Toils of American Healthcare

 Part I: 

            Healthcare in America has been known to be the epitome of many low income families in the United States. Most fail to make enough money to meet the annual insurance fees and are not able to receive healthcare. Currently, there are roughly 50.7 million citizens who are not able to afford medical insurance ( Wolf, Richard ). This is almost a two percent increase of the American population since last year. A causation of this most unprecedented fact is the recent recession in the U.S. economy. Never in history has there been such a deteriorating factor amidst our country. America is also the only developed country in the world that fails to provide a universal government sponsored healthcare system. Many can say that the quality of being a Laissez Faire nation being deeply embedded in our roots has created this problematic health insurance monster, yet it is definitely one of the United States’ most symbolic characteristics. Having a healthcare for Americans all over the country will provide and without a doubt, will generate better communities. Many have criticized the system and health insurance companies for its outrageously static prices that apply to all citizens regardless of monthly income. By creating a new healthcare system and replacing the current one, we, as a nation, are able to fix parallel issues such as poverty. Many have already figured out that they simple cannot afford the current price for insurance, so they do not even bother getting it. While some may interject to declare that this idea is preposterous and that a proper healthcare plan should be placed at the top of priorities list, not having any insurance may not be such a bad idea for low-income families. There are many pharmaceutical products being researched today and countless reliable drugs are being produced to help insure annual well-being. Not to mention over-the-counter medicine is proving to be more and more effective. With all of this in mind, the only problem remains with the mindset and responsibility of the individual. If one takes daily precautions and have a safe mentality, there should be no reason for injury. However, unlike a perfect world, accidents will and do occur and sometimes even spontaneously. By entering an emergency room without health insurance is where most families meet their downfall. Bills from the emergency room are sky rocketing and cause  major downward spikes for many family budgets. As stated by George Anders, “Each year Americans pay about 100 million visits to hospital emergency rooms, visits that generate about $14 billion in bills” ( Anders, George p.133 ). Ultimately, this is why healthcare may not seem like a benefit for low-income families, but when the risk factors and the cost factors are weighed, pay for insurance seems reasonable. Subsequently, even some of the better, more costly health plans do not cover every problem one encounters in life. In response to this problem, around 900 thousand citizens in the U.S., in 2010, resorted to something called Medical tourism ( Jain, Manoj ). Surgeries relating to dentistry and even eye care have become so expensive in the United States that citizens decide to travel to other countries, such as India, to get the procedure done correctly and for a much more affordable price. For those who are not able to do this, the only choice for them is to actively support political leaders in our nation who propose adjustments that will help them toward this goal of cheap if not free healthcare. Present Obama is exactly the symbol of hope for this particular issue. During his campaigning period and his first few years of presidency, he has hoped to achieve the seemingly impossible with Obamacare.

Part II:

