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.

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.

The NY Daily News published a brief overview of the Affordable Health Care for America Act, or H.R. 3962. It gives a gist of the who, what, why and how of this bill.

Should the bill pass in its present form, it will affect 96% of the American population. It is estimated to cost up to $1.2 trillion over 10 years. Income taxes will be raised for those earning $500,000 per year for individuals and $1 million per year for couples.

This last week Democrats of the House of Representatives revealed their bill, a combination of three separate plans, for our nation’s health care reform. The proposed bill not only incorporates a government-run insurance option, but also introduces new taxes on the rich. Specifically, a 5.4% tax would be imposed on individuals making more than $500,000, and couples making more than $1 million annually.

The new bill requires individuals to purchase their own health insurance, as well as the majority of businesses to offer coverage for their employees. In addition, the bill prohibits insurance companies to refuse coverage based upon pre-existing conditions. Although the current health insurance market is in dire need of this very amendment, there have been no concrete numbers proposed as to the actual cost of such a plan.

Although the health care reform has made considerable steps over the past year, it is expected to take at least an additional three years before any tangible benefits of the reform will be experienced. For example, with the current bills under review, the tax-credits to help make health insurance affordable for Americans will not be implemented until the year 2013. According to the Obama Administration, this delay is a consequence of the time it will take to set up a competitive insurance marketplace, as well as fully implement the new legislation.

This last Tuesday was another milestone in the ongoing health care reform as the Senate Finance Committee approved a version of the bill by a 14-9 vote. Surprisingly, the only Republican to cross party lines and offer her support was Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine.

The legislation is estimated to cost $829 billion over the next 10 years, and strives to provide health insurance coverage to an additional 29 million Americans. To achieve such a feat the legislation intends to expand Medicaid coverage, provide tax-credits to help subsidize the cost of health insurance, and require individuals to purchase their own insurance or be faced with penalties of up to $750.

This last Wednesday marked a major turning point in our nation’s health care reform. The Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Max Baucus (D-Mont), finally unveiled the committee’s proposal for overhauling our nation’s health care. Although the proposal has drawn some criticism from Democrats since it omits a “public option,” many believe the proposal offers changes that will draw support from both parties.

The proposed bill, if initiated, is intended to provide health insurance coverage for 95% of Americans, and will not provide coverage for illegal immigrants. This being said, many are wondering how such a measure will be paid for.

In this video we look at what Obama’s health insurance reform would mean to consumers. Instead of taking a normal look at this reform, we take a look at how you can control your own health insurance reform. How can you personally help yourself save money on health insurance? Watch this video for more information about taking your own health care reform into your own hands.

One of the biggest reasons why our health care system falls short is the fact that we have a fragmented system. Having such a system promotes inefficiencies which in turn lead to unnecessary spending. Such spending manifests itself in a number of ways:

1. Lack of spending on health information technology. The United States is disorganized when it comes to health information systems. This is an item President Obama is trying to remedy with electronic medical records. An easy solution would be a tax credit for all Doctors to acquire EMR’s for their practices.