Archive for July 2010

Are you aware that we’re in the midst of a serious whooping cough epidemic?  Nearly 1500 cases have been reported in California so far this year, a 5 fold increase from last year; and many more incidents are under investigation. With months of warm, infection conducive weather ahead, we’re on track to have the worst [...]

In our previous entry,  we stated that the Massachusetts health care plan had the same objectives and strategies as the one recently signed by President Obama.   Given their 3 1/2 year head start, we have a pretty plausible picture of what our health care future might look like. Among the good results are: -  more, [...]

President Obama said earlier this year that the health-care bill that Congress passed three months ago is basically the same as the Massachusetts plan signed into law in 2006.  Are they?  They both claim the same objectives: Universal Health Care Coverage and Affordable Medical Care For All.  The components of the reform acts are certainly [...]

Hospitals and surgical care centers are having difficulty controlling deadly infections contracted within their facilities.  As previously cited, 1 in 10 people hospitalized are affected and a total of 100,000 of these die as a result.  But in one sense, we are all affected because the cost of infections, estimated at $30 billion a year [...]

Hospitals can cause deaths unrelated to your reason for being treated there. Infections contracted in the hospital in one year total 2 million people, result in 100,000 deaths and cost about $30 billion a year.  As many as 1 in 10 patients hospitalized in the U.S. will come down with an infection  Unfortunately, the Patient [...]

It was noted yesterday that the program designed to provide temporary high risk insurance coverage will fall far short of its goals between now and 2014.  This should come as no surprise.  Just look at the states that have already started programs like this.     The 35 high risk pool states all operate at a loss [...]

California has now joined 20 other states in providing temporary health insurance for people with pre-existing medical conditions.  However, only a small percentage of the estimated  400,000 eligible Californians will get help.  Moreover, it is questionable whether the funds available will cover the period between now and when the full federal program will take over [...]