The Washington Post seems to think the SCHIP issue is going to affect the 2008 elections for President of the United States.? What do you think?? Seems kind of obvious, but they have to write about something.
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Archive for September, 2007
The idea of free insurance for everyone seems a little far-fetched in today’s world.? Some countries offer their citizens government-backed insurance, other countries like the United States let their citizens fend for themselves.? Wait, that isn’t totally correct.? The U.S. does offer Medicaid and Medicare.? Then there is the State Childrens’ Health Insurance Programs (SCHIP).? That particular program has actually been in the news alot lately.
So what would it take to get free insurance for everyone?? A miracle you say?? I would agree.? I was self-employed for the last two years and was covering health and dental insurance needs for myself, my wife, and our three children.? What do you suppose that cost us per month?? Go on take a guess.? It started at about $600 per month the first year and increased every time the contract came up for renewal.? I am no longer self employed, but before I left for my new job my family’s insurance was up to $900 per month.? How crazy is that?!? That would buy a nice house, a sweet car, three nice motorcycles, all kinds of food, etc.? To top it off, there were still out of pocket costs and a deductible to meet.? What’s wrong with that? picture?? Everything!
So who has a good idea for the people out there who have families like my own, but they don’t have $900/month for insurance?? The only one I can think of is to round up some doctors, dentists, and hospitals that are willing to work for a decent wage.? Then we won’t need the insurance companies hovering over our lives siphoning off money from our pockets.? Thoughts?
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It is believed that President Bush will discuss his concerns with the Democrats’ proposal for a $35 billion increase in the State Children’s Health Insurance Program during a news conference this morning.? As we have been reporting, Bush plans to veto the bill in its current state.? What he wants instead is a proposal? containing a? simple extension of the existing program, not a proposal to more than double what is already in place.
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Hillary Clinton released her plan for reworking the insurance system in the United States.? Clinton has ambitions for every US citizen to have health insurance.? To accomplish this task, Clinton plans to offer government subsidies to help make insurance costs managable.? There was also mention of help to move the rising health care costs in the other direction.? The LA Times has written a nice article covering the whole Clinton health care plan.? Be sure to check it out if you want more specifics.
This will definitely be a point of contention in the upcoming election.? Let’s hope that regardless of who wins the election, we US citizens can get together to rework the insurance situation to make? it better.
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According to the New York Times, the White House has denied New York state permission to provide additional health? insurance coverage to children in the state.? Essentially the state wanted to raise the income threshold level for the State Child Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) from? $51,000/year to $82,000/year for a family of four.? The White House certainly has its reasons for its actions? and New York has its reasons for disappointment.? Be sure to check out the NY Times article for more information.
As always, this is an important development for parents and specifically for those in New York.? We will continue to follow the story and provide updates as they become available.
Posted in CHIP, SCHIP | Comments (0)
As part of our periodic posting we like to show pictures of car crashes.? There are a couple reasons for this.? One, it reminds you that anyone can get in a car wreck, so it is wise to carry car insurance.? Two, they are cool pictures in a twisted sort of way.? With that said,? here is another picture of a car crash.? Does it look real to you?
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The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH)? announced five more cases of? West Nile virus yesterday.? This makes 19 reported cases for 2007.
Of particular interest to ChildInsure.com is that a teenage boy in Bureau County became sick in mid-August.? As with anything, children are also susceptible to West Nile Virus.? Kids are just as likely to be at risk, and maybe even more so, due to their penchant for outdoor activities.
Stay safe and take a look at IDPH’s press release for tips on minimizing your risk of exposure via mosquito bites.
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The Washington Post reports today that the number of cases of bipolar disease being diagnosed in children is up significantly (40 times higher)? over the last 10+ years.? Here is a quick excerpt from the article.
“The number of young people treated for bipolar disorder increased 40-fold in the United States between 1994 and 2003, according to a new study.”
For those of you parents who are unsure of what bipolar disease is, I have pulled the following from Wikipedia’s bipolar disorder page.
“Bipolar disorder is a psychiatric condition defined as recurrent episodes of significant disturbance in mood. These disturbances can occur on a spectrum that ranges from debilitating depression to unbridled mania. Individuals suffering from bipolar disorder typically experience fluid states of mania, hypomania or what is referred to as a mixed state in conjunction with depressive episodes. These clinical states typically alternate with a normal range of mood. The disorder has been subdivided into Bipolar I, Bipolar II and cyclothymia, with both Bipolar I and Bipolar II potentially presenting with rapid cycling.”
So what are the insurance implications for parents?? In this case, a diagnosed child will require treatment through medications and therapy/counceling.? In some severe cases hospitalization may be required.? Health insurance is a must in this situation.? If you need help in this regard, please take a look at our child health insurance page for more information and a list of insurance providers? servicing your zip code.
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