Prescription Addition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Prescription Addition - Essay Example This paper shall examine the various reasons for prescription addition of the eye of an individual. We will examine various common ailments and the reasons due to which these ailments cause a prescription addition. The areas which will be studied in this section are Presbyopia, Anisometropia, squints, the various debilitating effects of diabetes mellitus and juvenile stress myopia. These issues will be studied with respect to their relevance in prescription addition. The other major issue which will be studied is the difficulties in dispensing eye prescriptions. This issue is an often neglected issue, but it has a big effect on the patient as it is the patient who is eventually denied suitable eye care. The dispensing issues which will be examined are aphakic prescriptions, iseikonic lenses, pediatric dispensing, low vision aids and protective spectacles. These dispensing issues will be examined from the patient's viewpoint. As mentioned earlier there are numerous causes due to which prescription addition occurs. The most common is Presbyopia, which is caused due to increased age. The main cause of presbyopia is the reduced suppleness of the lens in the human eye. This suppleness is required to focus the objects near the eye. The Ciliary muscle which helps the eye to focus becomes less efficient. The lens loose their ability to alter their focusing power, the capsule which contains the lens in the eye loses its suppleness. The combination of these two factors results in a decrease in the ability to accommodate (reduced accommodation) (Woodruff 2001).This results in progressive prescription addition with the passage of time. Anisometropia Anisometropia is caused due to the differences in the dioptric values between both eyes of a single person. This is generally caused either due to refractive surgery causing a difference in the ability of both eyes. Other reasons are overcorrections of myopic and hyperopic patients. Lastly, Anisometropia is also caused, if one eye is significantly more astigmatic than the other. Irregular astigmatism can cause an imbalance in the refractive power of both the eyes (Woodruff 2001). Prescription addition due to Anisometropia are caused primarily because of either surgery causing a difference in the refractive power between either eyes or the overcorrections of myopic and hyperopic patients. Squint A squint refers to a state where the eyes are not aligned in the same direction Squints are caused by many reasons and occur more in children. As we are focusing on prescription additions, squints especially those that arise from hypermetropia (long sightedness) are treated with the relevant prescription addition. Then the child will be assessed for the decrease of the degree squint and the child's prescription will be changed accordingly. There are various reasons for the occurrence of squints and consequent prescription addition (for the correction of the squint) amongst children. Illnesses like viral fever, measles, and meningitis are known to cause squints. Injury to the nerves attached to the eye muscles can also cause squint.

Business Systems Analysis and Design Coursework - 2

Business Systems Analysis and Design - Coursework Example These people are supposed to carry out an analysis of the different data on workers. After the analysis they will give an appraisal report. 4. Employees receive their appraisal report. This report will show whether an employee has been attending to duties in the correct manner stipulated by the company. CATWOE checklist from HR manager The appraisal system owned by the human resource office is to provide the senior managers with attendance information. The hr department clerks collect data on an employee’s clock in and out time. The data on the staff attendance is transformed to give an appraisal report for each and every employee. The appraisal is carried out by the human resource manager using the system to provide data on promotion. The system will produce quick reports which will be up to date. The system reduces the time the human resource department takes to do an appraisal. Employees The appraisal system owned by the Human resource department of Buckie cooperative socie ty is to monitor our working progress. Different workers will be required to feed their personal data into the system. The system will transform the data and give a final report on production of workers. The system will make the working environment to be unfriendly due to the monitoring process. The human resource department will use the system to retain or fire employees according to the monitoring report. MD of the Buckie Cooperative Society The staff appraisal system as owned by the Buckie cooperative society. The human resource department is to collect data on workers from the different departments and feed into the system. The system will analyze the data and give data on the best performing department. The system will ensure good performance in the different departments of the company. The world view is that the system will improve on the decision making of managers. Line managers The appraisal system as owned by Buckie cooperative society. The line managers will be necessitat ed to provide data on the working progress of their employees. The system will analyze the data and give a report on the productive line and the unproductive line. The system will be used to identify the line of productions that will be shut and which to be maintained by senior managers. The world view of the system is that it will ensure profitability of the company by eliminating unproductive lines. Conceptual models of the system Line Managers Employees HR manager MD of the Buckie Cooperative Society Problems that will be encountered Resistance of system by the workforce The company employees will see this system as a way to curtail their freedom. This will make them resist the adoption of the system by either refusing to use it. These employees refusal to use the system will make it useless to the society. This problem will be addressed by educating the staff on the need of this system. They will be needed to be shown the positive part of the implementation of the system. Some o f the positive things will be, there will no favoritism in promoting workers because the system will always give correct data. Support of the top management is also important. This will come in place because they are the one who will see into it the system is used. The top leadership is mostly made up of decision makers who will be required to appreciate the help of the system in things like making promotion decision. Lack of necessary Infrastructure for Implementation The system might be developed but cannot be deployed on a

How To Properly Write A Resume English Language Essay

