DRD Words

Final Project

cdeross5150 — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 23:37:37 +0000

Universal health care is a topic that is particularly close to me. I have medical preconditions that should require me to have regular medical care. I am also experiencing symptoms of what might be something very serious. I would have had it checked out when I was working at my old job where I had coverage, but I needed to see a specialist for further testing. The cost to see this specialist was too high, and I could not afford it.

Now that I am considered to be low-income I am available for the Oregon Health Plan, but their coverage is also limited. I worry about my health daily because I have a wife and kids, but what can I do.

When I learned that President Obama wants to make universal health care in the United States a reality, I was overwhelmed with excitement and relief. The more I learned about the Obama-Biden plan for health care reform the excitement and relief lessened. The parts of the health care reform plan that worried me the most were about ones that involved small business. My question is should the Obama Administration include items pertaining to small business as part of their health care reform?

The Small Business Health Tax Credit, Low-cost National Health Exchange, and “Pay or Play” mandates are at the focus of my should question. I tried to find opposing sides to these issues, but when I looked there was none. Everyone from business owners to health care providers and Democrats to Republicans were in agreement that implementing Small Business Health Tax Credit, Low-cost National Health Exchange, and “Pay or Play” mandates would be a bad idea at this time. In fact the only group of people that would benefit right now would be the insurance companies because everyone would have insurance.

The Small Business Health Tax Credit is an incentive that offers business owners a refund of up to fifty percent of what the pay towards their employees’ health care premiums. The size or percent of the refund a certain business owner would receive would be based on the number of employees that he or she had with the lower number of employees receiving a larger percent. The Obama plan says that this will be optional to business owners. If owners choose to pay a portion of the premiums they are still out at least fifty percent. This loss will go to the consumers in increased cost of goods and services. This will lead to loss in wages and loss in jobs. If owners choose not to pay the employees don’t have coverage, or if we do achieve universal health coverage in the United States then the cost will go to the federal budget. If this becomes a mandate the same result of the pay option will happen or the business will go bankrupt. None of these scenarios are expectable.

The Low-cost National Health Exchange is also known as risk-pooling. This is where small businesses would join groups of other small businesses to spread risk and cost over a wide base of members. This would allow smaller businesses to purchase insurance at the lower prices and variety of choices that large companies have access to. This is a great idea, but it only works if the businesses join. In cases were risk-pooling was tried and businesses dropped out of the risk-pooling group, the prices of coverage was raised higher than before they joined. And if businesses are mandated to join the same results of the mandated Small Business Health Tax Credit are possible outcomes.

The “Pay or Play” mandate makes it mandatory that big businesses pay a “significant contribution” towards paying for employee premiums or pay a penalty. Even though this applies to larger businesses, small businesses worry that it will soon apply to them. The Obama administration does not make clear what a “significant contribution” is, but it is sure that it would be too much for many small businesses and they would choose the “Pay” Option. The “Pay” penalty is two hundred ninety five fee per employee. It is not clear if this is a one time fee, annual fee, or what. This is not the important part though. The cost to cover that employee would go to the federal budget again.

With the possibility of all this cost falling back on the government, the question is how is the government plan on paying for it. If this hurts small businesses, which the Obama-Biden accounts for over ninety nine percent of the employers in America, how will they be able to pay for it? The most likely answer will be an increase in taxes. An increase in taxes during a recession is never a good idea.

There are millions of uninsured Americans that have to resort to using the emergency rooms around the nation further drive the costs of health care higher, so health care reform is a must. I believe the Obama health care reform plan has many good points such as prevention, information technologies, restrictions on insurance companies, and allowing safe medications from foreign countries are great ideas. I am an Obama backer with slightly socialist tendencies, but I think regulating small businesses would further hurt the economy, the health care system, and most importantly the people of the United States.

