Washington, U.S.A. — In an engaging new historical book published by APHA Press, “The Quest for Health Reform: A Satirical History” recounts the chronology of efforts to reform the U.S. Health System through the lens of political cartoons published as early as the 19th century through passage of the Affordable Care Act.

Co-authored by American Public Health Association Executive Director Georges C. Benjamin, MD; medical historian Theodore M. Brown, PhD; Susan Ladwig, MPH; and Elyse Berkman, “The Quest for Health Reform” adds narrative to more than 100 years of selected caricatures, extending from famous 1870s editorial cartoonist Thomas Nast — who drew the elephant that remains a symbol for the Republican Party — to modern artists such as Mike Luckovich, who parodies U.S. Presidents Harry S. Truman, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.

“I’ve always appreciated how editorial cartoons can tell a story so succinctly, in a way the written word cannot,” Benjamin said. “Health reform in America has repeated a cycle of themes, falsehoods and criticisms. The imagery in this book explains how these beliefs and ideologies evolved over time with sentiments that words struggle to convey.”

The cartoons show the evolution of American health reform ideologies, specifically concentrating on leading political figures and institutions. Recognized events throughout U.S. History are chronicled throughout the book, including the American Medical Association’s critique of “state medicine” in the 1920s and the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act in 2012.

Notable editorial cartoonist Clay Bennett of the Chattanooga Times Free Press provided a foreword for the book and is one of five Pulitzer Prize winners whose works are featured, including Nick Anderson, Luckovich, Joel Pett and Matt Wuerker.

“You see, unlike most journalists, we cartoonists aren’t held to the same standards of objectivity and impartiality. One part reporter and one part advocate, an editorial cartoonist isn’t merely an observer of the public debate, but an active participant in it, as well,” Bennett wrote in the foreword.

In the book’s preface, Benjamin described his inspiration for the book as a moment he sat in the Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute in New York City — where former President Franklin D. Roosevelt began conceiving the Social Security Act of 1935. At the time, Benjamin was serving as the Joan H. Tisch Distinguished Fellow in Public Health at Hunter College.

“The Affordable Care Act was in its earliest stages of implementation and I was concerned that people did not seem to understand what the benefits were, but, most importantly, I was often surprised to hear people refer to health reform as though it was a new idea. I thought we needed a new way to tell the story,” Benjamin said.

For book ordering information, visit http://www.aphabookstore.org/.

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Phoenix, U.S.A. – The Affordable Care Act is a hot, debatable topic right now. Whether it is one you support or not, it generates awareness regarding the need for affordable healthcare in our country. It has become nothing less than a necessity to find a solution to the healthcare problems we face as a country.

According to data released by Kaiser EDU, Health expenditures in the United States neared $2.6 trillion in 2010, over ten times the $256 billion spent in 1980. This has created a dilemma for the tens of millions of Americans who cannot afford necessary medical tests because they either don’t have insurance at all, or have a policy with a restrictively high deductible.

Dr. Scott Hastings, Family Practice doctor in Show Low, Arizona, founded BidOnHealth.com, a website that allows consumers to purchase medical tests at an affordable price. The BidOnHealth.com model follows the ever so popular trend of purchasing items online at a discounted rate. Anyone who has used a website like Priceline.com will find this concept familiar. Priceline is best known for their bidding option where the consumer makes choices within certain parameters, offers the amount they are willing to pay, and then enters a credit card number in hopes that their offer is accepted.

BidOnHealth.com uses a similar approach for medical tests and healthcare services. Consumers choose their geographic location along with the tests or services they need, and make offers based on what they are willing to pay. Using this bidding option, consumers can save up to 90% off the average retail price of the tests or services they are purchasing. However, bidding is not a requirement at BidOnHealth.com; tests and services can also be purchased immediately at an incredible discounted rate of 60% off.

BidOnHealth.com is contracted with reputable laboratories, radiology facilities and providers to ensure a quality end-product. The services and facilities remain constant whether the consumer is saving 60% or 90%. This is one instance where the old adage, “you get what you pay for,” does not ring true.

BidOnHealth.com has been recognized across the country for their innovative approach to healthcare.

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New York, U.S.A. – As the Supreme Court readies for its ruling on the fate of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), sometimes referred to as “Obamacare,” Americans have different opinions on components of the law, depending on the type of health insurance they currently have. Specifically, over half of U.S. adults who have purchased health insurance individually (54%) think employers should not be required to provide employee health insurance compared to only 28% of Americans with employer-sponsored insurance who think this. Additionally, over half of those with individual health insurance (55%) think the government should play a role in assuring access to health insurance, compared to almost two-thirds of Americans with employer-sponsored coverage (64%).

These are some of the results of The Harris Poll of 2,208 U.S. adults (ages 18 and over) surveyed online between June 12 and 14, 2012 by Harris Interactive.

Two thirds of Americans (66%) agree that having health insurance should be a personal choice, so there may be some general disapproval of the ACA’s individual mandate. However, Americans do agree with some of the ACA’s other provisions. For example, over four in five U.S. adults agree that neither children nor adults should be denied health insurance if they have a pre-existing condition (83%) and nearly three-quarters of Americans agree that tax credits should be offered to individuals if they purchase their own health insurance (74%).

