kid health

While sitting back in her blue jeans and wearing a heavy workout sweater at the Legacy Emanuel Hospital's Emergency room, Angela Jones has her feet prompted up and crossed atop of a small table. When asked about health care issues and how they affect her, Angela explains that there is a portion of people who suffer from not having health care insurance. She makes it clear that some of those who suffer most are young people. Jones, who is a college student, declared her passion for the young because it falls under her own age group.

Says Jones, "The Oregon Health Plan should be open to more people who are under 21 years old. Private insurance shouldn't be so expensive for young people."

According to national surveys, the primary reason people are uninsured is the high cost of health insurance coverage. Notwithstanding, nearly one-quarter (23 percent) of the uninsured reported changing their way of life significantly in order to pay medical bills. Economists have discovered that increasing health care costs correlate to drops in health insurance coverage.

Jones believes that some of the greatest challenges that people face across this nation is obtaining affordable health care. "I would open an Oregon Health Plan to a variety of people who don't have insurance. It is hard to get health insurance."

Terri Heber, a registered nurse at a local hospital, claims that in order to improve America's health care system a key ingredient is to "make sure that everyone (has) access."

This would include cutting out on expenses that are not palpable to so called "health care needs". Heber says, "First, we spend a lot of money servicing people for illnesses that can be prevented. Some of the money spent can go to other things."

Over the long haul, should the nations health care system undergo significant changes, the typical patient may not necessarily see the improvements firsthand. "I would love to say there will be a lot of changes. I am not a pessimist, but I don't think there will be any change," says Heber. Heber does allude to the fact that if more money were spent for people in the health care arena, she says that there is a possibility that the necessary changes would be more evident.

Whether health care is affordable or not is an issue that affects everyone. According to a recent study last year, health care spending in the United States reached $2.3 trillion, and is projected to reach $3 trillion by 2011. By 2016, it is projected to reach $4.2 trillion. Although it is estimated that nearly 47 million Americans are uninsured, the U.S. spends more on health care than any other nation.

The rising tide of health care stems from several factors that has an affect on us all. First, there is an intensity of services in the U.S. health care system that has undergone a dramatic change when you consider that people are living longer coupled with greater chronic illnesses.

Secondly, prescription drugs and technology have gone through significant changes. The fact that major drugs and technological advancement has been a contributing factor for the increase in health care spending. Some analysts suggest that the improvement of state-of-art technologies and drugs increase health care spending. This increase not only attributes to the high-tech inventions, but also because consumer demand for these products has gone through the roof, so to speak.

Thirdly, there is an aging of the population. Since the baby boomers have reached their middle years, there is a tremendous need to take care of them. This trend will continue as baby boomers will qualify for more Medicare in 2011.

Lastly, there is the factor of administrative costs. Some would argue that the private sector plays a critical role in the rise of health care costs and the economic increase they produce in overhead costs. At the same time, 7 percent of health care expenses are a result of administrative costs. This would include aspects of billing and marketing.

Terra Lincoln is a woman who was found waiting in the Emergency room at the Providence Portland Medical Center. When asked about the rising costs of health care, she said, "If you don't have medical coverage, it'll cost you too much money. If I leave the hospital right now and I need to buy two (types) of medicines, I couldn't afford it." Lincoln says that she is a member of the HP, but she believes that there are still issues that need to be addressed.

Terra recognizes that to reduce medical costs, she would have to start by getting regular checkups. "Sometimes people of color wait till they're in pain before they get a checkup," she said.

A national survey shows that the primary reason why people cannot afford health care is because of soaring costs of health care coverage. In a recent Wall-Street Journal-NBC survey it is reported that 50% of the American public claims that their highest and most significant economic concern is health care. Consequently, the rising cost of health care is the number one concern for Democratic voters.

Regarding the rising tide of health care, Kristin Vender bush, a native Wisconsin, and another patient in emergency at Providence says, "I worry a lot about what happens to the working poor. They don't have HP. If you can't advocate for yourself, you will not get the health care you need...on every level."

Harvard University researchers conducted a recent study that discovered that the out-of-pocket medical debt for an average consumer who filed bankruptcy was $12,000. This study noted that 68 percent of those who had filed for bankruptcy carried health insurance. Apparently, these bankruptcy's were results from medical expenses. It was also noted in this study that every 30 seconds someone files for bankruptcy after they have had some type of serious health problem.

