Healthcare

This week marks National Influenza Vaccination Week.  Flu season has already begun, and it is important to get vaccinated if you have not already.  Each year, as many as 20% of Americans catch the flu, with the elderly and young children being most at risk.

Flu viruses spread from person to person mainly through coughing and sneezing, but can be spread in other ways.  Most adults can pass the flu on to others before symptoms are present, which is why it is important to be vaccinated.

There are two ways you can protect yourself from the flu this season.  The traditional flu shot and the newer nasal spray have both been proven effective against the flu.  Ask your doctor which method of vaccination is right for you.

While it is important that everyone get vaccinated, certain groups are more at risk of having serious flu complications.  Children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years, the elderly and individuals living in long-term care facilities are more at risk of contracting the flu and should be vaccinated before peak flu season in January.

As a nurse, I understand the benefits of being vaccinated.  Please consult your physician and schedule a time for your vaccination.  You may also visit www.flucliniclocator.org to find a clinic near you.

The American Medical Association (AMA) is working around the clock to stop Medicare payment cuts to doctors before Congress comes to a close this year. We will not rest until doctors and patients get the attention and action they deserve.

Seniors’ access to health care hangs in the balance. If Congress doesn’t act now, the first of nine cuts will go into effect on January 1, forcing doctors to make difficult practice decisions. A 40 percent cut to payments over nine years, as practice costs increase 20 percent, will make it difficult for many doctors to continue to see seniors. These cuts come on top of already-insufficient payments. Currently, Medicare pays doctors the same as it did in 2001.

The effect of the looming cuts is clear. If the first cut goes through in 2007, nearly half of doctors will be forced to limit the number of seniors they see. And seniors are already having trouble getting in to see their doctor. A report by the commission that advises Congress on Medicare shows that 25 percent of Medicare patients seeking a new primary care physician are already having trouble getting an appointment. Read more...

It is critical that the 109th Congress stop imminent cuts in Medicare reimbursements to doctors and hospitals before we adjourn in December.  When the Medicare Modernization Act was signed into law it included provisions to reclassify certain hospitals to higher and fairer reimbursement rate status.  These provisions are set to expire at the end of this calendar year.  For many hospitals, not extending these provisions will put them at a competitive disadvantage and jeopardize their very ability to stay in business.  Similarly, failure to extend other provisions of the Medicare Modernization Act could mean a cut in provider reimbursements by as much as 5 percent.

I have been working hard with my colleagues for several months to ensure that extension of these provisions is passed through Congress before the end of the year.  In fact, I recently authored a letter, also signed by over half of the New Jersey Congressional delegation, to House leadership to urge the addition of the extension of these provisions to our agenda before Congress adjourns next month.  The response has been encouraging, but I will not rest easy until the extensions are in signed into law.  This could be a real crisis for our nation's healthcare system and it must be averted before the adjournment of the 109th Congress.

As the open season for Medicare begins, I would like to urge all beneficiaries to compare their current coverage with their needs and evaluate independently if another plan may better suit their requirements. During this first year of the new Medicare Prescription Drug Program, there have been many ups and downs, but seniors seem generally satisfied once they understand their plan. The most important thing to do during this open season is to first evaluate if you want to join the program if you don't have coverage. And if you are already enrolled in a plan to really take the time to understand if the plan is meeting your coverage needs. If you do not understand the offerings, it is important to sit down with a trusted family member, and understand the prescriptions you are taking, the formulary with your current plan and the benefits you have. The time to change is now.

The message from this election is clear. There’s little doubt that the American people want a change of course in Iraq. But they also want a government that stands with them and their families as they look to the future – jobs that reward their hard work, health care that is good and affordable, and education that continues to open the door to the American dream for all of our citizens.

That was the agenda of the voters in this election and it will be the agenda of our Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee when we convene in the new year. And with Senator Reid as our majority leader, America’s families will see great progress on the issues that they care most about.

My first priority will be to increase the minimum wage. Americans are working harder than ever, but millions of hard-working men and women across the country aren’t getting their fair share. We’re not rewarding work fairly anymore, and working families are falling behind. Read more...

Working Americans won a major victory last week, heralding a new era for our country. They voted for the leaders that would have an impact on the issues that matter most for their future. For far too long, working Americans have suffered from stagnant wages, rising health care costs and an increased cost of living. Armed with a restored confidence in the democratic process, workers can now look to the future with hope. The 110th Congress now has the historic opportunity to make a positive change in the lives of the millions who voted them into power.

Change is already on the way. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, in line to be the next Speaker of the House, has set forth a plan for the first “100 hours. Read more...

With more than 46 million Americans lacking health care coverage, America’s Health Insurance Plans has taken the initiative to propose comprehensive health care reform that would provide near universal access to affordable health care. Our goal is to expand access to health insurance coverage to all children within three years and 95 percent of adults within 10 years.

Our plan would expand eligibility for public programs, enable all consumers to purchase health insurance with pre-tax dollars, provide financial assistance to help working families afford coverage, and encourage states to develop and implement access proposals. Read more...

The United States has one of the best food safety systems in the world.  But, even in the best of systems, there is always room for improvement.

Our surveillance, testing and reporting systems represent areas we should evaluate, along with inter-agency coordination and cooperation between federal and state officials, which are critical in identifying, tracking and responding to outbreaks of food-borne illness.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that food-borne illnesses affect 76 million Americans each year, resulting in 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths.  Food-borne illnesses also impose tremendous costs on the U.S. economy.  The Department of Agriculture estimates costs associated with medical expenses, premature death, and losses in productivity due to missed work from five major types of food-borne illnesses at $6.9 billion annually. Read more...

Once again, this Congress' fiscal irresponsibility has resulted in cut in services to those who need it most. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid have issued a new rule that will slash Medicare reimbursements for power wheelchairs by nearly 41% beginning November 15.

This new policy is nothing short of a tragedy for seniors and people with disabilities who rely on these wheelchairs for mobility and independence. Currently, Medicare pays all but 20% of the cost of the chairs for eligible recipients. Most seniors and disabled Americans will not be able to come up with the money necessary to purchase and maintain this equipment, as powered wheelchairs can cost up nearly $20,000.

This policy, coupled with the Medicare Part D donut hole, is the latest case of seniors paying the price for this Administration's fiscal irresponsibility.

It is time for Congress to stop the reckless budget policy that has resulted in Medicare having to break its promise to seniors and the disabled. Congress must address this issue and make sure that power wheelchairs are available for Medicare recipients who need them.

Health care is consistently ranked as one of the key issues on the minds of families around the country. The 2006 Health Confidence Survey, released by the Employee Benefit Research Institute under the headline, “Dissatisfaction with Health Care System Doubles Since 1998, Read more...