            The most devastating part of this situation is how it arose. In the mid 1900s, Medicare and Medicaid were introduced into the U.S. system. Originally it was geared toward the elderly, but Medicaid advanced even further. States were required to pay for five basic services which included inpatient and outpatient care, laboratory, x-ray, and nursing home services ( Kronenfeld, Jennie Jacobs ). This began the trend for the development of more and more corporations. Now, as prices on coverage are increased by the insurance companies, it directly affects and escalates to the threshold of many customers who are willing to pay for insurance. As the pool of insured patients decrease in size, the costs will continue to rise in hopes to retain profit. In conjunction with the declining economy, the change becomes more drastic. As a result more and more patients are forced to go without insurance, enter the emergency, and leave with big-numbered bills. President Obama has therefore created Obamacare coming into his presidency in order to hopefully optimize a system that lowers financial insurance of United States citizens classified as low income households. The Patient Protection  and Affordable Care Act passed on March 23, 2010 after long hours of devotion by Obama to try and convince senate members to vote in the bill’s favor. This bill focuses mainly with the Medicare program of America and targets at “provide better coverage for those with pre-existing conditions, improve prescription drug coverage in Medicare and extend the life of the Medicare Trust fund by at least 12 years” ( Patient Protection andAffordable Care Act ). In addition, this act is mainly directed at those who supported President Obama during his campaign for presidency in 2008. A majority of the aspects incorporated into this law provide advantageous solutions to small business owners and white collar workers of America. And so, a greater amount of people are qualified for Medicaid while states cannot restrict their opportunity without losing federal funding ( Medicare and Medicaid ). Nevertheless, there were and still are dissenters of this March law such as Judge Roger Vinson of Florida. He believed that it was unconstitutional to force Americans to buy health insurance and “that the so-called individual mandate was ‘inextricably bound’ to other parts of the legislation” ( Health CareReform Follow-up ). The driving force behind the rationality of this act was that the increase in taxes was going to be the main fuel to reimburse the United States government in terms of funding. However, with President Obama’s 2011 tax cuts in order to please the resentful Republicans, national debt has started to rise once again. In a report released by the House of Energy and Commerce Committee, “the cost has increased from an already staggering $938 billion price tag to $1.445 trillion” ( Kessler, Glenn ). In unison with the already built up dissent among Congress and now the increasingly higher-than-estimated cost of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, President Obama is going to have to formulate a balance between the people and the political leaders of this country if he wants his healthcare plan to succeed.

Due to my interest, I volunteered at Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Oakland for community service. During my four years of volunteer work at Kaiser, I have been fortunate enough to meet people very different from the folks in the Contra Costa county and definitely those who harbor a much more difficult life due to their current economic position. By tending the Surgery Information Desk in the main lobby, I had met with people young and old, who, regardless of how far they lived from the hospital and how distant the relationship to the patient, came and asked for directional help. Simultaneously, this volunteer service I happily performed gave me a sense of pleasure from helping those in need and taught me communication skills in a professional setting. This opportunity invested in me and other volunteers is all thanks to the consideration of Kaiser, one of many health insurance companies available. However at the same time, I’ve also had the chance to experience displeased and infuriated patients while working in the emergency room. During my month of training in the emergency room of filing papers and such, I’ve witnessed tantrums of countless patients who have come to complain about their bill. I cannot vouch for outstanding quality of service for each and every patient, but I know that Kaiser has a reputation of outputting satisfactory care. Nevertheless, let it be major or minor injures, the cost of this “good service” comes at a hefty price for those without healthcare. This situation is a direct correlation to how corporations function in America in order to gain the most profit. Without sacrificing the quality of care as one of the top hospitals in the nation, it perseveres to gain most of its income from the emergency and patient stay departments. Fully taking advantage of those who do not have health insurance with Kaiser, it charges high prices, even though sometimes it’s rightfully justified for the amount of labor required. This serves as a warning and justification for patients to consider and sometimes convince families to apply for an insurance plan. As a result, corporations such as Kaiser have successfully lured more and more prey looking for survival into their trap.

Part III:

            During the past year and even today, healthcare costs have ceased to stop rising and are estimated to continue their ascend upwards, slowly but steadily, as President Obama tries to counterbalance this phenomenon. The primary problem is that President Obama has been very restricted in seizing opportunities to reach out to the people about his cause. Many do not understand these increases in health insurance and are, more often then not, corrupted by the opinionated lectures in news reports and one-sided columnists. Obama must try to slowly release information to support why it is important to stick to our insurance plan and not drop out short. If successfully done, President Obama can worry less about the nation’s general poverty and uncontrollable corporations and focus mainly on reducing the national debt and refining his health reform. Similarly, the government and medical corporations needs to focus less on emergency procedures, but rather more on methods that can be passed on to the general populous so that they can check and keep a constant check on their own health daily before a serious problem occurs. Americans even ranked the idea of prevention to be one of the top desires out of the medical reforms in this nation ( Thompson, Tommy G. ). When one can appropriately monitor their condition and possess the knowledge to continuously counteract the illness, the value in this procedure becomes invaluable. Our nation, similarly to a soda machine, just keeps on taking more and more money and returns unhealthy results and products which then fuels this unconscious cycle, mainly corporations, of addiction. On the more localized level, doctors or even employees can formulate ways of saving money in their own hospitals. One example is that they can “challenge overly stingy treatment guidelines and push for wiser standards” ( Anders, George p.245 ). At the same time, many potential advocates can even suggest more obvious solutions such as going against medical extravagance to save funds and get rid of inefficient working methods.