How To Properly Write A Resume English Language Essay After the covering letter, we now come to the second important part of the letter of application i.e. Personal Data Sheet. In the United States, the Personal Data Sheet is referred to as Resume and in Europe, it is called C.V. i.e. Curriculum Vitae meaning Course of Life. Both the resume and the C.V. are similar in structure and content. We shall use the word resume in this chapter. A resume is a factual as well as a persuasive summary of a persons education, employment background, job qualifications and other relevant personal details. It is a structured, written document. All the job advertisements ask for the resume of the applicant. Even if it is a walk-in interview, the candidate is expected to carry his resume along with other related documents for the purpose of verification. So the first thing that a job aspirant has to do as he begins looking for a job is to prepare his resume. It may be prepared before drafting the covering letter. Having a resume shows that you are aware of your skills and potential, that you are well-organised and well-prepared for your job search. A resume is a form of advertising. The purpose of a resume is to kindle employer interest and generate an interview. For an advertised job opening, there would be hundreds of other job seekers with whom you would have to compete for the same position. Therefore, your resume probably has less than 30 seconds to make an impression. So you must take great care while drafting your resume. If required, write several rough drafts before writing the final draft. This will help you to make your resume attractive, comprehensive and compact. Ideally, your resume should not be more than one page. But if you have a long list of academic achievements, or if you have worked at several places and handled many different job profiles, then you may have to prepare a somewhat longer resume. You should select an appropriate resume format using which you can clearly specify all the important information in a visually appealing manner thus making it easier and interesting for the reader to grasp and verify the facts. Keep the following points in mind while writing your resume- The appearance of your resume is very crucial. A resume that is too long, too packed with information, typed in poor layout and sloppy font, or having even a single spelling or grammatical error will often be rejected without being read. The first impression of you that gets formed in the mind of your prospective employer is based not on the content but on the appearance of your resume. Therefore, your resume should look sharp. The layout should make the information easy to grasp. For an impressive resume- Your resume should emphasize your strongest, most impressive qualifications and achievements. It should convey the desired impression by focusing on your strengths, but you must take care not to distort the facts. Avoid exaggeration. Do not claim skills you dont have. However, make sure that you downplay your weaknesses at the same time. Once you have analysed your skills and you know what you have to sell, then you can shape the elements of your resume accordingly, make it more personalized and thus effective. The bare essentials of a resume are as under: Heading A resume heading must show at a glance who you are, how you can be contacted and what kind of job you are seeking. Do not use the word Resume as the title. Most resume headings often consist of- name, address, phone number and email id center-aligned at the top of the page. But if you have a specific job in mind, use a heading which indicates that. But once you have worked in your selected field for a year or more, then education is usually given less emphasis in a resume. So if work experience is your strongest qualification, then you should mention the section on employment history first and place a greater emphasis on your accomplishments and you should provide less detail about your academic credentials. Work Experience This section should list all relevant work experience. The details you provide here help the employer/s to evaluate whether you have the necessary qualifications and decide if you are competent enough for the job. Therefore, your description of your work experience should highlight the relationship between your previous jobs and the position you are seeking. Lay a special emphasis on the skills you have developed while handling those responsibilities. If you achieved something significant while performing your job duties, then you must mention it. Example: Devised a new procedure in marketing research which accelerated the process of data collection and analysis List your jobs in reverse chronological order. If you are already employed at the time of applying for a new job, then mention joining date and use the phrase to present to indicate the period of employment with the current employer. The section on work experience should include the following details: You may also include volunteer work, internships, student teaching, research projects, summer and part-time jobs, etc. even if these jobs have no direct relation to your present career objective. These would show that you have the ability to get a job in the first place and to adapt to different work environments. Most employers find this quality quite impressive. However, devote more space to the jobs that relate to your target position. Relevant Skills In this section, you should describe other miscellaneous facts that relate to your career objective like languages that you are proficient in, your knowledge about computers, other related technical skills, etc. You can include a special section titled Language Skills or Computer Skills and place it near your Education or Work Experience sections. Activities and Achievements In this section, describe any volunteer activities that you participated in and that demonstrate your abilities or work-related skills like leadership, teamwork, communication skills, etc. You may group your activities and/or achievements under different headings like College Activities, Community Service, Professional Associations, Seminars and Workshops, Achievements, Awards, and Honours, etc. Personal Data This section helps present you as a well-rounded personality and enables the employer to know you as a person. The details that you mention here can be used to initiate conversation during an interview. Thus, list job-related interests and hobbies, esp. those indicating stamina, strength, sociability, etc., that can help you gain an edge over your competitors. Mention your hobbies, travel experiences, or personal characteristics, particularly if they suggest qualities that relate to your career goals. Remember, your personal details should be listed briefly and modestly. You should omit or downplay references to age if it could suggest inexperience or approaching retirement. You must exclude any detail that could lead to discrimination like references to gender, marital status, religion, or nationality. References Employers often ask for academic transcripts, samples of your work, or letters of recommendation prior to or after an interview. Be ready to provide these documents as they increase your chances of getting the