Health-care crisis hits suburbs -Chicago Trib

[Rose Siding]

Suburban Chicago is confronting an escalating health-care crisis as more citizens lose access to medical insurance, including significant numbers of middle-class working families.
.....
The data comes from a comprehensive study of a 2004 U.S. Census report, analyzed by researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

It documents a persistent crisis of health-care coverage spurred by rising medical costs and a sluggish economy. Fewer employers are providing insurance, and fewer employees are covering family members as they are being asked to pay a larger share of medical costs.

As in years past, blacks and Hispanics are disproportionately affected.

While Chicago had the highest rate of people who are uninsured, the suburbs had the largest share of the state's total number of citizens without coverage--43.1 percent, compared with 29.4 percent Downstate and 27.5 percent in Chicago.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-0504100010apr10,1,4088232.story?coll=chi-news-hed&ctrack=1&cset=true

[rodeodance]

1. this is a true "crisis" which no one is addressing-insteak we get a FAKE

crisis and resourese going into somehing at the does not need an immediate fix.

[Southsideirish]

5. Great point - the REAL crises are deep sixed by the admin & media for the

PHONY "made up" crises.

[DeepModem Mom]

2. A good piece of reporting -- thanks for posting!

[tabasco]

3. The People of the United States are the United States.

We are failing as a society to take care of our most important resource - the people.

Too bad that we have so many easily manipulated people in this country, who can be brainwashed against anything for the collective good.

[Lorien]

10. My mom is one of those people

she blames the health care crisis on frivolous lawsuits and "stupid judges", and she thinks that the new bankruptcy bill is a GREAT idea because it will force people to "be responsible adults". My mom is a born again Christian who has NEVER had any health issues or been unemployed (and she's 64)! When I tell her that 60% of all bankruptcies are caused by medical bills she doesn't believe it, and I know that she's blaming the people for their illnesses since she's a health fanatic who has never gotten sick.

America isn't just it's people-it's the Constitution, the bill of Rights, and the physical land that once gave us so much pride. Bushco is working on destroying EVERY component that makes up America-and selling both it's people and the once beautiful land that is America to the highest corporate bidder.

[bling bling]

4. Well, we all know the reason behind this.

Damn those frivelous lawsuits!

:eyes:

[area51]

6. universal healthcare

We so badly need universal healthcare in this country. It's my understanding that we already pay enough in taxes to have single-payer like in Canada.


------------


"Prosperity is just around the corner." -- Herbert Hoover
"The economy has turned a corner." -- GW Bush

Herbert Hoover = GW Bush

Neither man cared about the Depression their economic policies created.

[Rose Siding]

14. We lose jobs to Canada because of health care costs here.

snip>
Last year the Canadian province of Ontario surpassed Michigan in car production. Of course, most of the cars made in Ontario are manufactured by America's Big Three—General Motors, Ford and Daimler-Chrysler. These companies are shifting production out of the United States for one overwhelming reason: massive health-care costs. An American worker costs them more than $6,500 in health care per year. In Canada, which has a government-funded and -run health-care system, the cost to the employer per worker is just $800.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7446005/site/newsweek/

[HereSince1628]

7. Democrats MUST put the SOCIO back in socioeconomics

The focus on simple economic models completely externalize the social impacts of economic simplicity. The nation is allowing its most cherished possession--its standard of living--to be threatened.

We will NEVER have both competitive labor costs and first world health coverage if employers must pay for health insurance.

[Egalia]

8. Crisis escalating here in TN

I used to live in Canada; I had more citizenship benefits, such as healthcare, as an immigrant than I've ever had as a U.S. citizen. I can vote here, but a fat lot of good that does me.

Here in Tennessee, the crisis is escalating. Democratic Govenror Bredesen plans to cut 323,000 from the healthcare rolls and drastically reduce the benefits for another 396,000 Tennesseans. Estimates are that there will be one unnecessary death every 20 hours.

According to Ron Pollack, executive director of Families USA, a national nonprofit consumer advocacy group, "What Bredesen is proposing is by far the largest state cutback in public health coverage in the history of the country. Many people will die. They will die silently and quietly outside of public view, but they will die."

It's one thing for Democrats to alienate their base, it's another altogether for them to kill off their base! The man is hugely popular with Republicans, but now even they are beginning to use his draconian healthcare plan against him.

The good news is that Black churches are beginning to organize against him (yeah, the same people who put him in office).

There's more at my blog: Tennessee Guerilla Women
http://guerillawomentn.blogspot.com/2005/04/black-churches-rise-up-against-tn.html

[lastliberalintexas]

12. God that's awful

"Estimates are that there will be one unnecessary death every 20 hours."


Welcome to DU! Even if your post is such a depressing one. ;)

[Lorien]

13. Welcome to DU Egalia!

:hi:

Aren't Governors country wide being forced to cut state benefits because the Federal dollars just aren't there? Does Bedestan just hate that program, or does he have no other choices? It seems like the same situation is playing out in nearly every other state in the union. :shrug:

[bluedeminredstate]

9. And yet the networks go with

all death all the time, so long as it is high profile and they can milk a religious angle out of it. Disgusting.

[lastliberalintexas]

11. Status of tax code revisions?

Earlier this year there were reports that one of the many revisions to the tax code that the Bush administration wanted was one which eliminated the business deduction for employee benefits. Does anyone know the status? Are all the revisions buried in committee? Is this one too controversial even for the repubs? Bueller? :)


This is also an example of how the RWers not only want to kill the middle/working class, but also small business. They really don't give a flip about you, unless you're a mutli-national. I just don't get why so many small business owners and the NFIB keep supporting republicans. *shakes head in disbelief*

[leesa]

15. Here we go.

[CAG]

16. It will take a "critical mass" effect to make a difference

Most large employers continue to pay a larger part of an employees health insurance, but as health care costs continue to increase 10-15% a year (we're supposed to be overjoyed over the 7% increase this year-still three-fold over inflation) the employers will gradually shift more of the cost of premiums to the employee. Soon, the cost of health premiums will over take the cost of a mortgage for many families (someone linked an article that already showed something like 15% already spend more on health insurance costs than housing).

Perhaps thats when americans will WAKE UP and stop worrying about Charles and Camilla, Janets boob, those uppity gays, and that social security crisis that may happen in about 40 years.

[Voltaire99]

17. Agreed. Nice post. (nt)