            As a freshman in high school, I had no doubt in my mind that I wanted to gain experience working in a hospital because I want to pursue the medical field of work as a life goal. Attending this volunteer program at the Oakland Kaiser has been one of the greatest choices of my life. Every hour I have volunteered, I have meet new and interesting people as well as learn how to accommodate with different types of visitors. Gaining social communication skills along the way has been invaluable. I also received the chance to mature in a corporate medical facility and to build my patience with difficult-to-handle people. The most rewarding part of this job included training new volunteers at the information desks located around the Kaiser block. Not only did I receive such a great opportunity, but I am able to share the toils I had to go through and forewarn these students so that they may achieve success quicker. The most invaluable part of this volunteering experience is the time I got to train and hold my own in the emergency room. Here, nobody has anytime for slackers and unless you learn to be quick minded and quick handed, there is little to no hope in such a professional environment. I had witnessed first-hand how proficiently large corporations such as Kaiser Permanente takes precautions for the safety of their customers by constantly improving the quality of their programs. Not only does Kaiser prioritize the health and well-being of it patients through its medical resources, it also spends the time to improve the environment of the hospital to hopefully make the visitors navigate easier. This medical corporation, Kaiser, has particularly given me a clear vision of how money flows toward the rich. Not only are they able to achieve such a high level of service due to reliable workers, they are able to expand their parameters to reach an even further and higher horizon those without such funds.

Possible suppressor of Diabetes?

Roni Rabin writes in The New York Times about the new development of a drug called Pioglitazone, or Actos, a medical drug advertised to help with preventing diabetes or controlling diabetes. Rabin goes on to note that this drug is developed from the same company as the older diabetes drug Avandia. Avandia is completely banded from Europe and is only rarely used in America due to its various side effects

Pioglitazone is believed to be safer than rosiglitazone, but it has been linked to an increased risk of congestive heart failure, and the Food and Drug Administration is investigating a possible link to bladder cancer.

However, after a recent statistical study with this drug, it seems that those who take Actos do receive more benefits than those who did not take any diabetes preventative drug at all. The only observed negatives were that the patients gained weight and had a lot more water retention in their bladders than those who didn't take Actos. Certainly there has never been a drug that has been approved federally to prevent any sort of diabetes at all. However, it will take some time due to the fact that there are always negative side effects. Patients will just have to wait until a drug with minimal damage is developed.

Lung Cancer death declines for American Women

Roni Caryn Rabin describes statistics about the more recent five-year analysis on mortality rates of women who smoke. Since 2003 the death rate of lung cancer induced women patients have decreased by as much as 3-5%. Statistically, a decline only seen after a decline in the same problem men have. In The New York Times, Rabi quotes:

For several decades, death rates had been increasing among women with lung cancer. The drop in death rates reflects declines in smoking that occurred years ago, analysts said.

This only goes to show that more and more Americans are realizing the bad effects of smoking. While it may seem sexist to say that women only follow by example because the majority of the smokers are male, the end result is what really matters. If women are able to take the initiative, from male influence, to stop smoking and decrease their risk of dying from lung cancer, then by all means do it. Lung cancer only results from foolishness and addiction and those who can take a step into a healthier life with longevity, there should be no obstacle one cannot overcome.