job. Many potential employers prefer to have actual references on the resume whom they can contact in order to verify the details that you have provided or to get more information about you as a person/an employee. Provide minimum two and maximum four references. Mention their details either at the end of your resume or prepare a separate sheet for References. Or you may insert a line at the end of your resume offering to supply the names of references on request. Example: References available on request While drafting the list of references, keep the following points in mind- Supply names of academic, employment, and professional associates- but no relatives. Provide a name, a title, an address, and a telephone number and email address for each reference. List no name as a reference unless you have that persons permission to do so. Exclude your present employer if you do not want the firm to know you are seeking another position, or add Resume submitted in confidence at the top or bottom of the resume. TYPES OF RESUME LAYOUTS As a job seeker, you will find that you have many different resume layouts available from which to select the best organizational plan that would help you to focus attention on your strong points. The layout you choose must accentuate the information that directly concerns your career objective and should play down or exclude any details that are irrelevant or that may harm your prospect instead of helping you to achieve your aim. The different resume styles include the Basic Resume, the Chronological Resume, the Functional Resume, the Targeted Resume, and the Creative Resume. The right choice of the resume layout will depend on which aspect of your qualifications you want to highlight and your career goal(s). The Basic Resume It is ideal for those without any work experience. It contains the basic information- contact details, education, activities, skills, interests, summer/part-time jobs, etc. The main focus is on education and training. The Chronological Resume The chronological approach is the most traditional and most common way of organizing a resume and it is preferred by many recruiters. It is best suited for those who have lots of career-related experience. The chronological resume lists a persons education and employment history in reverse chronological order, starting with and giving more space to the most recent positions. Under each listing, you should describe the responsibilities and accomplishments associated with each job or academic experience. In the chronological plan, the Work Experience section dominates the resume and is placed immediately after the name and address and the objective. The chronological resume has following characteristics: It highlights the applicants impressive career progress. The applicant emphasizes his achievements by using an indented list. The applicants special qualifications are presented as Personal Data. The chronological resume is used when the applicant wants to continue along the established career path and his career graph shows a positive, upward movement i.e. it is marked by achievements and consistent progress. It is similar to the Basic Resume, but also includes Related Experience, Additional Experience, Activities, Affiliations, Skills (Languages and Computer), Interests, etc. It is not advisable to use the chronological layout when- You are applying for your first job. You have changed jobs frequently. You plan to change your field of work. You are searching for a job after some gap. The Functional Resume In a functional resume, the primary focus is on your skills and accomplishments. Education and experience are mentioned in subordinate sections. This format is effective for people who are entering the job market or re-entering after a considerable gap. It emphasizes capabilities, skill levels, and accomplishments rather than job titles or time spent at various jobs. This plan is best suited for those who want to work in different fields, or those who have not achieved much success in past, or those who have done several unrelated jobs, or those who have been working freelance or part-time. A functional resume has following characteristics: The applicant describes experience first. The use of action verbs and specific facts enhances this resumes effectiveness. The applicants sketchy work history is described but not emphasized. The Targeted Resume This kind of organizational plan shows how you qualify for a specific job i.e. what you can do for a particular employer in a particular position. It is best suited for those who have a clear idea of what they want to do and who can demonstrate their ability in the targeted area. List related capabilities and achievements which provide evidence of your capabilities immediately after stating your career objective. List your work experience and education in subordinate sections. The Creative Resume It is used when applying for creative positions in advertising or entertainment. You can demonstrate your creativity by using elaborate sentence structure, attractive layout, decoration, colour, method of folding, or drastically different writing. It is best suited for people who have an artistic and imaginative temperament. ESSENTIAL FEATURES OF A GOOD RESUME No matter which layout you choose for your resume, you can write an effective resume only if you keep in mind your target audience (i.e. the prospective employer) and the specific job requirements. A good resume should have the following characteristics: Your resume should not be too lengthy. It should be concise and relevant. One-page long is ideal. It should not be sketchy. It should contain all necessary information required for a proper evaluation of the applicant. Your career goals and job preferences should be apparent from the career objective that you state at the very outset of your resume. Your resume should be visually appealing. Leave proper margins and enough white space. Use proper indentions and underlining. Use good quality paper and print. Your resume should be legible. The language you use should be simple and easy to understand. Use sentences beginning with action words instead of writing in long, convoluted sentences. Verbose and flashy resumes are ineffective and are often rejected even before being read. Be careful with grammar. A resume that is replete with spelling and grammatical errors will create a bad impression and the reader will conclude that the applicant does not possess good verbal/language skills. Remember, having good communication skills is an important qualification by itself. Your resume should present a realistic picture of your skills and achievements. It should not come across as too professional or polished, else it will appear superficial. Give factual evidence in support of your claims with regard to your academic and professional credentials. Do not be boastful. Be sincere. Do not include wrong or baseless information in your resume as it would expose your amateurism and reveal your poor understanding of the business world or of the particular industry.