(In addition to using this as an outline for my speech I would edit together clips from my multi-media sources, the two charts, and the illustration of president Obama)

Source notes

http://cdeross5150.wordpress.com/2009/01/22/source-notes-president-obama%e2%80%99s-inaugural-address/

Multi-media

http://cdeross5150.wordpress.com/2009/03/13/multi-media-source-notessmall-business-and-health-care-reform-9/

http://cdeross5150.wordpress.com/2009/03/13/multi-media-source-notessmall-business-and-health-care-reform-5/

http://cdeross5150.wordpress.com/2009/03/13/multi-media-source-notes-small-business-and-health-care-reform-3/

http://cdeross5150.wordpress.com/2009/03/13/multi-media-source-notes-small-business-and-health-care-reform-2/

http://cdeross5150.wordpress.com/2009/03/13/multi-media-source-notes-small-business-and-health-care-reform-1/

Images

http://cdeross5150.wordpress.com/2009/03/13/image-source-notes-the-long-road-to-healthcare-reform/

http://cdeross5150.wordpress.com/2009/03/13/image-source-notes-mandates-for-health-insurance/

http://cdeross5150.wordpress.com/2009/03/13/image-source-notescost-small-businesses-big-health-care-problems/

http://cdeross5150.wordpress.com/2009/03/13/image-source-notes-obama-and-hcfany-agree-the-time-for-health-reform-is-now/

http://cdeross5150.wordpress.com/2009/03/13/image-source-notes-health-care-reform-the-%e2%80%9cstakeholders%e2%80%9d-table/

Citizen

http://cdeross5150.wordpress.com/2009/03/13/citizen-source-notes-interview-with-jung%e2%80%99s-mongolian-grill-owner-steve-snyder/

http://cdeross5150.wordpress.com/2009/03/13/citizen-source-notesinterview-with-charles-h-lundquist-college-of-business-instructor-michael-tomcal/

http://cdeross5150.wordpress.com/2009/03/13/citizen-source-notesinterview-with-the-head-of-patient-financial-services-peace-health-kevin-mcandrews/

http://cdeross5150.wordpress.com/2009/03/13/citizen-source-notes-reforming-americas-health-care-system-barack-obamas-health-care-plan/

http://cdeross5150.wordpress.com/2009/03/13/citizen-sorce-noteschangegov-the-obama-biden-health-care-reform-proposal/

Academic

http://cdeross5150.wordpress.com/2009/03/13/academic-sources-notesa-universal-healthcare-system-is-it-right-for-the-united-states/

http://cdeross5150.wordpress.com/2009/03/13/sources-notesus-nurses-call-for-urgent-healthcare-reform-as-new-president-takes-office-nursing-standard/

http://cdeross5150.wordpress.com/2009/03/13/source-notes-health-care-highlighted-in-presidential-campaigns/

http://cdeross5150.wordpress.com/2009/03/13/source-notesconfronting-the-fear-factor-the-coverageaccess-disparity-in-universal-health-care/

http://cdeross5150.wordpress.com/2009/03/13/source-notesthe-obama-planmore-regulation-unsustainable-spending/

Institutional

http://cdeross5150.wordpress.com/2009/03/13/source-notesaccess-to-affordable-quality-health-care/

http://cdeross5150.wordpress.com/2009/03/13/source-notesbarack-obama-and-joe-biden%e2%80%99s-plan-for-small-business/

http://cdeross5150.wordpress.com/2009/03/13/source-notes-the-obama-biden-plan/

http://cdeross5150.wordpress.com/2009/03/13/source-notesobama%e2%80%99s-plan-for-health-care-reform-what-does-it-mean/

http://cdeross5150.wordpress.com/2009/03/13/source-notesphysicians-action-kit-on-health-system-reform/

Journalistic

http://cdeross5150.wordpress.com/2009/03/13/source-notesblueprints-for-a-health-care-fix/

http://cdeross5150.wordpress.com/2009/03/13/source-noteswith-an-incoming-president-local-health-care-and-business-experts-ponder-future/

http://cdeross5150.wordpress.com/2009/03/13/source-notes-relief-for-small-business-not-much/

http://cdeross5150.wordpress.com/2009/03/13/source-notes-health-care-tax-credit-proposed-for-small-business/

http://cdeross5150.wordpress.com/2009/03/13/source-notes-benefits-execs-prefer-obama%e2%80%99s-health-care-plan/

*there are more than three sources that are also blog sources

Multi-media source notes:Small Business and Health Care Reform – 9

cdeross5150 — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 22:03:16 +0000

Title: Small Business and Health Care Reform – 9 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ye6bTCN0j3I

Summary: Open disscusion lead by Chairwoman Nydia Velázquez at the House Small Business Committee hearing on Health Care Reform in a Struggling Economy: Whats on the Horizon for Small Business

Support: House Small Business Committee hearing on Health Care Reform in a Struggling Economy: Whats on the Horizon for Small Business; Alissa Fox, Sr. Vice President, Office of Policy and Representation, BlueCross BlueShield Association

Audience and Agenda: The mission of HouseSmallBizDems is to shape policies that will help small bussinesses. All of the videos posted pretain to business related issues. HouseSmallBizDems has 88 subscribers. This video has 42 views.

