September 2011 – Page 2 – Healthcare-NOW

My Medicaid Matters Rally – Sept. 21

Thanks to the Super Committee, the Medicaid program – on which over 58 million Americans rely – is more vulnerable to cuts than ever. 49% of Medicaid recipients are children, 25% adults, 10% are older Americans, 15% are disabled, and all are low-income. If people on Medicaid lost their benefits, the results would be greater…

Vt. governor picks panel for single-payer health plan

From Boston.com – MONTPELIER – A health care policy specialist will lead Vermont’s Green Mountain Care board, the panel that will be responsible for implementing the state’s single-payer health care system, Governor Peter Shumlin said yesterday. Advocates for the plan say the single-payer system will help control health care costs and guarantee coverage for Vermonters…

Number of Uninsured Up Another Million

By John Gever for MedPage Today – A record 49.9 million Americans were without health insurance during 2010, up almost 2% from the 49.0 million uninsured in 2009, the Census Bureau reported. The percentage of the population without insurance rose 0.2 percentage points, from 16.1% to 16.3%, though this was not significant at the P

Act Now to Protect Medicare and Medicaid

The debt ceiling package recently signed into law by President Obama created a Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (Super Committee). This committee is tasked with identifying $1.5 trillion in cuts with the supposed goal of reducing the federal deficit. Members of the committee claim that “everything is on the table.” Everything? The committee will…

Muslim Council of America Opens Free Health Clinic in Braddock, PA

The official opening and dedication of the Braddock Free Health Clinic will take place on Saturday, September 10, 2011 at 10:30 AM at the Braddock Municipal Building, 415 Sixth Street, Braddock, PA 15104. Dr. Mohammad Akhtar, president of the Muslim Council of America, which is sponsoring the clinic, will host the event. Dr. Akhtar said,…

Healthcare, babies and the national debt: The real cost

By Jonathan D. Walker, M.D. for Frost Illustrated – The term “infant mortality rate” is a measure of the number of babies that die under one year of age per 1,000 live births. It is a useful indicator of how effective a healthcare system is—the lower the number, the fewer babies die. Although there are…