Harriet Beecher Stowe and Uncle Tom’s Cabin Essay -- Uncle Toms Cabin

Harriet Beecher Stowe and Uncle Tom’s Cabin Harriet Beecher Stowe was born on June 14, 1811. Her father was Lyman Beecher, pastor of the Congregational Church in Harriet’s hometown of Litchfield, Connecticut. Harriet’s brother was Henry Ward Beecher who became pastor of Brooklyn’s Plymouth Church. The religious background of Harriet’s family and of New England taught Harriet several traits typical of a New Englander: theological insight, piety, and a desire to improve humanity (Columbia Electronic Library; â€Å"Biography of Harriet Beecher Stowe†). Harriet studied and assisted as a teacher at the Western Female Institute, a school in Hartford, Connecticut, that her sister Catherine had founded. Harriet moved with her father to Cincinnati, Ohio, as a result of her father’s religious appointment. Harriet’s career as a teacher ended when she married widower Calvin Stowe. Across the river from Cincinnati was Kentucky, where Calvin Stowe’s home was located. Kentucky was a slave state, and Harriet was able to experience firsthand the horrors of slavery. Also, Harriet’s new home with Stowe was a â€Å"station† along the â€Å"underground railroad†, and Harriet had even more experience and interaction with the slaves. Harriet had always been creative as a child, and she loved to write. Her anger toward slavery in addition with encouragement from her sister-in-law to â€Å"use her skills to aid the cause of abolition† (Wells) inspired Harriet to write Uncle Tom’s Cabin (Well s; University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee). Harriet began to write Uncle Tom’s Cabin as a serial, or an episodic story. These episodes were published in the National Era, a national newspaper in which Harriet had previously published several abolitionist serials. Harr... .../nj.essortment.com/biographyharrie_rthp.htm>. Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia. â€Å"Stowe, Harriet Beecher†. Date of Last Revision Unknown. 6 Jan 2002. . Mark, Mary. â€Å"Harriet Beecher Stowe†. Date of Last Revision Unknown. 5 Jan 2002. . Thornton, Tracey. â€Å"Between Rhetoric of Abolition and Feminism: Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin†. 1998. 8 Jan 2002. . University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. â€Å"The Classic Text: Harriet Beecher Stowe†. 19 Nov 2001. 5 Jan 2002. . Wells, Kim. â€Å"Harriet Beecher Stowe†. 28 Aug 1999. 6 Jan 2002. .

“Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley Essay

The novel Frankenstein is about a man named Victor Frankenstein who wanted to tamper with life and death by â€Å"exploring unknown powers, and unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of creation† (Shelley, pg.44). The novel Frankenstein has had continuing popularity ever since its publication in 1818 for many reasons. The main reason is that Frankenstein is a book that teaches lessons and morals that readers of all ages can appreciate and learn from for years to come. Frankenstein is a book that has been read and enjoyed by successive generations. In other words Frankenstein can be considered a classic novel. Frankenstein is a novel that shows the reader there is a way to achieve immortality, but also reveals many important things about human nature and emotions. Frankenstein is a novel about how to defy death. Ever since Egyptians and their beliefs of a life after death, people have found overcoming death to be fascinating. Death is something that is not understood completely by humans, it is frightening as well as scary. This is portrayed in Frankenstein when the creature is looked down upon by society because he looked different from them and they did not understand him. People are scared of what they do not understand, which is why they were frightened by Victor’s monster. The novel fascinates people because death has been overcome. Being able to create life from something that is non-living is just like cheating death. People like to have control over it, which is what people want in the first place. Frankenstein is a novel that shows the reader there is a way to defy death, which is why the novel has enjoyed continuing popularity ever since publication in 1818. Frankenstein reveals many things about humanity. The creature has the same feelings that all humans do including love, anger, sadness, happiness, confusion and so on. When talking of the family that the creature lived beside in the woods he says, â€Å"†¦when they were unhappy, I felt depressed; when they rejoiced, I sympathized in their joys† (96). Just because the creature is able to distinguish between these emotions and have feelings for other forms of life is enough to say that he is human. The only thing that makes him different from human beings is the way he looks and the way he was brought into the world. Just because a baby is born with a deformity that  makes them look different from other people does not mean they are not human, they are just different. Since the creature is considered human, Frankenstein shows the reader what can happen to the human nature when it is abandoned of all forms of communication and love from others. The author is trying to show that the creature had the ability to be a kind and decent being, but because it is denied the basic human needs of communication and love from others, it resorts to an evil attitude. The unfortunate creature was abandoned and everything it knows about life and values was completely self-taught. The creature resorts to evil doings because no one has taught him right from wrong or how to deal with the emotions that he is feeling. Victor’s creature feels abandoned by his creator and does not know how to deal with these feelings. He does not even know why he was created in the first place after the cottagers that he has grown to love turned their backs on him. The creature curses his creator and questioned his existence by saying, â€Å"Cursed, cursed creator! Why did I live?†(98) These feelings towards abandonment are similar to the emotions that humans feel when people that are supposed to love them abandon them. The novel reveals many things about humanity that are not often discussed or thought about by humans. In conclusion, Frankenstein has experienced such continued success for several reasons. In one aspect it is a simple novel about defying death and achieving what many people have been fascinated with for centuries, which is immortality. On the other hand, it is an emotional story about a tragic creature that is forced to live in society that rejects him. It offers a close up into the creature’s emotions and shows a side of humanity that people do not normally have the chance to see. Because Frankenstein fascinated the simple concept of death as well as the idea of the power of humanity to affect human emotions and reactions, it has become a novel that has been and will continue to be read for ages. Frankenstein is clearly a classic novel.