Usefulness: This video discuses the high deductables and state based exchanges of health care insurance.

Works cited: http://www.youtube.com/user/HouseSmallBizDems

Multi-media source notes:Small Business and Health Care Reform – 5

cdeross5150 — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 22:01:44 +0000

Title: Small Business and Health Care Reform – 5 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1Bzi60kLQE

Summary: Thomas Haynes, Executive Director of The Coca-Cola Bottlers’ Association, speeks about mandates negative effects on coverage and the low costs involved in risk pooling at the House Small Business Committee hearing on Health Care Reform in a Struggling Economy: Whats on the Horizon for Small Business.

Support: House Small Business Committee hearing on Health Care Reform in a Struggling Economy: Whats on the Horizon for Small Business; Thomas Haynes, Executive Director of The Coca-Cola Bottlers’ Association, ; Ranking Member Cogressman Sam Graves

Usefulness: This video shows mandates have caused businesses to reduce or drop health coverage and that risk pooling could lower costs.

Works cited: http://www.youtube.com/user/HouseSmallBizDems

Multi-media source notes: Small Business and Health Care Reform – 3

cdeross5150 — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 21:59:34 +0000

Title: Small Business and Health Care Reform – 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwOCVSl3VbU&NR=1

Summary: Dave Ratner representing National Retail Federation speeks about quality information, competitive insurance plans, employer mandates, and high risk claims in health care at the House Small Business Committee hearing on Health Care Reform in a Struggling Economy: Whats on the Horizon for Small Business.

Support: National Retail Federation, House Small Business Committee hearing on Health Care Reform in a Struggling Economy: Whats on the Horizon for Small Business

Usefulness: This video shows that business owners are aware that mandates will cause profits and jobs to decrease.

Works cited: http://www.youtube.com/user/HouseSmallBizDems

Multi-media source notes: Small Business and Health Care Reform – 2

cdeross5150 — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 21:57:40 +0000

Title: Small Business and Health Care Reform – 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XON0lAu4U0&NR=1

Summary: In his opening statements at the House Small Business Committee hearing on Health Care Reform in a Struggling Economy: “What’s on the Horizon for Small Business,” Ranking Member Sam Graves states the facts and figures of small business health care costs, unisured Americans, total cost of health care in America, and small business job lose.

Support: Ranking Member Congressman Sam Graves, House Small Business Committee hearing on Health Care Reform in a Struggling Economy: Whats on the Horizon for Small Business, Institute of Medicine, AHPs, CHOICE Act, Small Business Health Tax Credit,

Usefulness: This video gives the figures of the elements that effect small business health care reform.

Works cited: http://www.youtube.com/user/HouseSmallBizDems

Multi-media source notes: Small Business and Health Care Reform – 1

cdeross5150 — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 21:55:53 +0000

Title: Small Business and Health Care Reform – 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAaEZSfE_FE

Summary: In her opening statements at the House Small Business Committee hearing on Health Care Reform in a Struggling Economy: “What’s on the Horizon for Small Business,” Chairwoman Nydia Velázquez discuses how small business health care is blocking economic recovery.

Topic: http://cdeross5150.wordpress.com/2009/01/20/policy-question/
Category: multi-media
What is it?: video
Publication Information: Youtube.com/HouseSmallBizDems, 2/4/2009
Author: HouseSmallBizDems
Location: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAaEZSfE_FE
Accessed: 3/12/09
Support: American Recovery and Reinvestment Act; Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez (D-NY); House Small Business Committee hearing on Health Care Reform in a Struggling Economy: Whats on the Horizon for Small Business; CHOICE act; Ranking Member Sam Graves

Usefulness: This video discuses how the cost of health care is blocking small businesses’ ability to maitain jobs and create new jobs.