In spite of all the social and economic bureaucracy in the health care arena, some changes were made in Washington on January 28, 2008. In his State of the Union address, President Bush made inquired Congress to eliminate the unfair bias of the tax code against people who do not get their health care from their employer. Millions would then have more options that were not previously available and health care would be more accessible for people who could not afford it.

Consequently, the President believes that the Federal government can make health care more affordable and available for those who need it most. Some sources suggest that the President not only wants health care to be available for people, but also for patients and their private physicians so that they will be free to make choices as well. One of the main purposes for the health care agenda is to insure that consumers will not only have the freedom to make choices, but to also enable those to make decisions that will best meet their health care needs.

Kerry Weensy, Acting Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, oversees the State Children's Health Insurance Program, also known as CHIP. This is a critical program because it pays for the health care of more than six and a half million children who come from homes that cannot afford adequate health insurance. These homes exceed the pay scale for Medicaid programs, therefore are not able to participate.

During Chips' ten year span, states have used the program to assist families with low-income and uninsured children for their sense of well-being in the health care arena. The Bush Administration believes that states should do more of an effort to provide for the neediest children and enable them to get insurance immediately. The CHIP was originally intended to cover children who had family incomes ranging from $20,650. This amount would typically include a family of four. According to sources, all states throughout the U.S. have CHIP programs in place and just over six million children are served.

Children and Health Care

Washington's Perspective

What is driving health care costs?

The fact that the U.S. faces ever increasing health care woes, has left many to believe that the country's current crisis is on a lock-step path toward dissolvability.

Health insurance is a must-have in the event you have a serious medical emergency. You never know when disaster will strike in the form of illness, accident or injury. If you aren't prepared with a good health insurance plan, you could stand to lose everything. If you have a good health plan in place, you can rest easy that your expenses will be taken care of. You have a couple of choices when it comes to purchasing health insurance. You can go with an individual plan, or if your employer offers group insurance, you can save money by choosing that plan.

Before purchasing health insurance, make sure you know about everything that you will be required to pay yourself. Health insurance costs go beyond premiums, and also include your deductibles, co-pays and other out-of-pocket expenses. You want a plan that strikes a good balance between affordability and the coverage types you truly need.

Many people have questions concerning their insurance policy. You only need to call to get the answers you desire. Almost all insurance agencies offer a customer service hotline that you can call anytime to ask questions related to your policy. The customer service representatives can give you information that will save you time, money and frustration.

You may have a certain doctor you can't live without. In that case, you'll want to make sure your plan allows you to still use that doctor. You can ask you doctor if they are partnered with any specific insurance company to save you time.

If you're considering an HMO, check to see if your doctor is in the network. Having to switch doctors is frustrating and part of new health insurance that is a hassle. This can all be avoided if you simply check before you switch.

A good money-saving insurance tip you can use is to start an HSA - Health Savings Account. This is especially good if you do not visit a doctor all that often. The money you are not paying in premiums and insurance deductibles goes into this account to be used for future medical expenses.

Health insurance is usually cheaper through a group, which is the way that most employers provide reduced insurance rates. What do you do, though, if self-employed? The Freelancers Union is one such group that you could consider joining. These kinds of unions offer health insurance plans to their members at discounted rates, amongst other perks.

If you've just graduated from college and are looking to purchase health insurance for the first time, keep the following in mind. Many employers will provide health insurance for their employees that you can use. Or, if you're under twenty-six, you can remain on the insurance plan of your parents.

It does not matter which type of health insurance you have, everyone will save money if they choose to get generic drugs when filling a prescription. Studies confirm that no real drop-off in quality occurs when you go to a generic brand. Only in the few cases where there is no generic should you opt for the name brand.

Verify with your insurance provider that your medical records are filed with an accredited Medical Information Bureau. If they are, you can obtain a copy of these records for free one time per year.

When comparing group and individual insurance plans, you may notice that group insurance might cost less monthly; however, there may be more options for an individual plan. Whatever option you choose, the most important thing is to have some form of health insurance in place. Being uninsured could cause severe financial hardship at a moment's notice. It's too easy to experience something unexpected that may leave you broke. Do the wise thing by researching all the options available for insurance today.

Having 'clinical' depression can affect all aspects of a persons life, strangely enough during my days of dealing with depression waking up in the morning in itself was tiring, even after a good nights sleep. Our self esteem and self confidence takes a beating and that dark gloomy cloud that hangs over the heads of people that are going through depression, unfortunately can not be wished away or just float out of their lives somehow. First let's look at some reasons why people get themselves into a 'clinically' depressed state, and then look at what has worked for myself and others I work with to get back to feeling abundant again.

