Archive for the 'Follow the Money' Category
January 19th, 2012 by Trisha Torrey
This column first appeared
in the Syracuse Post Standard
January 17, 2012
During both the 2008 and 2010 elections, the issue of reforming the American healthcare system was the focus of overwhelming amounts of misinformation and disinformation.
Remember the email about Senior Death Panels? It explained that the healthcare reform bill would allow Medicare to save money by refusing to pay for lifesaving treatment for older Americans. Of course, it wasn’t true.
Another email stated that the Muslim belief in dhimmitude (surrender or appeasement) would mean American Muslims would be allowed to opt-out of the mandatory insurance rule. Also untrue.
Both inflammatory statements were horribly upsetting! But it wasn’t a huge leap to figure out who wanted us to believe them.
Now primary season is here again, and some candidates continue to focus on repealing the Affordable Care Act (healthcare reform). Whether or not you believe healthcare reform should be the law of the land, you owe it to yourself, and those you influence, to separate facts from fiction.
If someone shares “facts” with you that seem inflammatory, upsetting or don’t make sense, then there may be something askew. It’s possible they are true. Or, they may be only partially true, subjective interpretations of the truth, or even out-and-out lies.
Three websites provide neutral, objective analyses of political statements for our review. The best way to determine the veracity of information about healthcare reform, or any other political statements, is to scrutinize them at one, two or all three sites.
One site is the Pulitzer Prize winning Politifact.com. Its “Truth-o-Meter” scores statements on a range from True, to Flip-Flop, to Pants-on-Fire, along with supporting documentation for how the score was determined.
Factcheck.org is provided by the Annenberg Public Policy Center. One section focuses specifically on email rumors. Another section examines statements made by candidates and their high-profile supporters to establish their accuracy.
Finally, Snopes.com is a great resource, too. While it originally examined only urban legends, in recent years it has expanded into political claims as well.
If you see, hear or read a statement from any organization or individual during the election season or any other time, be sure to review it carefully before you share it with someone else. You don’t want to foolishly believe things that aren’t true, nor do you want to share misinformation or disinformation with others. Using one of these statement-auditing websites will help you sort out the real facts.
Here is more information about reviewing email claims:
How to Confirm or Debunk Claims
Made in Email, Blogs or Social Media
From Conspiracy Theories to Bogus Claims
How Can You Ascertain the Truth?
Have you confirmed or debunked a political email claim?
Share your findings!
……………………………………………………………………………………
Want More Patient Empowerment?
Find Hundreds of Articles at:
Every Patient’s Advocate
…and…
sign up for 2x per month newsletters of
Patient Empowerment Tips
December 8th, 2011 by Trisha Torrey
This column first appeared
in the Syracuse Post Standard
December 6, 2011
It’s that time of year again. The holidays, of course. But also the end of the tax year, when charities, including groups like cancer societies or hospital foundations, are pleading for donations.
Each year in December my husband and I make contributions to the charities we think are important, many of which are health-related. Last year money was tight, and we knew we would either have to cut back on how much we donated, or leave some organizations off our list.
To help us make those difficult decisions, I did some background research on each of the charities we ordinarily support. I was surprised at what I found! And learned some tips to share with you, too.
First, I learned that when children need specialized cancer treatment, they will get the same treatment whether they live in Paris, Tokyo, Sydney – or Syracuse. Pediatric oncologists worldwide share their research and successes to the benefit of children everywhere.
I had to ask myself – why would we send a contribution to a children’s hospital out of state? Since children receive the same specialized treatments, doesn’t it make more sense to donate in our own backyards? I’m sure those famous children’s hospitals provide excellent care. But if my child was sick, and I had to stay with her in a city far away, how would I get to work? Where would I stay? Bottom line – we decided to donate to our local children’s hospital, knowing local kids would get the great care they need.
Next up – family interests. Within my husband’s family or mine, we have loved ones who have dealt with Alzheimer’s, diabetes, lymphoma and breast cancer. We have always donated to those very large, national charitable foundations, thinking our money was going toward education, research, and of course, a cure.
Not so fast! It turns out that not all charitable foundations are equal – including those we’ve sent money to each year. I discovered that some charities are actually quite questionable. For example, too much of their money goes toward “undetermined” administrative costs. Or worse, only a small percentage of their budget goes toward their stated goals of education, patient support or research. One very well known charity is spending the bulk of its donations on legal fees, suing smaller charities!
Based on that information, we decided against supporting two of the organizations we’ve sent money to for years.
As a result of this process, I realized that if more of us were choosier about our donations, health-related or not, the most effective and efficient organizations would have more funds to really make progress with their missions – a benefit for everyone.
You may want to review your charity choices, too, to be sure your donations have the best chance of accomplishing the goals you think are important.
Here are some additional resources for
choosing the best charities for your donor dollars:
How to Donate Money to Health and Disease Charities
……………………………………………………………………………………
Want More Patient Empowerment?
