Economy

OP-ED: Legislative proposal will lower the cost of health care

NASHVILLE PRIDE — Republicans and Democrats in the United States Senate have announced a proposal of nearly three-dozen specific provisions that will reduce the cost of what Tennesseans pay for health care. These are common sense steps we can take, and every single one of them has the objective of reducing the health care costs that you pay for out of your own pocket.

Published

5 years ago

June 3, 2019

U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander

By Sen. Lamar Alexander

If there’s one issue I hear about most from Tennesseans, it is ‘What are you going to do about the health care costs I pay for out of my own pocket?’ Well, I’ve got an answer.

Republicans and Democrats in the United States Senate have announced a proposal of nearly three-dozen specific provisions that will reduce the cost of what Tennesseans pay for health care. These are common sense steps we can take, and every single one of them has the objective of reducing the health care costs that you pay for out of your own pocket.

Here are just a few ways our proposal would lower the cost of health care for Tennesseans:

• Stop surprise medical bills so Tennesseans don’t get an unexpected bill of up to several thousand dollars from an out-of-network doctor after a hospital visit.

• Lower the cost of prescription drugs for example, by bringing low cost drugs to market faster for patients by increasing competition.

• Restore discipline to the health care market. This would be done by banning gag clauses that prevent employers from letting their employees know that a knee replacement might cost $15,000 in one hospital and $35,000 at another hospital.

• Help Tennesseans lead healthier lives, for example, by making it easier to access specialty care, especially for those living in rural areas.

• Make it as easy to get your personal medical records as it is to book an airplane flight. Improving electronic health records will also allow doctors to spend less time on paperwork and more time with patients.

High health care costs are a drain on taxpayer dollars, eat up employer budgets and (most importantly) are a top financial concern for Tennessee families. So my hope is to move this legislation through the Senate health committee that I chair in June, put it on the Senate floor in July and make it law.

Health insurance has gotten a lot of attention lately. President Trump said last month that ‘‘deductibles, in many cases, are way over $7,000, making it almost worthless or unusable.’’

I agree. High deductibles tied to high premiums make health care inaccessible for too many Tennesseans. But the truth is you can’t lower the cost health insurance until you lower the cost of health care, and the proposal announced this week aims to do just that.

Some on the other side of the aisle propose to resolve the problems surrounding our nation’s health care system with ‘Medicare for All.’

Well, if you get your insurance on the job, as more than half of Tennesseans currently do, your insurance would essentially be taken away under this Medicare for All system. And if you are currently on Medicare, who would pay your medical bills when we add 181 million more people to Medicare’s system that is going to be bankrupt in seven years?

Our proposal is a far better solution to the problem of expensive health care in our country. The federal government is not going to lower the cost of health care overnight, but I believe there are steps we can take that would make a real difference to Tennessee families, and we shouldn’t allow this opportunity to make progress pass us by.

This article originally appeared in the Nashville Pride.

U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander

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Activism

LIVE! — TOWN HALL ON RACISM AND ITS IMPACT — THURS. 11.14.24 5PM PST

Join us for a LIVE Virtual Town Hall on the Impact of Racism hosted by Post News Group Journalist Carla Thomas and featuring Oakland, CA NAACP President Cynthia Adams & other Special Guests.
Thursday, November 14, 2024, 5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. PST

Published

1 week ago

November 12, 2024

Oakland Post

Discussion Topics:
• Since the pandemic, what battles have the NAACP fought nationally, and how have they impacted us locally?
• What trends are you seeing concerning Racism? Is it more covert or overt?
• What are the top 5 issues resulting from racism in our communities?
• How do racial and other types of discrimination impact local communities?
• What are the most effective ways our community can combat racism and hate?

Your questions and comments will be shared LIVE with the moderators and viewers during the broadcast.

STREAMED LIVE!
FACEBOOK: facebook.com/PostNewsGroup
YOUTUBE: youtube.com/blackpressusatv
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Business

With Immigration Reform on the Table, Advocates Put Human Face on Calif’s Migrant Farmworkers

About 99% of the commercially grown crops consumed by people across the United States come from California, according to data compiled by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). Between half and one-third of the farmworkers who help to grow, tend, harvest and package these crops live in the Golden State. That’s about 500,000 to 800,000 workers. Astonishingly, 75% of them are undocumented.

