Thursday
Jan222009
When It Comes to Health Care, the Lesser Lead and the Greater Follows
Thursday, January 22, 2009 at 5:48PM
At the Hearing on the State’s Role in Keeping Americans Healthy, Jonathan Fielding, M.D.,M.P.H., director of Los Angeles Department of Public Health advocated nutritional education within schools, nutritional standards for school lunches, Measuring body fat as a new vital sign, and support for nutritional assistance programs.
Fielding said he advocates stronger measures to keep tobacco away from minors, treatment prompts keyed to health screening, smoke-free indoor environments, and tighter regulation of tobacco.
William Emmet, Director of the Campaign for Mental Health Reform said that depression is a factor in 40 percent of physical illness. The mentally ill, he said, cost more, suffer more, are more than three times as likely to smoke, and die 25 years younger, on average.
L. Allen Dobson, Jr., M.D., F.A.A.F.P.Chairman said North Carolina Community Care Networks, Inc. funds enrollments at a monthly cost of $2.50 per child, and $5.00 per adult, though it might rise to between $3 and $8 as benefits expanded. He said enrollment increased, health care providers became more willing to treat Medicaid patients, and the state saved $100 Million per year.
Dr. JudyAnn Bigby, Secretary of Health and Human Services, Massachusetts said that Massachusetts’ 2006 Health Care Reform Bill now covers 94 percent of residents, including 99 percent of children. She described coupons for discounts on fruits and vegetables, an aggressive stop smoking program, rewards for workplace wellness measures, and the nation’s first “pay for performance” program, which provides bonuses to hospitals that meet benchmarks.
Sen. Harkin requested a centralized way of comparing what does and does not work, and said that states were testing and demonstrating the way to universal health care at the national level.
Fielding said he advocates stronger measures to keep tobacco away from minors, treatment prompts keyed to health screening, smoke-free indoor environments, and tighter regulation of tobacco.
William Emmet, Director of the Campaign for Mental Health Reform said that depression is a factor in 40 percent of physical illness. The mentally ill, he said, cost more, suffer more, are more than three times as likely to smoke, and die 25 years younger, on average.
L. Allen Dobson, Jr., M.D., F.A.A.F.P.Chairman said North Carolina Community Care Networks, Inc. funds enrollments at a monthly cost of $2.50 per child, and $5.00 per adult, though it might rise to between $3 and $8 as benefits expanded. He said enrollment increased, health care providers became more willing to treat Medicaid patients, and the state saved $100 Million per year.
Dr. JudyAnn Bigby, Secretary of Health and Human Services, Massachusetts said that Massachusetts’ 2006 Health Care Reform Bill now covers 94 percent of residents, including 99 percent of children. She described coupons for discounts on fruits and vegetables, an aggressive stop smoking program, rewards for workplace wellness measures, and the nation’s first “pay for performance” program, which provides bonuses to hospitals that meet benchmarks.
Sen. Harkin requested a centralized way of comparing what does and does not work, and said that states were testing and demonstrating the way to universal health care at the national level.
Reader Comments (1)
President Obama will offer some form of universal health care coverage. However, we need to fix the health care system as well.
As a patient and a former employee (I used to work at a famous hospital on
Long Island) of the health care system - I have first-hand knowledge on how
the care system works in America. Close to 100,000 people die each year in hospitals due to medical errors. The hospital I worked at had too much administrative waste. There was endless paperwork in processing patient information. Many of the positions, especially in the non-medical areas, were filled through nepotism. Many of the supervisors and mid-level managers at this hospital were concerned about how they looked to top administrators, rather then perform their jobs effectively. (CYA was the major activity).
A question I would like to ask the general public, particularly doctors - How come doctors never challenge other doctors?
Right after I graduated college I was “confused,” doing drugs, and getting into trouble; so my parents sent me to psychiatrist. The psychiatrist said I was “mentally ill” and he sent me to neurologist for my tests. (Our family doctor stated at first I did not need any tests, and then he changed his mind.) The neurologist examined my brain and said I was fine. I just needed to “grow up.”