Reasons People Become Depressed:

Becoming Isolated - It's just natural for human beings to want to be around other people. If the option of meeting that significant other and starting a family is there we feel fulfilled, but if it's not an option, we at least want to feel the closeness that friends, co workers or certain social groups give us. The feeling of being isolated appears when we feel that we just don't belong, and this is a major reason people become depressed.

Medications - Let's remember that antidepressant medication and clinical depression in general is still very poorly understood. But if you are on some kind of antidepressant consider yourself one of the lucky ones if you don't experience side effects such as the one written on the back of my old prescription: "Florentine may cause some people to be agitated, irritable or display other abnormal behaviors. It may also cause some people to have suicidal thoughts and tendencies or to become more depressed."

Chronic Stress - If you are dealing with chronic stress and anxiety it may be contributing to disrupting normal patterns of behavior, which can then lead you down the road of depression.

Candida Overgrowth - Toxins that become released into the bloodstream due to the Candida fungus in the human body can cause a multitude of symptoms, this can then lead to health anxiety and depression. As I've experienced in my own struggles in the past as well as seeing what has worked for others, curing your intestinal Candida can also cure your depression.

Childhood Abuse Or Hurt - A child who has been surrounded by abuse is much more likely to experience clinical depression at a later age then one who has not. In fact, the numbers show that 59% of physically abused children will become depressed later on in life. PTSD, learning difficulties and generalized anxiety are also part of the assortment of mental difficulties someone could experience later on in their lives.

Substance Abuse - It's estimated that 80% of people who have a chemical dependency or a certain addiction, also experience a co-occurring mental health problem such as generalized anxiety disorder or depression. Making the most of this one life that you are given, and firstly admitting that you need help is the first step to success, no one can truly create lasting change but yourself.

Loss of a Loved One - Grief is a normal emotion to the news of losing a loved one that commonly leads to major depressive disorder. Feelings of hopelessness and helplessness are all part of the grieving process.

Change - Sometimes when we lose that familiar feeling in our lives and get hit with a new job, a new marriage, a divorce, moving somewhere new, retirement etc, life can quickly become dissatisfying or dull. A seemingly positive change that has been planned for some time can bring unexpected changes that can bring about depressive episodes.

Nothing To Live For And Feeling Lost - There's nothing worse than having a stale life, something that gives you that jolt when you wake up in the morning is key for each one of us. This can come in the form of a new hobby, becoming educated about something you're interested in, taking part in a new social group, or maybe even teaching people something that you may be an expert at.

Financial Problems - Your money flow is the result of your continuous thoughts, that lead to your continuous emotions, that lead to your continuous actions. But isn't this true about everything in life? Yes, financial problems can certainly lead to depression but can be reversed for most people by applying what they already know.

Physical Illness - There is no doubt that clinical depression is a painful condition and often times occurs in association with a severe physical illness. Not only can physical illnesses lead to depression - the opposite occurs as well, which makes recognizing and treating depression all the more urgent.

The Media - With the average American exposing themselves to the media for just over 5 and a half hours per day, it's no surprise that this kind of exposure leads many into a state of depression. With the different messages being transmitted through the media that continuously reinforce aggression and other forms of risky behavior, it's no surprise that the media inspires anxiety and fear. Add to this the fact that media exposure at night time can disrupt sleeping patterns as well, and we have quite an interference in the development of our emotional and cognitive development.

Fear - It's easy to get into a pattern of negative thinking that breeds fear in us all, but the biggest obstacle that stood in my way during my 6 year struggle with an anxiety disorder was the fear of failure, which led me to live a confined and fearful life. What I've come to understand is to try something and fail, is not failure. But to not try at all, that's failure. So if the fear of failure is adding to your depressive state than understand that regret weighs more heavily on your shoulders then failure ever will.

Now That We Know What Could Be Contributing To Feeling Depressed, What can We Do About It?

The emotions that you are feeling are nothing more then a feedback mechanism. Feeling the emotion of fear for example means that the solution will come by stepping out of your feared comfort zone in a slow and systematic way. Feeling the emotion of isolation from others means that it's time you changed your approach to the situation that is isolating you from others, if financial problems are getting you down, become an entrepreneur and sell your expertise! For everything that is adding to the feelings of depression, there is an answer for, all you need to do is find the specific thing that is the cause, and listen to what kind of feedback you are getting. I've learned that the worst thing you can do is play the victim (as easy as it is to do so when depression strikes), as mentioned we get one shot at life and when the end comes I want you to look at your past and truly feel like you gave it your all each and everyday!

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