Health care cited as cure for economy
The head of the largest health insurer in the region is convinced that the ever-growing health care industry is going to be the key to fixing the ailing local economy at long last. Alphonso O #39;Neil-White, chief executive officer of HealthNow, was the keynote speaker Jan. 24, 2013 at the 9th annual Buffalo News Prospectus Premiere kickoff dinner in Salvatore #39;s Italian Gardens, Lancaster.

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Health care cited as cure for economy - Video

Italian Health Care Presentation

By: wakelawschool

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Italian Health Care Presentation - Video

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This is as good as it gets, demographically speaking. Right now, Canada is in a demographic sweet spot. Our dependency ratio is currently at an all-time low of 59 dependents (those under 19 and over 65 years old) per 100 working-age adults, who pay the bills. Our share of non-workers to workers will never be so favourable again.

Two well-established trends are behind our current situation: a decline in the percentage of young Canadians due to falling birth rates; and the fact that the bulk of the baby boom generation is still working.

The problem is that this fortuitous circumstance cant last. Public purses will soon be hit by a rising dependency ratio spurred by a flood of boomer retirees, improvements in longevity and continued sluggishness in births. In theory, governments would adapt to this changing situation by reallocating spending. In its regular update on Ottawas long-term fiscal outlook, for example, the parliamentary budget office recently noted that: Population aging will put . . . upward pressure on programs whose benefits are mostly realized by Canadians in older age groups, such as health care, elderly benefits and public pension benefits. Such a future funding crunch, however, will be partially offset by reduced spending on programs with benefits largely focused on younger age groups, such as education.

More retirees inevitably mean more government spending on things old people need, while fewer young people should in turn mean less government spending on things children and teenagers need. Thats the theory, at any rate. Unfortunately, this sort of budgetary self-correction is nowhere to be seen in the real world.

Last week, Statistics Canada released a lengthy summary of primary and secondary education across the country, covering the past ve years. At a time when education spending should be gradually declining in step with reductions in the number of students, in fact the exact opposite is occurring.

Since the 2006-2007 school year, the total head count in Grades 1 to 12 across the country has fallen by over 200,000 students, a greater than four per cent drop. At the same time, total spending across Canada on public elementary and secondary schools has grown by $10 billion. The bulk of this increase is due to teacher compensation, which has leapt by more than $9,000 per educator over five years. Ontario teachers, to pick one example, have seen their average salaries and allowances grow from $71,000 to $80,000.

A combination of fewer students and more expensive teachers means Canadians are now spending more on each student than ever before. After correcting for inflation, per-student public spending has risen $1,300 since the 2006-2007 school year. While parents (and no doubt teachers) may think this is a good thing, it is a situation that simply cannot be maintained.

As classrooms empty out, the opposite is occurring in our nations long-term-care facilities and old age homes. The number of 80-year-olds, for example, is expected to double over the next decade or so.

To meet these changing circumstances, we will obviously need more health care professionals and fewer teachers. The first part of this equation is already occurring. The number of new doctors currently outpaces the population growth rate threefold. Nurses are increasing at double the rate of population growth. Canada now spends almost $6,000 per person on health care annually, or $207 billion in total, a figure that is also growing faster than the population.

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Education vs. health care

Click photo to enlarge

Business developer Robert Schultz is a startup business consultant who got his MBA in 2008. He was able to find health care coverage when he graduated and hang on to his insurance through job changes.

WASHINGTON Buying your own health insurance will never be the same.

This fall, new insurance markets called exchanges will open in each state, marking the long-awaited and much-debated debut of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul.

The goal is quality coverage for millions of uninsured people in the United States. What the reality will look like is anybody's guess from bureaucracy, confusion and indifference to seamless service and satisfied customers.

Exchanges will offer individuals and their families a choice of private health plans resembling what workers at major companies already get. The government will help many middle-class households pay their premiums, while low-income people will be referred to safety-net programs they might qualify for.

