I can remember it like it was yesterday, but it was fully 50 years ago. There I was, a tubby 8-year-old, strong for my age and tall, but chunky, all decked out in my Little League baseball uniform looking for all the world like a young Babe Ruth. “Hamer’s Hammers” was emblazoned across my jersey in big blue letters; “13” broadly across my back.
One of the scariest, most life-altering things that can happen to any of us is a health crisis. We’re going along, working, living our everyday lives, then BAM! We fall sick, get a serious diagnosis or have a traumatic accident. It’s frightening, and can leave you feeling helpless and powerless.
Fever, rash, cut, break? Sudden medical issues can be scary and knowing where to go to get treatment when is confusing and can be a major pain, on top of that illness or injury.
About 90% of us have health insurance from birth to age 64 because we either have a job, retired from a job or are related to someone who has or retired from a job.
Last fall, the President signed an executive order that REQUIRES three federal agencies to formalize some Affordable Care Act (ACA) escape routes. The agencies recently started to issue final rules on those orders, and I have some thoughts on these things now that they are more concrete. Let me Straighten this out a bit…
Every two weeks, I have the distinct pleasure of speaking to a group of Blue Cross’ newest hires in a class we call Health Insurance 101. The crux of the lesson is a simple one: What’s the point of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana? Why are we here?
