Floridians get affordable health care

Way to go Governor Charlie Crist! The Cover Florida program which begins in January provides affordable health care options to all Floridians regardless of pre-existing health care. The program is a collaborative effort of 25 health insurance companies and the state to assure that every individual who is without health care and desires or  needs it will have access that is affordable and will cover at least the basics. The plans will have a wide range of costs to the consumer but they won't be as expensive as COBRA plans can be. Anyone who's ever paid a for COBRA after being dismissed or voluntarily leaving an employer knows how expensive and unaffordable paying for COBRA can be. It's not universal health care so those who are against that should be happy.

One feature that I think is really good about the program is that it will allow for coverage of preventative services, which is something that many health insurance companies still seem to have a hard time understanding is needed if we are ever to improve the health of the population and reduce health care costs. 

Here's what I think: 

I say KUDO'S to the Governor of Florida! It's about time that an elected official took the health care crisis seriously enough to bring together all the major players in the health insurance game and come up with a product that benefits the residents of Florida instead of benefitting only the corporations. I hope that now residents of Florida will take the time to learn about this program and take advantage of it. Hopefully the governor's office will do what is necessary in marketing the program and getting the word out so that people know it exists and will enroll in the program that best suits them.  Once people are able to get preventive care (checkups and treatment) it may be that Florida will see a healthier resident population. Then the number of uninsured can decrease.

What do you think? Let me know. 

Women and heart attacks

Well ladies and gents, here is one gender gap that we wish didn't exist and according to researchers is still surprising to medical researchers. In a newspaper article for the Houston Chronicle, the report from the journal "Circulation" was cited. It discusses the journal article which is put out by the American Heart Association and reveals that women have two times more of a possibility of dying from heart attacks than men within the first 24 hours of being hospitalized after the attack. 

Why? There are several contributing factors:

• women don't get the  appropriate therapies and surgeries (including aspirin, angioplasty, beta blockers, reperfusion) (Ackerman, 2008).
• there exists among healthcare workers a mindset that heart disease is more of a man's issue rather than a woman's.
• women are not familiar with the symptoms of a heart attack, therefore they are more likely to dismiss them as indigestion, stress, etc.

This study was conducted using data from 420 hospitals between the years of 2001 and 2006. The reporter notes that many U.S. hospitals did not participate in the study, which in my opinion, is scary. 

Here's what I think;

It is time to step up the efforts for educating women. If women still don't know the signs and symptoms of a heart attack then more needs to be done by the American Heart Association, Public Health professionals, medical  professionals and wellness professionals. This is clearly a call to action for community groups, churches, schools, medical professionals and everyone who cares about the women in their lives to do all they can to get educated and informed on the issue and stop heart disease from taking any more lives than it has to. There is no reason why women should not be informed about heart disease or the signs and symptoms of a heart attack.  So let's get to it gang. If you need information here are a few resources: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease and The American Heart Association. Don't sit still on this people. Make up your mind in 2009 to get educated and educate others regarding heart disease and heart attacks.

What do you think? Let me know.