What I have learned form my classmates.

Hunter- Global Warming

            Global warming is the increase of earths average temperature. Many think that global warming is not real, but when you look deeper and research that facts are there to prove that it is real and a big problem that should be taken into consideration. Things used by humans such as cars and power plants expel harmful green house gases that are contributing to global warming. In Hunter’s slide show he had a very interesting graph that is able to show how humans are causing global warming. Overall global warming is happening and we should take it into consideration.

 

Jas- Biological Warfare

            Biological warfare is the use of biological pathogens as weapons. They use things such as toxins, viruses and bacteria to purposely infect the disease among populations, livestock or agriculture. Biological warfare has been around even before the 20^th century. The major problem with biological warfare is that it is very hard to defend against. This form of warfare has even been seen in terrorism, when it is used in terrorism it is called bioterrorism.  Overall biological warfare can easily take us by surprise, and could devastate agriculture and livestock and even the lives of many humans.

 

 

Evan- Iraq War

            There are three main reasons Bush had to go invade Iraq on March 13, 2003. One, weapons of mass destruction. Two, maintain and protect oil supply. And third to stop the war on terror. The death toll has reached over 4500 deaths of American soldiers. The cost has soared to over $500 billion. In 2003 52% of Americans were in favor of the war, and in 2007 65% of Americans were against the war. Overall I think that the facts show that the war in Iraq is way overdue, and that something needs to be done to start a withdrawal. 

Complete Overview Of Medicare

            I decided to do my contemporary issues project on Medicare because when I was researching topics to choose from it really was something that I did not know much about and looked interesting. I learned a lot about Medicare over the past couple of weeks. Medicare is government-sponsored healthcare for seniors and disabled. It was first started in 1965, and was designed to provide medical coverage for those on social security. Medicare is broken down into four different sections, Part A, Part B, Part C, and Part D.

Medicare is a federal government program intended to give you health care coverage and benefits to those who are above the age of 65 and for those under 65 with a disability. But, “[t]his means the very wealthy and the impoverished qualify for the same benefits, and these benefits are consistent across the nation, no matter where you receive medical care.” (lovetoknow) I think that Medicare should change and be more helpful to those in need of financial aid, and having the wealthy pay whatever they can afford that’s obviously not outrageously expensive. Many think that Medicare is the same as Medicaid, but they are not. Medicare was made intending to help out senior citizens who normally have higher medical bills, and Medicaid is for almost anyone but mainly those with a low-income. The first part of Medicare is Part A. Part A is the original insurance offered by Medicare. Part A helps pay for your hospital bills. When someone signs up for Medicare they automatically get Part A. Many do not have to pay a monthly premium or a yearly deductible for this part of Medicare. Part A will pay the costs when in the hospital, such as meals, hospital rooms, meals, nursing services and hospice care. Part A is the only part of Medicare that is automatically covered and there are not any monthly costs. The second part of Medicare, Part B helps to provide coverage for doctor services outside of the hospital and other things that Part A does not cover. These additional services include, doctor visits, laboratory tests and X-Rays, physical therapy/rehabilitation services, and ambulance services. But unlike Part A, you must sign up for Part B and pay a monthly premium and/or a yearly deductible. The third part, Part C starts to get a little confusing. Part C can also be called Advantage Plans. Theses plans are private health plans that Medicare approved to offer healthcare to eligible people. “Medicare Advantage Plans provide all of your Part A and Part B coverage and must cover medically-necessary services.” Medicare Advantage plans can save you money because it lowers the price that you have to pay up front. But the cost may vary by the types of services that you use. The last part of Medicare is Part D. Part D is for prescription drug coverage. You must be enrolled in at least Medicare Part A before you can apply for Part D coverage. Once you have Medicare anyone can get Part D coverage. This part of Medicare helps to lower your prescription drug prices and to protect you from higher prices in the future. Private companies provide this coverage. You get to choose the drug plan that suits you and then pay a monthly premium.

