Flawed Healthcare in the U.S.: ObamaCare readdressed…Labyrinth of the Chargemaster

The actual problem with healthcare in the U.S. is not that there is no universal coverage, but rather the cost of procedures is outrageous. When you want to know what is wrong with our healthcare system, there is the need to look past insurance coverage and more into what the insurance is covering and who decides the cost. The prices of healthcare are inflated currently, and the Affordable Care Act does not address this issue. It does not even touch on the actual problem. “Each hospital has an internal price list called a chargemaster, which contains every single item you may be given or come in contact with during your hospital stay. The problem is, no one quite knows how the prices in the chargemaster are created. What is clear is that there’s absolutely no market feedback to regulate and control the prices that are charged,” (Mercola, 2013). The term chargemaster sounds like a 1980’s made for TV sci-fi movie, and few Americans have ever heard the term. But, we should all be more informed about this list of prices and who regulates it, because the U.S. pays more for any given procedure or medication than any other powerful nation. “It costs $13,660 for an American to have a hip replacement in Belgium; in the U.S., it's closer to $100,000,” (npr.org, 2013). If the government really wanted to make health care more ‘affordable’ as the bill proclaims, would it not be logical to address and discuss this issue, rather than force people to have insurance? Question everything, and question again….

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/10/05/us-health-care-system.aspx

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/24/hospital-charges-health-care-system_n_3321521.html

http://www.npr.org/2013/08/07/209585018/paying-till-it-hurts-why-american-health-care-is-so-pricey

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/12/01/officials-obamacare-site-is-better-after-fix-deadline-but-no-magic-moment/

Snowden and the NSA

    

   Edward Snowden has been a house hold name since he came forward as the source of the NSA leak this past summer. I was first introduced to the name through a co-worker, who asked me one day if I had heard about the man that was in China trying to sell information of U.S. citizens. My response was to investigate the story, because her claim seemed farfetched and did not make much since. Upon my own research I discovered Snowden was not attempting to sell U.S. information, but rather was trying to inform the U.S. public that they were under constant surveillance and the information was being stored. When the story first broke in the media the theme was a breach in national security, and Snowden was a threat to the nation. As the story has developed over the past six months, the real intent of Snowden’s leak is becoming clearer. I do not think he is a terrorist, as some media stations are describing him to be. His exact words in the interview with The Guardian are that he wanted the public to decide how much they should be under surveillance, and should be aware. Whistleblowers have no protection in the U.S., especially when they are leaking information that exposes the government doing something wrong and unjust.  So, I am not surprised he fled the country. It takes courage to go against a powerful government, and intelligence to stay alive once you have done so. The U.S. public is now aware of the NSA’s actions; it will be interesting to see how they respond over time with conflicting opinions and news reports about the intent of the leaker and the NSA. If you are interested in who Snowden really is, I suggest watching his interview :    

 http://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2013/jun/09/nsa-whistleblower-edward-snowden-interview-video

If you want to know how this information impacts you check look at this site: http://www.theguardian.com/world/interactive/2013/nov/01/snowden-nsa-files-surveillance-revelations-decoded#section/1

How the story has developed: http://www.theguardian.com/world/the-nsa-files

And, how the news media portrays him in general: http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/bestoftv/2013/11/04/exp-newday-starr-snowden-clemency.cnn.html

Government Shutdown

       The government shutdown has been the highlight of the news media in recent weeks. The event has cast a shadow on the Affordable Care Act discussions, as well as the uncertainty in Syria and Egypt. Beyond the financial impact of Americans, it has resulted in a major distraction from issues that need to still be spotlighted and actively debated and resolved. So, how informative and accurate has the media been in disclosing stories about the shutdown? It appears that there are some articles and programs that give readers or views are well rounded perspective. To understand fully the cause and impact of a government shutdown, there has to be some back history researched. Many major networks have given little emphasis to the fact that this is the 17 time that congress has let the federal budget lapse. An Atlanta Journal Constitution article mentions, “It’s become a routine practice for both parties to try to force the president’s hand when it comes to the budget — leading to five shutdowns during the Jimmy Carter’s administration and eight under Ronald Reagan’s watch,” (Hagedorn, 2013). However, the media has emphasized how it will affect the general public repeatedly. The media has little attention for how it can be resolved, or why it is occurring in the first place. But, a constant display of how it can impact you financially is the concern being broadcast, and not always accurately. CNN released an article, “10 Ways a Government Shutdown will Affect Your Daily Life”, which list the number one impact being a negative reaction in the American psyche.
 Yet event this has occurred numerous times in the past several decades; it has just been over 17 years since we last had one. Is the shutdown an event that the media should be covering, absolutely! Perhaps it should be covered accurately, and there should be a discussion more about why it is happening and what can resolve the issue, rather the emphasis on how it will impact individuals. Although how it impacts all of us is important, it is also important to understand why it is happening now.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/23/politics/government-shutdown-daily-life/index.html

