... is health INSURANCE reform, and not health CARE reform. Not that insurance doesn't need reform, but that's only part of the picture.

Interestingly enough, I know some people who went to the PRIMA Tennessee meeting last week. PRIMA is Public Risk Management Association, and is made up of public sector risk management professionals. One of the messages sent loud and clear at this meeting is disturbing:

Under the terms of healthcare reform proposed by the Obama administration is a significant curtailment of the use of FSA accounts for medical expenses. Of course, the way those work deductions are made from a worker's payroll check on a regular basis and used in a fund that is used as needed to help pay for medical expenses. They can be used for medications, dental and ophthalmic care (glasses, contacts, etc), exams, co-pays and more. These accounts can also be used for over the counter medications, medical supplies (e.g. diabetic supplies like socks, dressings for wound care, etc). But according to the folks at PRIMA, over the counter durgs would go away, as would supplies, dental and ophthalmic care, and other things would likely be curtailed. The reason? The working class suckers that use and need such help are having having too much pre-tax money taken out of their paychecks, thus lowering tax revenues.

The way I look at it that adds to my tax burden for medical care, and it seems we were promised none of that for families making <$250K/yr. I make WAY under that.

Can anybody say "How screwed up is that?"

RB

I have most often used Health Insurance reform as the term. Step one would be to revoke health insurance companies' anti-trust exemption.

Right now, Tennessee is in the process of phasing out Medicaid. This hurts those on Medicare. Personally, they have already dropped my Medicaid which was paying what Medicare did not. And it was paying the deductable for my Medicare. This is going to cost almost $200 dollars a month from my disability check. They dropped my mother's Medicaid because she made $5 dollars over the limit. When I started asking questions, I was told that Tennessee will no longer be able to afford a Medicaid program. With Tenn Care on it's last leg, and Medicaid on it's way out, there will be many more in the state of Tennessee uninsured.
What about this idea? Instead of all lottery monies going to higher education, why not pass a bill that allows some of it to go into the Medicaid and Tenn Care programs? Then, pass strict rules such as showing real income with a W-2 to validate whether they need to pay a premium, a valid birth certificate, and real proof of residency. Cut out all the loopholes in the families first program, and make people do what the program was set up for.
Insurance in Tennessee can be saved. It needs to be made a priority next session. If we wait on any federal insurance reform, more and more of Tennesseeans will lose what they have now.