Healthcare Reform

Healthcare Reform By Kim LeFave Healthcare is one of the hottest political topics in the news. It affects every man, woman, and child. I’m sure most if not all of you have caught something on this topic. As I researched this topic on the internet I was surprised to learn some of the statistics on healthcare in America. Even though our nation is faced with recession and more than 8% of Americans are unemployed I still assumed the rest of the 92% of working Americans had some kind of healthcare insurance. I was alarmed to learn that 15% of Americans have no coverage. This is roughly 47 million Americans. To me it is obvious that healthcare reform is necessary. We are still one of the richest countries in the world. Why are so many without any healthcare insurance? Those of you who work full-time, how many of you pay a certain amount out of your weekly check for healthcare insurance? It seems to go up higher than the cost of living each year. Do you have adequate coverage? Most Americans are not happy with the out of pocket expenses they have to pay in addition to paying high premiums. Do you have a co-pay every time you see a doctor? Do you have to pay a portion for drug coverage? These costs can add up. When was the last time you saw a doctor? Do you avoid doctors unless you are absolutely sick? The reason I am bombarding you with these questions is to get you to think about what healthcare reform might mean to you. What is it you want out of your healthcare insurance provider? Most of us might say lower out of pocket expenses, like low or no co-payments for doctor’s visits, or low or no co-payments for needed drugs, or even no money taken out of our paychecks to pay for that health insurance. Wouldn’t that be nice? Do you realize that most developed countries have universal healthcare systems, which means whether or not you are employed you are covered for your healthcare needs. After watching a PBS program about universal healthcare in other countries I was very surprised that our country was not trying to do some of the same things that these other countries were doing. Take for instance Japan, under their universal health care system MRI’s are about two hundred and fifty dollars, and in America it is about two thousand dollars. No doctor in Japan is getting rich quick, but people are able to afford healthcare more easily. It is much of the same in other countries that have universal healthcare systems. Okay let’s get back to what is now going on in this country. Basically the Healthcare Reform Bill under President Obama’s administration is a very small step in actual healthcare reform compared to what other countries have done. I’m sure most of you have heard that under the new reform bill insurance companies cannot deny coverage if you have a preexisting condition. Also it limits sky high premiums because of gender and age. It will also prevent insurance companies from dropping coverage when people are sick and need it the most. It will eliminate extra charges for preventative care like mammograms, flu shots, and diabetes tests to improve health and save money. It is supposed to protect medicare for seniors by extending new protections for medicare beneficiaries. It will also eliminate the â€Å"donut-hole† gap in coverage for prescription drugs. If you don’t have insurance this new reform bill will create a new insurance marketplace called the Exchange. This will allow people without insurance and small businesses to compare plans and buy insurance at competitive prices. It will also provide new tax credits to help people to buy insurance. It will give tax credits to small businesses and give affordable options for covering employees. It will offer a public health insurance option to provide the uninsured and those who can’t find affordable coverage with a real choice. It will offer new, low-cost coverage through a national â€Å"high risk† pool to protect people with preexisting conditions from financial ruin until the new Exchange is created. Hopefully this can all be achieved as proposed. It is not supposed to add to the national deficit and is paid upfront from the immediate savings from the initial healthcare reform. If savings are not realized essentially cuts will be required by the President to ensure that the plan does not add to the deficit. In addition these reforms will begin to rein in health care costs and align incentives for hospitals, physicians, and others to improve quality. It will create an independent commission of doctors and medical experts to identify waste, fraud and abuse in the health care system. It will order immediate medical malpractice reform projects that could help doctors focus on putting their patients first, instead of practicing on defensive medicine. To do this the Secretary of Health and Human Services is instructed by the President to award medical malpractice demonstration grants to states funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Also large employers with more than fifty employees who can afford to buy insurance so everyone of their employees share in the responsibility of reform will be required. Their will be a â€Å"hardship exemption† for those who cannot afford the premiums. Okay so there it is the basics of the new Healthcare Reform Bill proposed by President Obama and his administration. To me this is just a minute scratching of the surface for healthcare reform in this country. I suppose you have to start somewhere. Not every American will be happy with the proposed changes. To me it should be done more on a trial basis, but let’s get real try it before you buy it in this country is virtually unheard of especially when it come to healthcare. I’m sure we will learn as we go and that it will be an honest effort to avoid high cost health insurance. What bothers me the most is that many things that make the healthcare too costly are not being addressed. What about the cost of a doctor’s visit, or the cost of a procedure, or the cost of your drugs? Will it go down? This reform bill hardly explains if this will happen. I think because of the newly created Exchange, healthcare insurance may go down a bit, but only time will tell if by the year 2013 when the exchange is fully active if it will affect the cost of the quality of healthcare as a whole. I read a blog online that made me question what