However, when looking at the data by the type of insurance respondents currently have, some distinct differences can be seen. Interestingly, among those that have individual coverage, almost half (46%) agree that all people do not need to be covered by health insurance, compared to 30% among those with employer-sponsored coverage and 36% among those that have no insurance at all. Those with individual insurance are also slightly less likely to agree (79%) that adults and children with pre-existing coverage should not be denied coverage, compared to those with employer-sponsored plans (86% adults; 85% children) and Medicare (82% adults; 83% children).

When asked to rate how important 11 different aspects of health insurance are, over nine in ten Americans say access to the doctors, hospitals and services they need is important (91%) while nine in ten say coverage for prescriptions (90%) and availability of insurance if they have a pre-existing condition (90%) are important. Those who have employer sponsored health insurance are more likely than those with insurance they have purchased themselves to say each of the 11 aspects is important when it comes to health insurance. Some of the larger differences are seen when looking at coverage for prescriptions (95% vs. 76%), coverage for preventative care (93% vs. 74%), and coverage for wellness programs (84% vs. 65%).

Additionally, when asked which two things are most important when it comes to health insurance, one aspect rises to the top – two in five Americans say one of the two most important aspects is access to the doctors, hospitals and services they need (39%). The next three are financial as about one-quarter of U.S. adults say financial protection from major health crises (27%), lower out of pocket costs (26%), and low premiums (24%) are most important.

“The importance of health insurance to the American consumer cannot be understated regardless of the opinion issued by the Supreme Court,” said Debra Richman, Senior Vice President of Healthcare Business Development & Strategy at Harris Interactive. “This is especially true for consumers who individually purchase health insurance plans, a market of growing significance to health insurers. It will be imperative for health insurers to increase their focus on how those in the individual market ‘consume’ health insurance, including what plan features they prefer, and what they will and conversely will not choose to buy. Financial protection from major health crises, access to providers, convenience, and quality will be key factors as individual health consumers make purchasing decisions, despite how the Supreme Court rules on the individual coverage mandate.”

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In the world of politics, there is nothing better than an opponent that shoots themselves in the foot. Hence, President Obama is having a much better time currently, than he should be.

Unemployment is still high and the debt is astronomical. Gas prices are high and rising and many of the President’s foreign policy accomplishments are footnotes because of Syria, Iran, and he’s continued throwing of Israel under the bus. But, none of that matters as much, because for the last three weeks the topic of choice has been the controversy regarding birth control and the President’s healthcare mandates.

If this is new to you, here are the bullet points. The Affordable Care Act that President Obama passed, mandates preventative medical care at no cost to anyone. No co-pays, no deductibles. Included in the preventive care list is coverage for birth control pills, the morning after pill, and elective sterilization procedures. Most company insurance plans already provide coverage for birth control, but now it must be covered for no co-pay.

The morning after pills and the sterilization surgeries would be at no cost as well. However, the Catholic Church does not believe in birth control and want waivers for having to provide coverage to employees of their schools and nonprofit organizations. The President refused, and the Republicans had an issue right up their wheelhouse.

So for the last two weeks, Republicans have been chopping at the bit regarding the infringement on religious rights by the President and the President has not been hurt by the debate because all that Americans hear are Republicans railing against birth control pills.  Except, that is not what they are upset about. The issue is that the government should not be trying to make religious organizations do things against their religious beliefs. The real problem however is that the Republicans have again allowed the Democrats to frame the issue.

Most women in the country, 98%, have used birth control pills. Though it is easy to make people who fight against the mandate sound as though they are against birth control, that is not the real issue. The real issue is one of personal responsibility. If you are a woman reading this, or a man that is discussing this with a woman, you need to ask yourself: “Why I should have to pay for your birth control pills?”

That is the real issue. No one disputes that women should be able to get birth control pills, if she wants them. But, why should they be free? Whether a woman uses them is a personal choice, but at what point did we start thinking that other people are required to pay for your choices?

Food is more important than sex, should others pay for your groceries as well? Sterilization surgeries are elective, so it makes equally little sense to not let the person electing to do it, pay for it. I believe there is no difference between that and a woman getting a breast implant. Should we pay for them as well?

This is not only the more effective line of attack, but it is also the more understandable. Not only should the religious employers not have to pay for a woman’s birth control, but also neither should anyone else.

Republicans have allowed themselves to again get distracted by a social issue that does not win the election or overall opinion polls.  If they focused on the personal responsibility aspect of this issue, they would be winning the debate. Because even women could disagree to pay for the decisions that other women make.

This is a classic case of what is right: arguing against the infringement on religious rights, versus being effective in arguing that it is wrong to make others pay for the elective decisions that individuals make in their own lives. If the Republicans continue to make this mistake, not only will they lose the election, but the U.S. will take an even closer step toward a society in which personal responsibility is absent from all areas of life.

Image Courtesy of    http://www.flickr.com/photos/gageskidmore/

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