According to a 2008 survey conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation, health insurance premiums, overall, have almost doubled in the last decade. However, the rate of income increase lags way behind. Overall healthcare costs have increased so rapidly that many American families become financially devastated following just a single catastrophic health event whether they have health insurance or not.

A 2006 Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality survey reported that in close to 3 million households, nearly 20 percent of their income is applied toward healthcare related expenses, not including payment of insurance premiums. A number of these households have health insurance coverage; however the benefits do not adequately cover the healthcare needs of these families.

As many of us well know, COBRA requires employers to offer a continuation of insurance coverage for laid-off employees. The continuation of benefits lasts for a period of 18 months, and typically employees would be responsible for the entirety of its cost. However, the COBRA subsidy program, which pays 65% of the cost for a period of 9 months, was introduced this last year to ease the financial burden of maintaining health care. For many, this subsidy will be expiring, and a new bill has been introduced into the Senate and House to expand the benefit period to 15 months.

It seems like every day more and more people are jumping on the bandwagon to help improve our country’s health care system. Recently, GE announced that they will be launching a $6 billion health care initiative intended to improve health care for people, and reduce cost. They call it “healthyimagination.”

To do this, GE is not only reanalyzing what products they are developing, but also the manner in which they are made. According to reports, GE has stated that they will supply 100 new innovations that will lower cost, and improve access to health care by 2015.

Democrats strategically dropped a proposal to expand Medicare this last week in an effort to build support for the current health care overhaul. The proposed Medicare expansion intended to offer individuals ranging from 55-64 years of age the ability to buy into Medicare early. This idea was originally introduced during September health care discussions; however, no action was taken on this plan. The original idea was to offer coverage to people older than 55 years of age if they were laid off, and did not have another means to obtain affordable health insurance coverage.

Just recently the Michigan Senate and House passed a bill banning smoking in public locations such as bars, restaurants, and government buildings. If signed by Gov. Jennifer Granholm, the ban would go into effect starting in May of 2010. Furthermore, it would make Michigan the 38th state to regulate smoking in public places.

People are obviously excited about the “cleaner” air when dining out, but hopefully this measure will also aid in decreasing the overall cost of health care. It has been estimated that smoking related ailments cost our health care system $100 billion dollars annually. In addition, cigarette smokers also pay higher monthly premiums for their health insurance.

The average cost of a hospital birth is $10,000 -$12,000. Are you prepared to cover that expense if you find out that you do not have maternity care coverage under you current health insurance plan? Add to the hospital costs the charges for frequent doctor visits, prenatal vitamins and lab test, you can be facing a huge financial crisis.

Acquiring a health insurance plan is one of the best things a person can do to protect both their health, and their bank account. People must understand that major medical bills are currently the leading cause for bankruptcy in America. In addition, going without health insurance coverage also serves as a catalyst for individuals putting off treatment for a condition in its early stages of development. What they must realize is that the condition often worsens, and as a result becomes even more costly to treat.

Things have slowed down slightly in regards to the ongoing senate health care debate as differences are still shared over amendments. In particular, there is still controversy surrounding the amendment from Sen. John McCain addressing Medicare spending reductions, as well increased preventive care for women.

The biggest debate currently is over the Medicare amendment. The Medicare amendment would greatly influence the success of the current $848 billion health care bill. Essentially, it would remove/block $500 billion in Medicare reductions that would aid in funding the health care reform. The argument is that such cuts would be detrimental to current beneficiaries.

In March, the federally funded 65% subsidy for COBRA insurance began for workers who lost their employment between September 2008 and December of 2009. However, this subsidy only lasts for a period of 9 months, and as a result many Michiganians are now being faced with the dilemma of whether or not they will be able to afford their new unsubsidized insurance premiums.

According to recently released reports, the average premium for families on COBRA will skyrocket from roughly $360 to over $1,000 a month. With many workers still struggling to find employment, such a drastic jump is simply unrealistic to afford; specifically, the new insurance premium will essentially consume their entire unemployment check.

With all of the attention the media is giving to the swine flu, I think that it is important to fully understand what the major differences are between H1N1 and the seasonal flu. Recognizing these differences could stop a bad situation from getting worse.

From what I have read, one of the differences between H1N1 and the seasonal flu is the occurrence of a sore throat. A sore throat is not usually common with the swine flu. Furthermore, the swine flu will typically have a rapid progression of symptoms. This onset usually occurs within 3 to 6 hours, and is characterized by a severe headache. So essentially one minute you can be feeling absolutely fine, and then the next be experiencing extreme discomfort.