Published

2 weeks ago

November 6, 2024

Oakland Post

Shutterstock.

By Edward Henderson

California Black Media

About 99% of the commercially grown crops consumed by people across the United States come from California, according to data compiled by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA).

Between half and one-third of the farmworkers who help to grow, tend, harvest and package these crops live in the Golden State. That’s about 500,000 to 800,000 workers.

Astonishingly, 75% of them are undocumented.

“People are very afraid,” said Manuel Ortiz Escámez, a sociologist, audio-visual journalist, and co-founder of Peninsula 360, a news organization based in Redwood City.

“I hold interviews with people who later call and say, ‘Please do not publish anything, because I’m afraid of what could happen,’” he added.

Escámez spoke last month during a news briefing organized by Ethnic Media Services (EMS) that addressed the plight of migrant workers in California, particularly those who live in the United States without legal status.

During an election year when immigration is a polarizing issue with strong opinions on all sides, Escámez says the lives and critical contributions of farmworkers have been reduced to soundbites or barbs in Left vs. Right talking points.

The fervent anti-immigration rhetoric these debates generate can brew hate and motivate hate crimes and hate incidents against migrants, creating an atmosphere of fear and danger among California’s farmworkers, advocates warn.

In these situations, the debate shifts from the virtues of legal vs. illegal immigration to politicians scoring political points by finding a group to blame for the country’s problems.

“Power in politics needs to invent a physically and morally repugnant enemy who wants to take what’s yours because the feeling of emergency creates unity and the need of a savior,” said Escámez. “That’s why migrants have always been the ideal enemy of some U.S. political campaigns … and the data shows that it works.”

No matter where Californians stand on immigration, the contributions migrant farmworkers make to California’s economy and the country’s food supply are undeniable.

In February 2024, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) calculated that immigration will generate a $7 trillion boost to gross domestic product over the next decade. A vast majority of these contributions come from immigrants like California’s farmworkers who perform jobs and endure conditions many Americans choose not to.

“I’m undocumented with a sliver of privilege. I’m still in a precarious position, but millions of people would love to be in my shoes,” said Gustavo Gasca Gomez, immigration outreach specialist and a Stop the Hate coordinator at the Fresno-based Education and Leadership Foundation.

“I can work, and I have social security. But I can’t vote or leave the country and return without express permission. And before I was a DACA recipient in 2012 I was a farmworker right out of high school,” said Gomez. “The work is difficult. It’s hot, dirty and tedious. It makes your mind numb in many ways. But it’s a job that the entire country depends on.”

This resource is supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library in partnership with the California Department of Social Services and the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs as part of the Stop the Hate program. To report a hate incident or hate crime and get support, go to CA vs Hate. 

Oakland Post

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Business

Gov. Newsom Issues Executive Order to Tackle Rising Electric Bills

Gov. Gavin Newsom has issued an executive order to help alleviate the financial burden of skyrocketing electric bills on residents. This directive instructs the state’s Public Utilities Commission (PUC) and Energy Commission to identify strategies to lower electricity costs and prevent rapid increases in the future.

Published

2 weeks ago

November 6, 2024

Oakland Post

iStock

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

Among the key actions proposed, the governor emphasized a closer examination of utility expenditures related to wildfire mitigation, which accounts for about 13% of residential electric bills.

Newsom underscored the state’s commitment to balancing affordability with environmental goals.

“We’re taking action to address rising electricity costs and save consumers money on their bills,” said Newsom. “California is proving that we can address affordability concerns as we continue our world-leading efforts to combat the climate crisis.”

California now has the second-highest electric rates in the country, trailing only Hawaii, with residential bills having surged as much as 110% over the past decade. The largest utilities, including Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison, and San Diego Gas & Electric, have seen rate hikes of 20% to 50% in just the last three years, approved by the state’s regulatory bodies.

The executive order also directs the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to explore increasing the California Climate Credit, which provides some relief on energy costs for residents. Additionally, the PUC is urged to pursue federal funding opportunities to further reduce electric expenses.

While consumer advocates welcomed the governor’s focus on lowering costs, concerns were raised regarding potential cuts to essential clean energy programs. CALPIRG, a consumer group, pointed out that the real issue behind high utility bills is wasteful spending by utilities and urged greater accountability.