Most people will go online to pick a plan when open enrollment starts Oct. 1. Counselors will be available at call centers and in local communities, too. Some areas will get a storefront operation or kiosks at the mall. Translation to Spanish and other languages spoken by immigrants will be provided.

When you pick a plan, you'll no longer have to worry about getting turned down or charged more because of a medical problem. If you're a woman, you can't be charged a higher premium because of gender. Middle-aged people and those nearing retirement will get a price break: They can't be charged more than three times what younger customers pay, compared with six times or seven times today.

Starts Jan. 1, 2014

Starting Jan. 1, 2014, when coverage takes effect in the exchanges, virtually everyone in the country will be required by law to have health insurance or face fines. The mandate is meant to get everybody paying into the insurance pool.

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Health care overhaul on target

MIAMI -

Florida's Republican lawmakers are reluctantly acknowledging that the Affordable Care Act is the law of the land and are taking steps to determine exactly what that will look like. The Sunshine State has one of the highest numbers of uninsured residents in the country, some of the most stringent eligibility requirements for health care safety nets, a large number of legal immigrants and a proposal to privatize its Medicaid program statewide.

So how will the federal health overhaul impact that? There are still a lot of unanswered questions, perhaps the biggest being whether Gov. Rick Scott will expand Florida's Medicaid rolls. The Republican governor was a vocal opponent of so-called "Obamacare" but softened his stance after the November election. He remains wary of the increased cost a Medicaid expansion could bring to Florida taxpayers and has been accused of playing politics with numbers after he referenced figures showing costs could be as high as $26 billion over a decade. The state health agency later revised that figure to $3 billion.

Florida lawmakers are also playing catch-up because the Legislative session is not convening until March, after or very close to federal deadlines.

Here are some questions and answers about how the Affordable Care Act could play out in Florida.

Q: How many Floridians are uninsured and how many of those are projected to get insurance under the exchange?

A: Florida had the nation's third-highest rate of residents without health insurance during the past three years, according to Census data. It also has some of the most stringent eligibility requirements in the country for Medicaid. A family of three with income of $11,000 a year makes too much to qualify and single residents are not covered.

Nearly 1 million people are estimated to take advantage of the state exchange, including residents who are employed and the unemployed. Many would be eligible for federal subsidies to help pay for it.

Q: How many people Floridians are currently served by Medicaid and how many more will be served if lawmakers choose Medicaid expansion?

A: Florida's Medicaid program currently costs more than $21 billion a year, with the federal government picking up roughly half the tab. It covers nearly 3 million people - about half are children - and consumes about 30 percent of the state budget. About 900,000 more residents could be covered if Florida decides to expand its Medicaid rolls.

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What the new health care market means for Fla.

Associated Press Release

By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Buying your own health insurance will never be the same.

This fall, new insurance markets called exchanges will open in each state, marking the long-awaited and much-debated debut of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul.

The goal is quality coverage for millions of uninsured people in the United States. What the reality will look like is anybody's guess -- from bureaucracy, confusion and indifference to seamless service and satisfied customers.

Exchanges will offer individuals and their families a choice of private health plans resembling what workers at major companies already get. The government will help many middle-class households pay their premiums, while low-income people will be referred to safety-net programs they might qualify for.

Most people will go online to pick a plan when open enrollment starts Oct. 1. Counselors will be available at call centers and in local communities, too. Some areas will get a storefront operation or kiosks at the mall. Translation to Spanish and other languages spoken by immigrants will be provided.

When you pick a plan, you'll no longer have to worry about getting turned down or charged more because of a medical problem. If you're a woman, you can't be charged a higher premium because of gender. Middle-aged people and those nearing retirement will get a price break: They can't be charged more than three times what younger customers pay, compared with six times or seven times today.

If all this sounds too good to be true, remember that nothing in life is free and change isn't easy.

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New Health Care Markets On The Way