provided $20 billion increase for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Effective April 1, 2009, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) increased monthly benefits for participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by an average of 15 percent. The increase not only boosted the purchasing power of recipients for nutritious foods but also helped stimulate the economy.

SNAP was originally slated to receive $20 billion over 5 years from ARRA—an important stimulus to the economy. For example, most eligible four-person households have been receiving since April 2009 an $80 increase in their monthly SNAP allotment to spend on groceries (see chart below). ARRA also provided nearly $300 million to States for SNAP administrative expenses in FY 2009 and 2010.

ARRA included several provisions that affect SNAP benefit levels and operations - you can read about those here. [Read More-1, Read More-2]

WTF-72

Established a New Patient’s Bill of Rights.

A major goal of the Affordable Care Act – the health insurance reform legislation President Obama signed into law on March 23 – is to put American consumers back in charge of their health coverage and care. Insurance companies often leave patients without coverage when they need it the most, causing them to put off needed care, compromising their health and driving up the cost of care when they get it. Too often, insurance companies put insurance company bureaucrats between you and your doctor. The Affordable Care Act cracks down on the some of the most egregious practices of the insurance industry while providing the stability and the flexibility that families and businesses need to make the choices that work best for them.

Today, the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and Treasury issued regulations to implement a new Patient’s Bill of Rights under the Affordable Care Act – which will help children (and eventually all Americans) with pre-existing conditions gain coverage and keep it, protect all Americans’ choice of doctors and end lifetime limits on the care consumers may receive. These new protections apply to nearly all health insurance plans.

How These New Rules Will Help You

• Stop insurance companies from limiting the care you need. For most plans starting on or after September 23, these rules stop insurance companies from imposing pre-existing condition exclusions on your children; prohibit insurers from rescinding or taking away your coverage based on an unintentional mistake on an application; ban insurers from setting lifetime limits on your coverage; and restrict their use of annual limits on coverage. 
• Remove insurance company barriers between you and your doctor. For plans starting on or after September 23, these rules ensure that you can choose the primary care doctor or pediatrician you want from your plan’s provider network, and that you can see an OB-GYN without needing a referral. Insurance companies will not be able to require you to get prior approval before seeking emergency care at a hospital outside your plan’s network. These protections apply to health plans that are not grandfathered. [Read More]

I would like to list everything under each category, but there comes a time when even a blog gets too large. LOL. But make sure to click on the "Read More" links to read more on each WTF.

I promise to come back to this topic in another issue, until then, please feel free to read my previous issues by clicking on my logo here.  

 Make sure to read the next issue
Issue No. 025 - Infrastructure
WTF Has Obama Done is an ongoing series posted daily or weekly on BLADE 7184 until Election Day, 2012!