is in the future for Americans when it comes to healthcare. How are people who can’t afford healthcare now supposed to afford healthcare when this new reform bill goes through? The blog questioned the validity of our government taking over another area where they have continuously failed in other areas. The point was that the Medicare / Medicaid system is already nearing bankruptcy as well as the U. S. Postal Service. It questioned how all this was going to be paid for by suggesting that the only real way to get the money is more taxes. Does that offer Americans a choice or is this being forced on us? These are very important points and even tougher questions that any American would be concerned about. Another blog for the healthcare reform bill suggests that there are many areas that the government has handled well, for instance; fire departments, police departments, waste water management, military, and coastguard. Although most of us think of some of these on a local level they are all federally funded. The strongest point was that this healthcare reform bill will reduce administrative costs from 20-30% to 2-3%. This would also reduce the profit that big time insurance companies and their biggest investors would make. My sister-in-law had that laser surgery on her eyes. When she researched cost she found that she could go to Canada and pay far less for the same procedure. She paid about three thousand dollars compared to the hefty price tag of seven thousand dollars here in the States. Many people have gone to Canada to receive cheaper procedures and cheaper drug prices. To me this is the real issue in this country. Yes, the insurance is expensive, but if you think about it procedures are even more expensive. If the cost of procedures and drugs go down along with the cost of insurance then this would make more sense to me. I think it will be at least another 5-10 years before we see this happen in this country. I think this bill will force some insurance companies to either go bankrupt or lose a tremendous amount of money. How will they compete with the less expensive insurances? Will it be just what happened to our banks? I see lots of merging insurance companies in our future. I hate to be clique but I think only time will tell how this will work out for all our citizens, our government and our insurance companies. Healthcare Reform ? Health Care Reform It should come as no surprise that the United States’ current health care system is in need of some major changes. Everyone knows that going to the doctor or hospital in the United States can cost a lot of money out of pocket, whether you have insurance or not. Americans who do have insurance pay into it with every pay check, only to go to the doctor and have to pay more. What it would be like to not have to worry about how much money there is in the bank when someone is sick? When a person is ill there are enough things to worry about without having to worry if they can afford the doctor bill. What are some of the pros and cons of a health care reform for the United States? No one person or company is safe when it comes to the burdens of the rising costs and decreasing quality of care in our current health care system. â€Å"Per-person health care expenditures in the United States have risen 6. 5 percent per year since 2000, and 5. 5 percent per year on average since 1994. † (Furnas, Ben. (January 2009). â€Å"American health care since 1994: the unacceptable status quo†. Center for American Progress) Many Americans who do have insurance are not safe from the rising costs of insurance. â€Å"Health care costs burden American mployers, who are forced to cut back on providing coverage and benefits or suffer a competitive disadvantage against international companies who don't bear health costs. † â€Å"Premiums for employer-provided health care have doubled since 2000. † (Furnas, Ben. (January 2009). â€Å"American health care since 1994: the unac ceptable status quo†. Center for American Progress) Due to the recession, many Americans have lost their jobs and are left with no insurance. There are 46 million Americans with no health insurance. A large number that do have health insurance are under-insured. Under-insured means that some who have insurance re not adequately protected from high medical costs. Many people with no or little health insurance will put off preventative care and even care they may know they need, until it is so bad that it ends up costing even more money. Individuals with no insurance will end up being diagnosed in later stages than those with insurance. â€Å"Effective chronic disease management and preventive care have been woefully neglected as a national priority and should be a key piece of any comprehensive and effective Reform. † (Furnas, Ben. (January 2009). â€Å"American health care since 1994: the unacceptable status quo†. Center for American Progress) â€Å"Nearly 25% of uninsured children and 40% of uninsured adults have no regular source of medical care. † â€Å"Inadequate insurance coverage carries with it financial as well as medical risks: the costs of medical treatment are a leading cause of bankruptcy in the United States† (Oberlander, Jonathan. (2002). â€Å"the U. S. health care system: on the road to nowhere? â€Å". Canadian Medical Association Journal , 67, 163-67. ) As a â€Å"great and free† country, we can not sit by and allow our fellow Americans to be denied medical care simply because of their income. A lot of what is rong with the current health care system can be shown in our infant mortality rate. It is fact that the United States’ infant mortality rates is among one of the highest. The United States ranks 26th in the world in infant mortality. How one of the largest and most modernized countries in the world have such a high rate? The answer to that is, it shouldn’t. A Commonwealth Fund Study found that the United States achieves â€Å"an overall score of 65 out of 100 when comparing national averages with benchmarks of best performance achieved internationally and within the United States. † It is clear that the United States is coming in well elow the standards of health, efficiency, and care. What would it be like to have a universal health care system? When it comes to why universal health care could be good for the United States, it's encouraged to watch the movie â€Å"Sicko†. It is