Painkiller Prescriptions value Safety

Painkillers are a useful way of diverting pain after a surgical operation and even physical pain. Pharmacists are now giving out contracts to opioids, painkillers, in order to keep track and monitor patients so they do not misuse these opioids. Michelle Andrews goes into detail in The Washington Post and says:

In 2007, 11,499 people in the United States died from opioid overdoses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That was more than the number of overdose deaths for heroin and cocaine combined.

Certainly is it wise for doctors to require regular check ups on patients who need chronic painkillers for daily relief. It is even more vital to have prescribe the bare minimum to patients who only need opioids for a short period of time. By creating a system that helps patients help themselves, they are able to stop from getting addicted and hopefully avoid a chanced meeting with death. Unlike other relief drugs, opioids are derived from the ancient opium poison. While it does provide physical and mental relief, if taken in wrong or excess dosage, death is inevitable.

Independent Pharmacies provide Better Service

Nati Harnik describes in The Washington Post that in a sample of responses, many customers actually prefer to get their over-the-counter and prescription drugs at an Independent drug store in comparison to the large drug chains such as CVS. Claimed to have quicker, more friendly service, these Independents appeal a constantly rising population.

People who filled their prescriptions at independent stores also praised the pharmacists’ accessibility and personal service, and encountered fewer delays and medication mix-ups than those who shopped elsewhere.

Nevertheless, these findings are said to have been collected from a survey that wasn't completely random. This doesn't exclude that fact that all of the respondents could only be from satisfied customers as well. Biased is a very big condition in the responses for this survey. On the other hand, without the many corporate restrictions of bigger chain drug stores, independent pharmacists are able to provide individual attention and care. Even so, if all you cared about was the price of the drug that is prescribed, it is most likely safe to assume that bigger corporations such as CVS will have the cheaper price in comparison to the small business owner of a drug store looking for independent profit.

Americans seeking cheaper care out of the nation

In a recent article in The Washington Post, writer Manoj Jain describes how many United States citizens are continuously traveling to other countries such as India for cheaper, but still quality surgeries and other medical care. These country jumpers are termed as Medical tourists.

When my father had a toothache, he saw a dentist in Boston who recommended a root canal and dental crown costing about $2,000. He decided to wait until he was in India, his native land, for holidays and had the procedure done there for $200.

 Although some may argue that doing so will ultimately hurt the American medical system in place by making these professions have less business and once again force them to raise the price for the required surgery. Another interesting note made in this article is the idea that these countries that know they get many medical tourists can accommodate them much more easily by having international guides in those countries. This way,  they can advertise their cheaper care for potential customers overseas. Just as facilities in America has adapted to many other languages in order to provide better service, many foreigners seek the help in the United States because of its better range of technology and knowledge as well.

More Cancer Survivors!

In a report released this year, cancer induced survivors has dramatically increased up to 20% since 2007. Pam Belluck, of The New York Times, describes the common misconception and that:

“There’s still a concept that cancer is a death sentence,” said Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control.

The facts are very evident that cancer still leads to eventual death if not treated, but the time is limited to five to fifteen years of survival. However, with a progressive scientific area study in cases such as breast cancer, new techniques and tools have become available for immediate treatment and post treatments that will allow patients to cope with their "disability." One major point that is brought up is that many are still not educated in this field, so action is not taken. The fact that statistics and reports like this one are given out annually for public viewing helps the community know of the high chances of success in cancer surgery. On the other hand, some cancers, such as prostate cancer in males, are said to have little to no effect on their lives and will not be the cause of their deaths. As the variation and complexity is taken into account, one must be actively tuned with the state of one's own body.

Government passively forcing Insurers out of the Medicare Business

In The Washington Post, Christopher Weaver wrote an insightful article on the situation of America's bigger insurance companies. Many are being to move to new areas of business such as "technology, health-care delivery, physician management, workplace wellness, financial services and overseas ventures..."

In December, Aetna acquired Medicity, a business that helps hospitals share patient information. The federal government will reward hospitals and doctors with more than $30 billion in increased Medicaid and Medicare payments by 2015 for adopting electronic medical records, but only if they can share their data.

