Rising Health Premiums

Rising Health Premiums

I am trying to blog from a website so let us see if it works. I do not have the features I am used to - my font preferences etc. (Oh but at the end it did let me save my post as a draft and I came back to my space and TADA I can make it bigger, etc - my Aunt Cissy likes the large font and I like her - so I oblige!)

I am blogging to share the above link with you because it contains a transcript (written conversation) and an audio recording of a show which aired this afternoon. On this show experts discussed health insurance and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Also, people were able to call in to the show and ask questions. Many times people called about a fear they had - something they had "heard" or "read" on the Internet for example. The experts were able to distinguish between the truths and the myths.

Many people of all ages are confused about this law and mistakenly think that they will get LESS care or the cared they receive will cost MORE - usually this is wrong. For example, many services that were once considered treatments are now considered prevention and are FREE of charge.

The link at the very top of this post should take you to the show website and I hope that you trust me enough - someone whose area of expertise IS Public Health - to know that I am sharing with you what I consider to be a trustworthy panel of experts.

Another link that you may wish to explore, explains some of the preventive programs and also answer additional questions you may have about Health Care Reform and the abbreviated, Affordable Care Act.

Please be a critical thinker (think for yourself) and look for the truth.

~ Deirdre

Count 'em Because They Count!

To the best of my knowledge the legislation that was signed into law by President Obama yesterday is called the Affordable Health Care for America Act. I am paying attention to the news for any mention of disease prevention or health promotion items within this new law and will highlight them as discovered.

Today I am happy to note that the bill included a provision to force fast food and other restaurant chains to list calorie content of their menu items at point of ordering location. A company that has more than 20 stores is considered a chain, so your Apple Bees, Red Lobsters, TGIFridays etc – will be included.. Oh, I bet there are more than 20 Bonefish Grills – yay! This means that you have to see the total calories BEFORE you place your order. There will be places to view other nutrient information, but the calories must be “in your face.”

Yes, we did have some reports earlier this year that people didn’t always pay attention to the content information and that it wasn’t always accurate – but this is still a step in the right direction.

What I hope to see next is health communications that target the consumer and teach a skill. The skill is to understand the menu and how the numbers can impact health. This will NOT make a difference in our obesity crisis if people don’t know about calories – it would be like putting SPF numbers on all the sunscreen but not telling anyone what SPF stood for OR that sun itself was a risk factor for skin cancer.

So – we (public health folks) have a lot to do to enhance this policy, and when we do, the chefs are going to respond to the consumers need for lower calorie options and in ten or twenty years – we may reduce the prevalence of obesity in this country.

I am very excited about this – knowledge is power….

Tanning Tax?

Though I had a topic in mind for tonight, I do not have the time to submit anything substantive so I will simply make an observation.

I was reading over one of a gazillion news stories that are addressing health care reform looking for the pieces that are going to affect prevention - when I saw this... and I am paraphrasing -

Expect new taxes or fees to hit a number of industries - including tanning.

Really? Tanning?? That is AWESOME - maybe the businesses will have to fold up shop and we will save on health care costs related to treating skin cancer caused by the lamps.

Think I am exagerating? Click here to learn more about skin cancer from UV radiation - which comes both from the sun and the lights used in tanning beds.