For Americans Under 50, Stark Findings on Health
By SABRINA TAVERNISE
Younger Americans die earlier and live in poorer health than their counterparts in other developed countries, with far higher rates of death from guns, car accidents and drug addiction, according to a new analysis of health and longevity in the United States.
Researchers have known for some time that the United States fares poorly in comparison with other rich countries, a trend established in the 1980s. But most studies have focused on older ages, when the majority of people die.
The findings were stark. Deaths before age 50 accounted for about two-thirds of the difference in life expectancy between males in the United States and their counterparts in 16 other developed countries, and about one-third of the difference for females. The countries in the analysis included Canada, Japan, Australia, France, Germany and Spain.
The 378-page study by a panel of experts convened by the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council is the first to systematically compare death rates and health measures for people of all ages, including American youths. It went further than other studies in documenting the full range of causes of death, from diseases to accidents to violence. It was based on a broad review of mortality and health studies and statistics.
The panel called the pattern of higher rates of disease and shorter lives “the U.S. health disadvantage,” and said it was responsible for dragging the country to the bottom in terms of life expectancy over the past 30 years. American men ranked last in life expectancy among the 17 countries in the study, and American women ranked second to last.
“Something fundamental is going wrong,” said Dr. Steven Woolf, chairman of the Department of Family Medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University, who led the panel. “This is not the product of a particular administration or political party. Something at the core is causing the U.S. to slip behind these other high-income countries. And it’s getting worse.”
Car accidents, gun violence and drug overdoses were major contributors to years of life lost by Americans before age 50.
California regulator scolds Anthem, praises UnitedHealth on rates
Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones criticizes Anthem for raising rates for small businesses and commends UnitedHealth for cutting rates for such firms.
By Chad Terhune, Los Angeles Times
5:13 PM PST, January 8, 2013
Escalating his campaign against rising health insurance rates, Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones said Anthem's premium hike for companies with 50 or fewer workers, which he pegged at 11%, was "unreasonable" because the company overstated its projected medical costs and improperly added fees related to the federal healthcare law.
But state regulators have no authority to block Anthem's rate increase from taking effect this month. "This is a huge loophole in California law and in the federal Affordable Care Act," Jones said.
A November 2014 ballot measure backed by Jones and consumer groups would grant state officials the power to reject unreasonable rate increases for health coverage. The insurance commissioner has that authority for property and auto policies under Proposition 103. Thirty-seven other states already regulate health premiums, Jones said.
Quiz: Test your healthcare knowledge
Anthem Blue Cross disagreed with Jones' criticism and many of his numbers. The company, a unit of industry giant WellPoint Inc., said the average increase for small businesses is nearly 8% and higher premiums are warranted to cover rising medical costs. But some small firms will pay as much as 17% more.
"The rate increases in the small group market are not unique to Anthem Blue Cross, but rather represent an economic reality faced throughout the entire industry as healthcare costs continue to escalate faster than our state's economy as a whole," company spokesman Darrel Ng said.
Jones said not every health insurer is thumbing its nose at the state. He said UnitedHealth, the nation's largest health insurer, agreed to reduce rates for small businesses nearly 6%, on average, after the insurance department questioned its initial rate filing.
UnitedHealth was "responsive to their small-business customers," Jones said. "Anthem Blue Cross told me regardless of my conclusion they were increasing their rates."
In their review, state actuaries objected to Anthem's estimate for patients' future medical use and costs, Jones said. Regulators have been scrutinizing those numbers as the growth in U.S. healthcare spending hits historic lows as employers shift more costs onto workers and recession-weary consumers avoid unnecessary expenses.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-anthem-health-rates-20130109,0,4719913,print.story
Activists crowd State House as Legislature convenes
AUGUSTA — Hints of legislation and political fights to come, along with a demonstration by progressive groups, filled the halls of the State House as lawmakers began a new legislative session Tuesday.
Lawmakers got to work with brief morning sessions and committee meetings, while bracing for two large announcements.
On Wednesday, Democratic leaders in the House and Senate are scheduled to announce the majority party's legislative priorities.
Ericka Dodge, spokeswoman for the Maine Senate Democrats, said their plans will be aimed at establishing a "returned focus on strengthening our economy, putting people back to work, and growing the middle class."
On Friday, Gov. Paul LePage is expected to release his priorities in the form of a proposed budget for the two years beginning July 1, said spokeswoman Adrienne Bennett.
The administration will be starting with a $700 million gap between projected revenues and projected spending for the two-year period.
State government is already facing shortfalls in the budget for the next six months.
"There are difficult decisions ahead of us," Bennett said. "We have multiple budget shortfalls to deal with. We don't have the luxury of ignoring a budget."
Along with introducing a two-year budget Friday, the LePage administration is set to propose short-term cuts to close a more-than-$100 million shortfall in theDepartment of Health and Human Services. Commissioner Mary Mayhew announced that shortfall in November and blamed higher-than-expected spending onMaineCare, Maine's Medicaid program.
Also, to make up for a general drop in state revenues, the LePage administration has proposed $35.5 million in spending cuts through June 30. More than $12 million is slated for general purpose aid to schools.
Maine Voices: MaineCare solutions shouldn't place biggest burden on the most needy
Instead of indiscriminately slashing programs, let's better manage care for the highest-cost patients.
By REP. LINDA SANBORN
GORHAM - If there is one take-away from Washington's "fiscal cliff" debacle, it's that drawing political lines in the sand won't help anyone. As lawmakers, we have a duty to put politics aside and work together to get results -- especially when it comes to balancing the state budget.
Our first priority is having an honest conversation about why Maine is facing a budget shortfall. We have a lagging state economy and a looming shortfall inMaineCare, the state's Medicaid program.
While every other state in New England has begun to emerge from the national recession, Maine's economy has moved backward, according to the federal Bureau of Economic Analysis. We are one of three states nationally where revenue fell below projections.
Maine's economy needs a boost. We need to put more people back to work in the jobs we have now, so they have more money in their pockets to shop locally, and in turn help the whole community and the state.
And we need an action plan to grow Maine's economy long term and train our work force for the jobs we have available now and in the future. We must get our state on the right track.
As well, we must take the projected $100 million shortfall in MaineCare head on. MaineCare is the state's health insurance program, and it serves some of our most vulnerable citizens: the elderly, veterans, low-income children and families, and people with disabilities. While enrollment in MaineCare has been cut by thousands during the past two years, its costs have not gone down as promised.
Maine's government should focus on cutting costs, not just the number of people in the program.
Don't look for winners in the recent decision by the Obama administration to refuse waivers for most of the proposed health care cuts passed by Maine Republicans last year. There were only losers.
Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebilius ruled that Maine could drop coverage for about 13,000 Mainers, mostly parents whose incomes fall between 133 percent and 200 percent of poverty, or $30,657 and $46,100 annually.
And the state has been given permission to stop providing assistance paying for prescription drugs to senior citizens and people with disabilities.
But most of the proposed $20 million in savings were not permitted, meaning lawmakers will have to go back and balance the budget they passed last spring.
This decision hurts the people who are losing their health coverage most of all, but it also is a clear rejection of the LePage administration's idea of reform, which has been to cut health care costs by cutting people off care.
No one can celebrate since those savings will have to be found elsewhere in the state budget.
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