But Medicare is not perfect, USA today speaks out on a major problem, “Medicare's problems are compounded by soaring health care costs, which are running at more than twice the general rate of inflation. And they're made less predictable by future medical technologies whose emergence, impact and cost are impossible to foresee.” The Government is working to not let Medicare dish out more help than it receives in taxes. With a large portion of the work force starting to retire, Paul Beckner says, “With the baby boomers retiring in less than a decade, the upcoming conference committee on Medicare reform represents the last opportunity to address the fundamental problems of the Medicare system.” Medicare will have a very hard time holding up to its word if they do not act now to revise the provisions of Medicare.

 

 

"Medicare Coverage- LoveToKnow Insurance." LoveToKnow. .

"Medicare: The next riddle for the ages." USA Today. 16 Mar. 2005. .

Beckner, Paul. "Medicare's Two Fundamental Problems." FreedomWorks. .

Medicare Project

Bob Dole and Medicare

Bob Dole lays out ten different things for people to do about medicare. It describes the advanced features for applying for medicare. Bob Dole describes what seniors should know on applying this october. 

http://www.podcastdirectory.com/podshows/823098

Durbin Medicare Podcast

Durbin states about a recent medicare act was passed. The act will prevent a scheduled medicare payment cut to doctors. 

http://durbin.senate.gov/watchClip.cfm?clipId=09a256a8-a4b2-4283-837c-2dc921e35a24

Medicare Basics

I wanted to make sure that i understand completely what medicare is and does so i found myself at this sight and they laid it out great for me, stating "Medicare is health insurance offered by the federal government to people who are older than 65 and eligible. Some younger people who have disabilities, permanent kidney failure or Lou Gehrig’s disease can also qualify. Medicare helps pay for healthcare, but does not cover all medical expenses. The US Medicare system is managed by The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services."

http://www.medicare.com/medicare-coverage-basics/medicare-coverage-basics.html

Medicare Flaws

I found this website to be interesting because it shows how millions of dollars were given to suppliers who were actually dead. Basically there were fake id's used to steal money from medicare and medicaid. But there is a solution in the near future, "The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and its contractors switched to a new ID system in May that will wipe away many of those outdated codes, but unless broader changes are implemented, the same problems of potential waste and fraud will arise again, the investigation found."

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/news/stories/2008/07/09/nation.html

Are medicare and medicaid the same?

I was not sure if medicare and medicaid were the same thing so i searched to this sight and found that they are not."You may think that Medicaid and Medicare are the same. Actually, they are two different programs. Medicaid is a state-run program that provides hospital and medical coverage for people with low income and little or no resources. Each state has its own rules about who is eligible and what is covered under Medicaid. Some people qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid. For more information about the Medicaid program, contact your local medical assistance agency, social services or welfare office."

http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/10043.html#part2

Medicare A B D

From Centers for Medicare And Medicaid Services, is the three differnt branches of medicare described:Part A Hospital Insurance - Most people don't pay a premium for Part A because they or a spouse already paid for it through their payroll taxes while working. Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) helps cover inpatient care in hospitals, including critical access hospitals, and skilled nursing facilities (not custodial or long-term care). It also helps cover hospice care and some home health care. Beneficiaries must meet certain conditions to get these benefits.

Part B Medical Insurance - Most people pay a monthly premium for Part B. Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) helps cover doctors' services and outpatient care. It also covers some other medical services that Part A doesn't cover, such as some of the services of physical and occupational therapists, and some home health care. Part B helps pay for these covered services and supplies when they are medically necessary.

Prescription Drug Coverage - Most people will pay a monthly premium for this coverage. Starting January 1, 2006, new Medicare prescription drug coverage will be available to everyone with Medicare. Everyone with Medicare can get this coverage that may help lower prescription drug costs and help protect against higher costs in the future. Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage is insurance. Private companies provide the coverage. Beneficiaries choose the drug plan and pay a monthly premium. Like other insurance, if a beneficiary decides not to enroll in a drug plan when they are first eligible, they may pay a penalty if they choose to join later.

http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MedicareGenInfo/

What is Medicare?

According to Google, Medicare is, "A US Government health insurance plan that provides hospitals, medical, and surgical benefits for persons age 65 and older and people with certain disabilities." Although it seems simple, the Medicare system is actually quite complex. It contains a series of different parts with different health benefits. These three parts are called Medicare A, B, and D. You can only obtain Medicare if you are a legal US citizen as well.