Works cited: http://www.youtube.com/user/HouseSmallBizDems

Image source notes: The long road to healthcare reform

cdeross5150 — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 21:53:51 +0000

Title: The long road to healthcare reform http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://media.ft.com/cms/0e694666-ca00-11dd-93e5-000077b07658.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d0c2e182-ca0e-11dd-93e5-000077b07658.html%3Fftcamp%3Drss&usg=__jmPwT7MWXrKsSZe5v17Y6lE6eso=&h=281&w=470&sz=59&hl=en&start=110&tbnid=KZt5AVA5ZM5lbM:&tbnh=77&tbnw=129&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsmall%2Bbusiness%2Band%2Bhealth%2Breform%26gbv%3D2%26ndsp%3D20%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26start%3D100

Summary: President Obama and Tom Daschle happily bandage a horified patient.

Topic: http://cdeross5150.wordpress.com/2009/01/20/policy-question/
Category: image/journalistic

What is it?: image/illustration
Publication Information: ft.com/ The Financial Times, 12/14/08
Author: Clive Crook/Bromley illustration
Location: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://media.ft.com/cms/0e694666-ca00-11dd-93e5-000077b07658.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d0c2e182-ca0e-11dd-93e5-000077b07658.html%3Fftcamp%3Drss&usg=__jmPwT7MWXrKsSZe5v17Y6lE6eso=&h=281&w=470&sz=59&hl=en&start=110&tbnid=KZt5AVA5ZM5lbM:&tbnh=77&tbnw=129&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsmall%2Bbusiness%2Band%2Bhealth%2Breform%26gbv%3D2%26ndsp%3D20%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26start%3D100
Accessed: 3/11/09

Support: Barack Obama, Tom Daschle

Audience and Agenda: The Financial Times provides business, political, and financial news worldwide. “FT.com attracts 7.1 million unique users, generating 72 million page views” (ABCe figures, March 2008). Their visitors are “skewing older, more affluent, more educated, and mostly male”(http://www.quantcast.com/ft.com).

Usefulness: This image shows businesses’ uncertainty with the Obama plan on health care reform.

Works cited: http://www.ft.com/aboutus , http://www.quantcast.com/ft.com

Image source notes: Mandates for Health Insurance

cdeross5150 — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 21:52:17 +0000

Title: Mandates for Health Insurance http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.hpm.org/controller/actorMatrix%3Fcontentid%3D2894&imgrefurl=http://www.hpm.org/en/Surveys/Johns_Hopkins_Bloomberg_School_of_Public_Health/11/Mandates_for_Health_Insurance.html%3Bjsessionid%3D406BE68AB76F90F1AAEE4753B71333B6%3Fp_t%3D1886%26content_id%3D251%26a%3Dst%26language%3Den&usg=__bXx0SIjpODMx2pOU2WJj1xfRB5Q=&h=443&w=547&sz=9&hl=en&start=88&tbnid=nudzG07Eg_shwM:&tbnh=108&tbnw=133&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsmall%2Bbusiness%2Band%2Bhealth%2Breform%26gbv%3D2%26ndsp%3D20%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26start%3D80

Summary: Health Policy Monitor grid chart rates people’s approval of mandated health insurance coverage by the catagories of: Physicians and hospitals; Democratic party; Patients/Consumers; Employers, Republican party; Insurance companies.

Topic: http://cdeross5150.wordpress.com/2009/01/20/policy-question/
Category: Institutional/image
What is it?: statistical chart
Publication Information: Health Policy Monitor, hpm.org, 2008
Author: Petigara, Tanaz and Gerard Anderson
Location: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.hpm.org/controller/actorMatrix%3Fcontentid%3D2894&imgrefurl=http://www.hpm.org/en/Surveys/Johns_Hopkins_Bloomberg_School_of_Public_Health/11/Mandates_for_Health_Insurance.html%3Bjsessionid%3D406BE68AB76F90F1AAEE4753B71333B6%3Fp_t%3D1886%26content_id%3D251%26a%3Dst%26language%3Den&usg=__bXx0SIjpODMx2pOU2WJj1xfRB5Q=&h=443&w=547&sz=9&hl=en&start=88&tbnid=nudzG07Eg_shwM:&tbnh=108&tbnw=133&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsmall%2Bbusiness%2Band%2Bhealth%2Breform%26gbv%3D2%26ndsp%3D20%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26start%3D80

Accessed: 3/12/09

Support: “Benefit Basket, Public Health, Funding / Pooling, Political Context, Access, Remuneration / Payment”

Audience and Agenda: The International Network Health Policy & Reform is a group of health policy experts from around the world. They research and report on health policy trends bi-annually. They are located in Westphalia, West Germany.