http://www.ajc.com/news/news/national/government-shutdown-history-lesson/nbCWq/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/09/30/absolutely-everything-you-need-to-know-about-how-the-government-shutdown-will-work/  

Obama Care has Arrived, Maybe...

No matter who you are, you are talking about Obama Care right about now. You hear people everywhere having the same conversation, “What do you think about the health care bill?” Sadly, most people do not have much knowledge about the facts surrounding the bill. They rely on the news to give them the needed information. But, if you want to know more that when the first sign up date begins there is going to be some research involved. Why can the media not simply tell the public how it really is? There has to be so much confusion around the bill, which most people do not know what the facts are, and what the myths are. FOX news recently commented, “The road to the launch has been littered with glitches and setbacks, and in all likelihood the confusion is not over yet.” http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/09/28/obamacare-scope-rocky-start-signals-problems-for-tuesday-start-afterward/

Delays, glitches, confusion and setbacks are the main aspects to Obama Care for the moment. It will be interesting to watch this situation play out, and what portions of the issue the news will broadcast. I would like to see the mainstream media take Obama Care and breakdown all the components so the general public can really understand it. I for one am not excited about the bill, I feel as though the government is mandating I pay for simply being born, with no choice. Now there is talk of defunding the health care bill, which will likely entice many debates, with little resolutions. Only time will tell on this issue…

Mass Shootings and the Gun Debate

Any time innocent people are murdered it is tragic, period. When many individuals are killed during the same event, society is taken aback. Why would anyone want to kill other people? What drives and individual to the point of committing murder on a mass scale? What can be done to prevent this from happening again? Those are the questions first after any mass shooting event. The situation in the Navy Yard recently is no different. The shooter had motives that no one really can understand, and he is dead also like in many other mass shooting incidents. Early reports made is evident that he was being treated for mental illness, and was still able to purchase a gun. "Aaron Alexis, who killed 12 people at the Washington Navy Yard before he was shot and killed by law enforcement officers, has been treated for his mental problems at the Veterans Association since August, the AP report," (Alter, 2013). The focus has been on how he was able to make a firearms purchase if it was known he had mental problems, as well as prior shooting disturbances. Although it is now being said he did actually have issues with insomnia, but never received care for mental illness. "The Department of Veterans Affairs has said that Alexis had sought out treatment for insomnia but was not treated for mental illness,"(DeLuca, 2013). It was apparent that he was having some issues, but nothing was ever medically diagnosed. This is another story the media becomes intertwined with, giving misinformation as the story progresses quickly.

http://nation.time.com/2013/09/17/navy-yard-shooter-had-been-treated-for-mental-health-problems/

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/09/25/20694290-chilling-navy-yard-surveillance-video-shows-shooter-stalking-hallways?lite

Who used Chemical weapons in Syria?

Syria is currently experiencing civil war and political instability. After years of civil war the country is divided by the rebels and the government. Although the United States has not been directly involved in the violence first hand thus far in the conflict. This is being reconsidered after it has been confirmed that a chemical gas sarin was used as a weapon in the country. This attack killed up to 1400 reports say, including women and children. The big question is not whether the use of this gas as a weapon is crime, of course it is. The question is who used the gas on who?  After the first reports Obama appears to be in the opinion that the Assad regime is to blame for the devastating gas, while Putin was reported to be convinced the rebels were to blame. Who is right? "We know that Assad's chemical weapons personnel prepared for an attack near an area where they mix sarin gas,” President Barack Obama said in an address to the nation on September 10." "No one doubts that poison gas was used in Syria,” he wrote. “But there is every reason to believe it was used not by the Syrian Army, but by opposition forces, to provoke intervention by their powerful foreign patrons, who would be siding with the fundamentalists." 

http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/09/16/20524937-un-report-confirms-chemical-weapons-use-in-syria?lite