Government healthcare versus current state's laws

In an interesting article at the LA Times, they look at how the proposed bill for healthcare reform could actually harm some of the consumer rights states have put in place to protect them when it comes to insurance. For instance, in California, they require that insurance companies cover second surgical opinions, and breast reconstruction surgeries for breast cancer patients. This could affect consumers when insurance companies are allowed to sell insurance policies across borders.

According to the article, said Kris Haltmeyer, Blue Cross Blue Shield policy director, believes that establishing a minimum level of benefits at the federal level could mitigate some states receiving health insurance plans that aren't completely up to par.

What do you think about this? Will insurance companies being allowed to sell policies across state borders affect the quality in some places? What does this mean for the consumer?

Where does your state fall in healthcare rank?

This post in the LA Times highlights a healthcare quality rank conducted by the Commonwealth Fund. The results of the new ranking shows that these states are doing a decent job in terms of the cost of healthcare, quality of healthcare, access to healthcare and overall outcomes related to healthcare: Vermont, Hawaii, Iowa, Minnesota, Maine and New Hampshire. California which ranked 40th a couple years back now moved up to 31, quite a move. Take a look at the ranks here and let us know if anything surprises you.

Would it be smart to tax unhealthly food?

Melissa Healy has an article in the LA Times looking at the dramatic increase in US obesity and its effects on the current healthcare reform. Obesity in the United States rose from 18.3% in 1998 to 25% in 2006. This has increased government healthcare spending to over $40 billion a year. Healy suggests that it might be beneficial to go down the same road with unhealthy food as was done with cigarettes a few years ago, heavily tax that which is not good for you. Tax the foods to change the way people eat, and increase the taxes 10-30% and use the taxes received to pay for the heatlhcare of the obese. It would also be wise to increase tax subsidies on foods that are healthy, such as fruits and vegetables. What do you think?

Virtual colonoscopy and Medicare

The LA Times has an article about the new debate over virtual colonoscopies. With the Obama administration promising to make spending for Medicare more efficient, this debate arises. Colonscopies can be done in the traditional method or through a new virtual procedure, which often costs less. The government is now debating whether this procedure should be covered. Read the article here.

Medical expenses post-retirement rising rapidly

In a recent article at the LA Times, they look at the troubling increase that couples retiring are going to have to face when they retire and turn to Medicare for insurance. Medicare will only pay 1/2 the medical fees, which is currently in jeopardy due to the increasing number of retirees. Fidelity estimated that a couple moving into retirement this year will have to have saved $240,000 to cover medical expenses. This counts on the man living 17 years and the woman 20, as well as their companies not providing insurance. Over the 7 years that Fidelity has been conducting this study, expenses have risen 50%.