Usefulness: This chart shows that there is no one that is strongly for mandated health care.

Works cited: http://www.hpm.org/en/About_Us/About_the_project.html

Image source notes:COST: Small Businesses, Big Health Care Problems

cdeross5150 — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 21:50:10 +0000

Title: COST: Small Businesses, Big Health Care Problems http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.newamerica.net/blog/files/2-3%2520Kaiser%2520HRET.JPG&imgrefurl=http://www.newamerica.net/blog/new-health-dialogue/2009/cost-health-care-causes-big-problems-small-businesses-9904&usg=__gWQ8yJY6AuoQavbldTVUE4V2JZw=&h=355&w=501&sz=22&hl=en&start=19&tbnid=-eYOISlduh9lhM:&tbnh=92&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsmall%2Bbusiness%2Band%2Bhealth%2Breform%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den

Summary: Survey chart shows shows precentage of single coverage workers’ deductables by business size.

Topic: http://cdeross5150.wordpress.com/2009/01/20/policy-question/
Category: image/institutional
What is it?: statistical chart
Publication Information: Kaiser Family Foundation, New America Foundation, The New Health Dialogue Blog, 2/3/09
Author: Kaiser/Meredith Hughes
Location: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.newamerica.net/blog/files/2-3%2520Kaiser%2520HRET.JPG&imgrefurl=http://www.newamerica.net/blog/new-health-dialogue/2009/cost-health-care-causes-big-problems-small-businesses-9904&usg=__gWQ8yJY6AuoQavbldTVUE4V2JZw=&h=355&w=501&sz=22&hl=en&start=19&tbnid=-eYOISlduh9lhM:&tbnh=92&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsmall%2Bbusiness%2Band%2Bhealth%2Breform%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den
Accessed: 3/12/09

Support: 2008 Kaiser HRET Survey

Audience and Agenda: The New America Foundation is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that focuses on public policies. Newamerica.net receives 87.9 thousand U.S. visitors monthly. The Kaiser Family Foundation is a nonprofit organization concerned with health care issues. U.S. visitors to kff.org are over 50.5 thousand.

Usefulness: This chart shows that the cost of health care coverage greatly costs small businesses.

Works cited: http://www.newamerica.net/about , http://www.kff.org/about/index2.cfm , http://www.quantcast.com/newamerica.net , http://www.quantcast.com/kff.org

Image source notes: Obama and HCFANY Agree: The Time for Health Reform is NOW!

cdeross5150 — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 21:48:21 +0000

Title: Obama and HCFANY Agree: The Time for Health Reform is NOW!

Summary: A chart that shows what President Obama said at Fort Myers, Florida and what the HCFANY has to say about it.

Topic: http://cdeross5150.wordpress.com/2009/01/20/policy-question/
Category: institutional/image
What is it?: image, institutional blog
Publication Information: hcfany.org, wordpress.com, 2/11/09
Author: hcfany
Location: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://hcfany.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/obama-and-hcfany.jpg&imgrefurl=http://hcfany.org/&usg=__OdqyJIsdI-NPK2Mh3XZuI7wzRJs=&h=595&w=487&sz=116&hl=en&start=4&tbnid=TWpKZZFOJTeydM:&tbnh=135&tbnw=110&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsmall%2Bbusiness%2Band%2Bhealth%2Breform%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den
Accessed: 3/11/09
Support: President Obama, HCFANY, Fort Myers, Florida town hall meeting, COBRA, SCHIP, Medicaid, Medicare

Audience and Agenda: HCFANY promotes health care reform in the state of New York. They are affiliated with

Usefulness: This chart shows what Pesident Obama has said about Health care, and it shows that people are responding possitively about it.

Works cited: http://hcfany.org/about/ , http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?parm1=5&docID=news-000003028771 ,