one of Michael Moore’s documentaries. Whether loved or hated, it can’t be denied what is obviously working for other countries. In the movie he visits countries like, Canada, France, and Norway, and even Cuba. Yes, Cuba has nationalized health care. In the movie he takes a good look into what it might be like to be able to go to the doctor or hospital and not worry about how much debt might follow. Those people don’t have to worry about whether or not their insurance company is going to cover the cost of certain treatments or procedures. They don’t have to worry about being denied needed treatment, because of a pre-existing condition. People in these countries are generally healthier than Americans simply because they partake in more preventative health care. How is it possible that a country led by Fidel Castro has a better health care system than the United States? It’s simple. These countries have decided that everyone deserves to have health care, and everyone pays taxes for everyone to have it. One of the biggest complaints I hear from people who are against nationalized health care is, â€Å"Why should I have to pay for someone else’s health care costs? † The fact is, we are already paying for others health care. Everyone who works pays into Medicare and Medicaid. The way things are looking now, when I am eligible to use that money, there won’t be any for me. The current government health care system is bankrupting fast. Yes, everyone’s taxes will be raised. Paying more taxes seems reasonable to not have the financial burden be dropped on a single individual and their family in the middle of a stressful time of someone being sick. The costs of medical treatment are a leading cause of bankruptcy debt. † Half of all bankruptcy in the United States involve a medical reason or a large medical debt that they can not afford to pay The plan that President Barack Obama is proposing to the American people has a catching and enticing phrase. The bil l proposes that we build on what works in today's health care system, while repairing the aspects that are broken. To be able to provide affordable, quality health care for all Americans and reduce the growth in health care spending. This bill has public and private options for the people, a sliding scale afford ability credits, it will share responsibility among workers, employers and the government so that all Americans can have essential health care coverage and benefits. This bill will make it illegal to not insure people due to pre-existing conditions. It will allow coverage and benefits for mental health and substance disorder abuse. One of the biggest complaints of President Obama's bill is that it is said to include government funded abortions. The truth is, this bill does not clearly state either way whether the government will pay for abortions. It does say that under the public option plan, abortion costs can be covered. Pregnancies due to rape, incest, and when the mothers life is at risk are already covered by the government if the individual receives government benefits. .â€Å"Comprehensive health insurance for all Americans, are long overdue. The best time to fix American health care was [more than] a decade ago. The second best time is now. † (Furnas, Ben. (January 2009). â€Å"American health care since 1994: the unacceptable status quo†. Center for American Progress) American’s need to stand up and demand adequate health care for everyone. American’s have been great at banding together in times of tragedy, as after the 9/11 attacks. People need to look at our health care system and recognize that this is a time of tragedy for the American people. It seems that most people are afraid of change, but sometimes change is needed. Reference Page (Furnas, Ben. (January 2009). â€Å"American health care since 1994: the unacceptable status quo†. Center for American Progress) Oberlander, Jonathan. (2002). â€Å"the U. S. health care system: on the road to nowhere? â€Å". Canadian Medical Association Journal , 67, 163-67. Healthcare Reform Healthcare Reform By Kim LeFave Healthcare is one of the hottest political topics in the news. It affects every man, woman, and child. I’m sure most if not all of you have caught something on this topic. As I researched this topic on the internet I was surprised to learn some of the statistics on healthcare in America. Even though our nation is faced with recession and more than 8% of Americans are unemployed I still assumed the rest of the 92% of working Americans had some kind of healthcare insurance. I was alarmed to learn that 15% of Americans have no coverage. This is roughly 47 million Americans. To me it is obvious that healthcare reform is necessary. We are still one of the richest countries in the world. Why are so many without any healthcare insurance? Those of you who work full-time, how many of you pay a certain amount out of your weekly check for healthcare insurance? It seems to go up higher than the cost of living each year. Do you have adequate coverage? Most Americans are not happy with the out of pocket expenses they have to pay in addition to paying high premiums. Do you have a co-pay every time you see a doctor? Do you have to pay a portion for drug coverage? These costs can add up. When was the last time you saw a doctor? Do you avoid doctors unless you are absolutely sick? The reason I am bombarding you with these questions is to get you to think about what healthcare reform might mean to you. What is it you want out of your healthcare insurance provider? Most of us might say lower out of pocket expenses, like low or no co-payments for doctor’s visits, or low or no co-payments for needed drugs, or even no money taken out of our paychecks to pay for that health insurance. Wouldn’t that be nice? Do you realize that most developed countries have universal healthcare systems, which means whether or not you are employed you are covered for your healthcare needs. After watching a PBS program about universal healthcare in other countries I was very surprised that our country was not trying to do some of the same things that these other countries were doing. Take for instance Japan, under their universal health care system MRI’s are about two hundred and fifty dollars, and in America it is about two thousand dollars. No doctor in Japan is getting rich quick, but people are able to afford