Many companies have decided to move out of this field this early is that they expect a decline of profits with the currently increasing government involvement and regulation that is accompanied with Obama's health plan. Nevertheless, the government is using what some might call a bribe, as mentioned in the quote above, to obtain more information and therefore, more power. In an indirect method, the U.S. government is slowly forcing the insurance companys' claims and discontent with Obama's health care plan. Hopefully in the future, we may see a semi or even nearly free government regulated health care for all citizens.

Community Radiation Monitors

Eric Niiler describes in The Washington Post that many Japanese residents and some "fearful U.S. residents" are buying Geiger counters as a forewarning of any radiation that might be in the vicinity of their neighborhoods. Originally used to detect radiation in mines and excavation sides, these newer refined Geiger systems have been revamped for economical use.

 “I believe they have an agenda not to cause panic or concern and I don’t think they provide accurate information,” Krubsack said. So far, he hasn’t seen anything unusual, though.

Fears such as those from people similar to Krubsack are apparent in the U.S. Whether or not the government is actually withholding or even falsifying information is still unknown but being to actively confirm one's safety is crucial in maintaining one's peace of mind. On the other hand, researchers such as Smolinski feel that it's not a matter of physical safety. but rather the curiosity of those on the western coast. Nevertheless, one must not ignore the fact that the distributors of these Geiger counters are making a lot more money due to increased demand. Whether their opinions, such as Smolinski, are biased or not cannot be confirmed.

Strengthening Memories

Benedict Carey describes in his article in The New York Times that neurologists have recently started focusing harder to develop a drug which can enhance memory return and strengthen that memory in one's mind. The researchers have only been testing on rats which show promising results, but the act of testing on humans still display an unknown factor. Unlike the short term effects of memory recovery with caffeine or nicotine, these neurologists are trying to create a long or longer term drug with less addiction factors.

Such a substance would have obvious appeal — for people at risk of dementia, to name just one group — but the search has been very slow going.

The thought of having a helping aid as a learning tool will inevitably change the educational world for students entirely. Much stress can be relieved by taking this drug to stimulate and enhance the learning and memorization stage. This possibly revolutionary product will create a community with better and more efficient learners and in effect, workers. The only worry is still the possible side-effects. The best possible scenario would be that there are none, but human nature has shown that addiction is a hard quality to overcome.

Drug Misuse

As displayed in a 2007 research sample, 44 percent of the people who have to go to the emergency room have problems from drug misuse and poisoning. The costs of care for these patients were up to $14 billion. Not only is the estimated cost outrageous,but that it is one of the main reasons that explain the crowding of emergency rooms. Roni Caryn Rabin quotes in The New York Times

Children younger than 6 had a higher rate of emergency visits for accidental drug poisoning than any other age group, but most of the visits were precautionary, said the study’s lead author, Dr. Gary Smith

 This is absolutely stunning because most of the incidents are originating in the rural areas of the nation. This just goes to show that many people are very under-educated and uninformed by their regional physicians about what they're taking and the possible side effects. While this does not concern those who take illegal drugs because those who do probably don't care about the consequences, the sheer amount of injuries is surprising how many of us don't know how to read or take directions.

New Kidney Transplant Policy

With the upcoming, newly proposed, policy discussed by Gardiner Harris in the New York Times, many medical physicians and surgeons are hoping that it will be put into action. By prioritizing better conditioned kidneys to those who are expected to live longer, many youths and even middle-aged men and women will be able to live a longer life with a better functioning transplant.

the United Network for Organ Sharing, would try to ensure that the age difference between kidney donors and recipients is no more than 15 years. 

In this manner, the older citizens of our country will still get a standard transplant but not a healthy 18-year-old kidney because they aren't expected to live longer than the 30-year-old who also needs a transplant. I believe system makes perfect sense, however there is still going to be debates. Debates that those who pay more should receive a higher grade kidney. However, this problem was also kept in mind. This new policy will stock up high-grade healthy kidneys in case there is an emergency that requires drastic measures. This plan will hopefully organize the priority list to get kidneys to new owners that actually need them for a longer period of time.

