LIL' BUDDY'S BLOG: Thousands of IL Humans Between 50 and 64 Don't Have Health Insurance!
THE CHICAGO IL REAL ESTATE MARKET, AND OTHER THINGS CHICAGO, FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF A LITTLE WHITE DOG!
Hey, you dogs! It's just me - Gracie Moss!
It's my turn to post this week. Buddy, quite frankly, has a bit of a headache. Why?
Well, this past Monday, I needed to go into the vet for a very important surgical procedure. It's one my human Mom and Dad, Sue and Dean, say needs to be done to all dogs once they reach about 6 months of age. I'm OK, although I have the urge to scratch once in a while.
But they have me wearing this lampshade-looking contraption on my head so I won't scratch the surgical incision. This thing irritates me to no end, and sometimes I take my emotions out on our Lil' Buddy.
So he's in the other room, with the door closed, trying to relax, and watching Animal Planet, I believe.
While I was in the vet's office, I was reading an article in the waiting room about human health insurance - especially for those in the Baby Boomer Ages of 50-64. (Daddy Dean falls into this age range, but he is still in denial, you dogs!)
People aged 65 and over qualify for Medicare from the U.S. Government. Many of those younger still have health insurance from their employers, or have a personal health insurance policy, if they are self-employed.
But those over the age of 50 are more likely to get sick, or have pre-existing medical conditions. If they are not employees of a company which offers their workers group health insurance, they usually have to find individual policies on the open market. And, these days, that is challenging, or quite expensive, if these mid-agers have had any recent health issues.
As a result, an estimated 287,000 IL Residents between the ages of 50 and 64, or over 13%, are uninsured - usually not by their own choice. Of those classified as poor (household incomes of less than $14,000), 44% of the 50 to 64 year old age group is not covered by health insurance.
Their plight is a subject of national debate on health care reform, which is likely to be closely addressed in the upcoming administration of President-Elect Barack Obama. Will the U.S. Medicare Program be expanded to cover Boomers - and at what cost? Should Private Insurance bridge the gap? Or, should high-risk insurance pools such as the Illinois Comprehensive Health Insurance Program expand to provide the coverage?
Friday, in Chicago, more than 100 humans will discuss this very topic at the 2008 Illinois Medical and Health Care Policy Summit, co-sponsored by Health and Disability Advocates of Chicago, and AARP, the big 50-Plus advocacy organization. And you betcha' (sorry, Ms. Palin), the insurability of middle aged Americans will be a topic they want to bring to the fore.
Although the likelihood of me growing old enough to see Health Insurance Programs expand to us dogs is low, Buddy and I are very concerned about keeping our Mom and Dad well - especially as they make the journey to "Old Age."
Woof . . . 50 years old! That's 350 in doggie years!
For more, see Judith Graham's post from yesterday in the Triage Blog in The Chicago Tribune.
YOUR ACE REPORTER ON FOUR PAWS (AND A LAMPSHADE),
GRACIE MOSS & DEAN'S TEAM CHICAGO
(Lil' Buddy Holly Moss will be back next week!)