healthcare more easily. It is much of the same in other countries that have universal healthcare systems. Okay let’s get back to what is now going on in this country. Basically the Healthcare Reform Bill under President Obama’s administration is a very small step in actual healthcare reform compared to what other countries have done. I’m sure most of you have heard that under the new reform bill insurance companies cannot deny coverage if you have a preexisting condition. Also it limits sky high premiums because of gender and age. It will also prevent insurance companies from dropping coverage when people are sick and need it the most. It will eliminate extra charges for preventative care like mammograms, flu shots, and diabetes tests to improve health and save money. It is supposed to protect medicare for seniors by extending new protections for medicare beneficiaries. It will also eliminate the â€Å"donut-hole† gap in coverage for prescription drugs. If you don’t have insurance this new reform bill will create a new insurance marketplace called the Exchange. This will allow people without insurance and small businesses to compare plans and buy insurance at competitive prices. It will also provide new tax credits to help people to buy insurance. It will give tax credits to small businesses and give affordable options for covering employees. It will offer a public health insurance option to provide the uninsured and those who can’t find affordable coverage with a real choice. It will offer new, low-cost coverage through a national â€Å"high risk† pool to protect people with preexisting conditions from financial ruin until the new Exchange is created. Hopefully this can all be achieved as proposed. It is not supposed to add to the national deficit and is paid upfront from the immediate savings from the initial healthcare reform. If savings are not realized essentially cuts will be required by the President to ensure that the plan does not add to the deficit. In addition these reforms will begin to rein in health care costs and align incentives for hospitals, physicians, and others to improve quality. It will create an independent commission of doctors and medical experts to identify waste, fraud and abuse in the health care system. It will order immediate medical malpractice reform projects that could help doctors focus on putting their patients first, instead of practicing on defensive medicine. To do this the Secretary of Health and Human Services is instructed by the President to award medical malpractice demonstration grants to states funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Also large employers with more than fifty employees who can afford to buy insurance so everyone of their employees share in the responsibility of reform will be required. Their will be a â€Å"hardship exemption† for those who cannot afford the premiums. Okay so there it is the basics of the new Healthcare Reform Bill proposed by President Obama and his administration. To me this is just a minute scratching of the surface for healthcare reform in this country. I suppose you have to start somewhere. Not every American will be happy with the proposed changes. To me it should be done more on a trial basis, but let’s get real try it before you buy it in this country is virtually unheard of especially when it come to healthcare. I’m sure we will learn as we go and that it will be an honest effort to avoid high cost health insurance. What bothers me the most is that many things that make the healthcare too costly are not being addressed. What about the cost of a doctor’s visit, or the cost of a procedure, or the cost of your drugs? Will it go down? This reform bill hardly explains if this will happen. I think because of the newly created Exchange, healthcare insurance may go down a bit, but only time will tell if by the year 2013 when the exchange is fully active if it will affect the cost of the quality of healthcare as a whole. I read a blog online that made me question what is in the future for Americans when it comes to healthcare. How are people who can’t afford healthcare now supposed to afford healthcare when this new reform bill goes through? The blog questioned the validity of our government taking over another area where they have continuously failed in other areas. The point was that the Medicare / Medicaid system is already nearing bankruptcy as well as the U. S. Postal Service. It questioned how all this was going to be paid for by suggesting that the only real way to get the money is more taxes. Does that offer Americans a choice or is this being forced on us? These are very important points and even tougher questions that any American would be concerned about. Another blog for the healthcare reform bill suggests that there are many areas that the government has handled well, for instance; fire departments, police departments, waste water management, military, and coastguard. Although most of us think of some of these on a local level they are all federally funded. The strongest point was that this healthcare reform bill will reduce administrative costs from 20-30% to 2-3%. This would also reduce the profit that big time insurance companies and their biggest investors would make. My sister-in-law had that laser surgery on her eyes. When she researched cost she found that she could go to Canada and pay far less for the same procedure. She paid about three thousand dollars compared to the hefty price tag of seven thousand dollars here in the States. Many people have gone to Canada to receive cheaper procedures and cheaper drug prices. To me this is the real issue in this country. Yes, the insurance is expensive, but if you think about it procedures are even more expensive. If the cost of procedures and drugs go down along with the cost of insurance then this would make more sense to me. I think it will be at least another 5-10 years before we see this happen in this country. I think this bill will force some insurance companies to either go bankrupt or lose a tremendous amount of money. How will they compete with the less expensive insurances? Will it be just what happened to our banks? I see lots of merging insurance companies in our future. I hate to be clique but I think only time will tell how this will work out for all our citizens, our government and our insurance companies.