No information on our Hospitals?

Eric Nalder and Cathleen Crowley discuss in the Hearst Newspaper that even today, there are very few hospitals that are willing to release medical reports publicly. An example was a case that included a man who nearly died when he was injected with the wrong substance to cure his snoring. Although he was reprimanded after he complained with some help, the story has never been released until organizations such as Hearst revealed it to the public.

The health care industry has resisted public reporting of medical errors. It has spent more money lobbying Congress than any other industry — about $500 million a year — but it is unclear how much of that money was related to error reporting.

Although there have been cases when hospitals actually reflect and fix errors that are reported to them in order to increase their safety rank, many hospitals have fear that their reputation will drop. This pride that's keeping them from publicly releasing yearly medical reports is definitely not what people want. As consumers and customers of products from hospitals, we have the right to analyze by ourselves without the help of some crafty high-order organization.

Dwarfs have the cure for Diabetes and Cancer!

In an article in the Wall Street Journal, Gautam Naik describes how a small population of Ecuadoreans "dwarfs" have been studied that they possess a mutation in their body. Although this strange phenomenon stops their growth hormone, it also prevents the development of diabetic and cancerous cells.

Based on data collected over about 22 years, scientists found not a single case of diabetes and only one nonlethal case of cancer among the Laron individuals.

This is a very important find to the scientific and medical community because it provides a possible solution to curing patients induced with diabetes and/or cancer. Although earlier this year there has been a case where a man was cured of his cancer and HIV from using stem cells, only success most likely concludes that it all luck in the scientific world. However, this study of about 100 individuals proves promising in a statistical sense. Further research, mechanisms, and methods are obviously still required for this "cure" to be a viable option.

Lap-Band now available to MORE people

Brent Kendall wrote an article in the Wall Street Journal about Allergan's product Lap-Band being avaiable to more people. The Food and Drug Administration has agreed to lower the minimal age and weight index in order to qualify for this product. Lap-Band is used in eligible diabetic patients to lose weight. Although this is only a minor product of Allergan, this massive corporation expects a gain of $220 million this year because of the new regulation.

The Lap-Band is an inflatable silicone ring that is placed around the upper part of the stomach. It restricts how much a person can eat and makes one feel full more quickly.

Although this product will undoubtedly help thousands of Americans to counter and control their diabetic problem early in their life, one can not ignore the fact that the government has given another leeway to a  company, that is already making millions, to make more money. In this case, diabetes is a haunting problem especially all over America and this product has been proven to be used widely due to its success. A problem that might occur in the near future is that other health and beauty product related companies may use this as an example in order to gain favor for their demands as well.

Drugs are better than Lasers for the Eye?

Jennifer Corbett Dooren of the Wall Street Journal has recently wrote that there is a drug that has been discovered to help cure the eventual blindness of newborns. Although this drug, Avastin, is normally used to stop the tumors of cancerous cells and tissues, it can also stop the clotting of blood into the eyes that cause newborn blindness.

Dr. Mintz-Hittner estimates there are about 3,000 to 4,000 cases of retinopathy of prematurity in the U.S. each year. The numbers are increasing as more premature babies survive.

This new product has been tested to be successful and is estimated to be only around $40. On the other hand, the other method available is called Lucentis. Babies who have taken this procedure are predicted that there will be more operations in the future. There are relatively high risks such as the lost of an entire eye. However, not only does Lucentis require multiple manditory operations, but also costs around $2500 per injection. Studies have shown that Avastin requires only one procedure. While this new product may very well be in the experimental stage still, it offers a great deal for those who encounter this problem in their premature babies and are relatively poor. New biomedical appliances such as Avastin prove that although we may not have invented a new solution to many health problems out there, we are still able to apply what we do have in different ways.