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!

Must Watch: Rick and Steve

If you have never seen Rick and Steve, you should. Ryan and I watched it every week on Logo back in 2007.  It only ran for two seasons; Season one had 6 episodes and season two had 8.  You can rent them on Amazon or buy the DVDs, either way you'll have a laugh at our silly little gay world. :-)

The show follows the lives of three gay couples, the couple on show's title, Rick and Steve, Chuck and Evan, and Dana and Kirsten- as they live in the fictional gay ghetto of West Lahunga Beach and interact with their friends and family. 

The title is ironic, as all three of the main couples have typical "couple issues" — including Steve actively seeking a three-way with Rick and another man, Kirsten and Dana deciding to have a baby with Rick's sperm, and Chuck and Evan simply trying to be together despite a 31 year age difference between them.

The show is noted particularly for its use of an adult-oriented and "politically incorrect" style of humor, similar in some respects to that of South Park and Family Guy. [Wikipedia]

Here's a clip from the show and another after the jump:

WTF Has Obama Done? - Issue No. 002 - Health Care Reform

Yesterday we looked at funding and targeted actions involving Civil Rights issues the President achieved over the last 3 years.  We will be going back to that in the future, but today we will focus on Health Care Reform.

As you are aware, not many republicans are happy with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act / Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, but unbeknownst to many of  you, it has actually helped save hundreds of lives already.  Patients with cancer or other pre-existing conditions are now being seen, when they were never given the opportunity to begin with.  Hell, Ron Paul is telling us we need to find a local church that can offer us healthcare assistance. As if churches could give every American money.  If that was the case we would all be going to church on Sundays.

We will go back to "Obamacare," as Republicans like to call it, at a later time.  For now let's focus on WTF-4...

WTF-4 

Requiring large employers to contribute to a national health plan. - During the campaign, President Barack Obama said that large employers would have to offer their workers health insurance or contribute toward the costs of a national plan. This type of requirement is usually called an employer mandate.

But the final version of the health care law requires a contribution from employers, but it's not a straightforward mandate. Instead, the law states that large employers have to pay fines if any of their workers qualify for public subsidies. [Reference]

WTF-5  

Requiring insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions. - Requiring insurance companies to accept people with pre-existing conditions is one of the cornerstones of the health care reform bill passed by Congress and signed by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010.

The issue is addressed in Section 2704 of the bill, which states very clearly, "A group health plan and a health insurance issuer offering group or individual health insurance coverage may not impose any pre-existing condition exclusion with respect to such plan."

And Section 2705 spells the prohibition out in even more detail:

"A group health plan and a health insurance issuer offering group or individual health insurance coverage may not establish rules for eligibility (including continued eligibility) of any individual to enroll under the terms of the plan or coverage based on any of the following health status-related factors in relation to the individual or a dependent of the individual: health status; medical condition (including both physical and mental illnesses); claims experience; receipt of health care; medical history; genetic information; evidence of insurability (including conditions arising out of acts of domestic violence); disability; any other health status-related factor determined appropriate by the Secretary." [Reference 1, Reference 2]

WTF-6  

Requiring health plans to disclose how much of the premium goes to patient care. - Under section 2718, health insurance providers are required to report how much they spend on payments for clinical coverage, activities that improve health care quality, and "all other non-claims costs." The provider must also include an explanation of the nature of these costs. The law mandates that the information be available on the Department of Health and Human Services website.

Starting in 2011, companies that provide insurance for the small group and individual market must issue rebates if they do not spend at least 80 percent of the premium revenue on medical care. For the large group market, the threshold is 85 percent. The rebate amount is based on the premium revenue and by how much the provider falls short of the prescribed thresholds.

We wanted to point out this additional proof that President Obama kept his promise. The rating remains unchanged. [Reference]

Please make sure to read Issue No. 002 tomorrow as I continue with  
WTF-7

I Am Obamacare!

Facebook friend Jason Johnson posted this image on his FB wall yesterday, and I had to share it. I don't think Republicans understand the importance of what they call "Obamacare". 

They think its all fun and games, but look at the document below you bumbling bozos, and call me a socialist - I don't care! You will be hurting a lot of people when you or the Supreme Court try to remove the new Healthcare law.

click to enlarge

Please feel free to share this with your friends and family.  If you want to share the link, that's fine. Or if you want to take the images and share them on your wall, I'm fine with that too.  We need to spread the message.