Find Hundreds of Articles at:
Every Patient’s Advocate
About.com Patient Empowerment
…and…
sign up for 2x per month newsletters of
Patient Empowerment Tips
November 10th, 2011 by Trisha Torrey
This column first appeared
in the Syracuse Post Standard November 8, 2011
………………………………..
Last column we looked at Medicare Open Enrollment and how Medicare recipients can find great resources for helping them choose which health plan is right for them.
Unfortunately, the rest of us, those who are under age 65 and face Open Enrollment for private health insurance, aren’t so lucky. While resources do exist to help us choose, not many of them are objective. Most are offered by health insurers themselves and tend to be biased.
This year, one of the biggest Open Enrollment questions we under-65ers have is whether it makes sense to choose a high deductible plan. These plans have much lower monthly premiums, but require us to pay thousands more from our pockets before insurance pays its portion.
Those lower premiums are so tempting! But they may also end up being very expensive. There is a reason the alternate term for “high deductible” is “catastrophic.” “Catastrophic” is supposed to refer to the fact that you will be covered if you or your family member suffers a catastrophic accident or diagnosis. But if it’s not the right plan for you, it can be catastrophic for your wallet.
So how can you determine if a high deductible plan is the right choice? Get out your crystal ball, and try to predict how much medical care you and your family members will need in 2012. How many doctor visits? How many prescriptions? Are you due for expensive tests? Will your 10-year-old soccer star get a concussion? Will you fall off the roof while scraping ice?
The more medical care you require, the less likely a high deductible plan will save you money. If your medical needs eventually cost more than the deductible amount, then, in total, you will probably lose money over choosing a regular plan with a lower deductible, even though the premium is higher. Remember, the total deductible isn’t all you’ll pay when you need care. Once the deductible is met, your additional co-pay may be as much as 40 percent of each medical bill.
If you and your family are mostly healthy, and you decide a catastrophic insurance plan will serve your needs, then establish a Health Savings Plan, too. It’s tax-favored savings you may use for any health-related need, and even if you don’t spend it, does not disappear at the end of the year.
Here are some additional resources for making smart choices during Open Enrollment:
• Choosing the Right Insurance Plan During Open Enrollment
• Should I Choose a High Deductible or Catastrophic Health Insurance Plan?
• What Is a Health Savings Account?
• Medicare 101 and Medicare Open Enrollment
……………………………………………………………………………………
Want More Patient Empowerment?
Find Hundreds of Articles at:
Every Patient’s Advocate
About.com Patient Empowerment
…and…
sign up for 2x per month newsletters of
Patient Empowerment Tips
June 8th, 2011 by Trisha Torrey
(as published in the Syracuse Post Standard, June 7, 2011)
One question I’m asked frequently is whether it’s safe to purchase prescription drugs on the Internet.
Whether you like the convenience or hope to save money by purchasing online, the short answer is “Sure! Go for it!” But that’s followed by some cautionary advice, too.
If you have prescription coverage through your insurer or Medicare, then consider purchasing your prescription drugs online from a pharmacy that works with your insurance. Most of the major pharmacies like Rite-Aid, CVS, or Walgreens have websites where you can, at least, refill a prescription.
Most larger payers also work with mail order pharmacies like Express Scripts, Caremark or Medco. Each of these companies offers a convenient way to fill or refill your prescriptions on their websites. Some even send refill reminders to your doctor.
Saving money is a big reason to shop for prescription drugs online. If you don’t have prescription drug coverage, or if you are at risk of falling into Medicare’s donut hole, you’ll want to keep your cost as low as possible.
There are several websites available to help you compare drug prices and it’s definitely worth your effort to do so. For example, the cost for Lipitor 20 mg finds a range of $85.70 to $284.16 for a 90-day supply. That can save you $1,200 per year! Find that list of cost comparison websites here: How to Compare Drug Prices Online.
The biggest cautions are safety-related. You’ll want to protect your identity, since you’ll need to use your credit card. You’ll also need confidence that the drugs you receive are the actual drugs you ordered and not watered down or counterfeit versions.
The best way to be sure you are purchasing drugs safely is to be sure the online pharmacy you choose has been reviewed by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. Once they review an Internet pharmacy, it is assigned to one of two lists: either its list of “rogue” pharmacies, those known to be unsafe, or “VIPPS” pharmacies, meaning Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites – the safe sites.
Purchasing your prescription drugs online can be a time saver, a money saver, and is especially helpful for those who have trouble with transportation. As long as you make sure you’re purchasing from a bona fide safe pharmacy, then it’s a smart approach to purchasing your drugs.
………. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ON THIS TOPIC ………………
How to Safely and Legally Buy Drugs from Online Pharmacies
How to Buy Drugs from Foreign Pharmacies
How to Compare Drug Prices Online
……………………………………………………………………………………
Want More Patient Empowerment?
Find Hundreds of Articles at:
Every Patient’s Advocate
About.com Patient Empowerment
…and…
sign up for 2x per month newsletters of
Patient Empowerment Tips
……………………………………………………………………………………
