Wal-Mart Stores says it supports healthcare reform that will require employers to provide health insurance to employees. Most larger firms are against this, so Wal-Mart is setting itself apart from the trend.

Under the new healthcare legislation that is being considered, “lawmakers have proposed mandating that all but small employers provide insurance for workers or help pay for” the 46 million uninsured people in the U.S.
I have to wonder if other firms will follow this lead, and vocally support employer mandated healthcare like Wal-Mart?
Image: sxc.hu.

One thing is for sure, health care as it currently exists in the United States will be different going forward. How different is the question. Will it be affordable? Become a government plan? Cover everyone?

There are answers to the ins and outs of what is happening in health care reform in a new article at CNN. One point that keeps coming up is about preexisting conditions. If you have them, many times it’s difficult to get health insurance. Another point is for people that have health insurance they like now. Will they …read more

As more and more employers are considering wellness programs, there is talk that people who don’t participate might have to pay. One source says that “starting next year, employees could have further incentive to get healthy as more companies add penalties to insurance premiums for workers who don’t partake” wellness programs.

I’d like to see programs that encourage people, rather than punish them. I think we all have enough negativity in our lives, and don’t believe penalties will motivate people to get healthy.
Image: sxc.hu.

During my last doctor visit I noticed that all the doctors and nurses were carrying laptops. Everything a patient told them got entered into a system. They went through a long list of questions (that I had already answered many times before) so that now all the information could be stored electronically. Enter the era of Electronic Health Care Records (EHRs).

While I think this is a good idea, I also think doctors still need to be cognizant of eye contact and listening to patients in addition to recording their complaints on a computer screen.
The recent stimulus package …read more

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Back before we headed to the polls, I shared with you an email I received regarding now President-elect Barack Obama’s stance on mental health parity.
Well, now I’ve received an email from Mental Health America urging me to send an electronic postcard to Obama to urge him to keep healthcare reform a top priority during his first year in office.
From the email:
As he prepares to take office, President-elect Barack Obama faces many pressing issues. And some will urge him to defer efforts to achieve healthcare reform, suggesting that it will be too costly, too difficult, or not …read more