Factoids, Fallacies, and Future Possibilities

Factoids

• In Matthew's gospel, 9 of the 12 stories that immediately follow the Sermon on the Mount involve healings or a discussion of Jesus' healing ministry.  It is as if Matthew is reminding us that Jesus' teaching and his healing work wer one and the same.  The pervasiveness of healings throughout the gospels should be enough to convince us that matters of health care and healing should be among the church's highest priorities.
• This used to be the case. Most hopsitals in the US once found their origin and affiliation to be religious. Today, much of that has been lost. Many hospitals retain "saint" in ther name and their non-for-profit status, but function no differently than for-profit hospitals. Nationwide, the amount of charity care at for-profits is 4.5% of revenue, at non-profits it is 4.6%.
• As Christians, we seem to have lost our way on this.  Health care is a faith issue, not a political or free-market issue.  Access should not be related to ability to pay! It is the right of every child of God to seek healing! Regardless of our opinions, we should find unity around the matter of providing health care, access, and education for all God's people.
• There are currently about 46 million people without health insurance in the U.S. Additionally, there are about 40 million who are between coverage or not fully covered due to 6-month pre-existing condition clauses.
• All children are covered by some form of government-sponsored insurance as is their primary guardian. Access to this coverage, however, can be time-consuming and frustrating. This is one reason more women tend to have coverage than me.
• GAMP...General Assistance Medical Program exists in Milwaukee County. It is available to adults who make less than $900/month and involves reapplying every 6 months at the cost of $45.
• Medicaid.... federal program which covers a variety of low income people including some with disabilities, some elderly, and dependent children and their primary guardian.
• Badger Care.... Wisconsin program for the working poor who are over the income limits for Medicaid byut earn less than 200% of the poverty level (currenly $9,800 for an individual and $3.800 for each additional individual.... so a household with 4 people would be $20,000). Is currently available only to households with children.

• Everyone ultimately has access to health care if they're willing to go to an ER somewhere. False! Many hospitals, including the only one left in the center of Milwaukee, will see uninsured people in the ER only if they have a life-threatening condition. In other words, if it appears likely you'll die in the next 24 hours, they'll see you.  If it appears likely you won't die until next week, they won't. For many people the current situation clearly shortens their lives because access to needed care is unavailable.
• If your employer offers health care, you're in good shape.  False! One of the nost problematic things about the current system is that emplyers may offeer coverage but in comparison to what the employee makes it is either so expensive or has such high deductibles (frequently $5,000) that it makes no financial sense to take it.  By refusing the unreasonable coverage however, the person is then not eligible for government programs.

Future possibilities in public policy

• The proposed expansion of Badger Care would be a positive step. (http://www.wccf.org/pdf/badgercareplus_042307pr.pdf )  It would expand coverage to households, including those without children, helping to at least partly close one of the huge gaps in the current system.
• Health Savings Accounts….are touted by some as a free-market, individual responsibility approach.  They will be effective fro some people but solve none of the problems described above because they assume that people have health care access and income levels high enough to be setting aside $ for savings.
• Single-payer system.  Dreaded by some as “out of control big government.”  There are lots of issues there, but what we currently are seeing could be termed “out of control private sector.”  For example, 30 cents of every health care dollar currently is absorbed by insurance companies (whose goal as a company, it should be recalled is to pay out as few claims as possible in comparison to their coverage pool).  The current system has over 1,200 insurers all using their own forms, claims process, etc.  The amount of time and money the current system costs patients and provides may be almost incalculable!   In the end access, choice and accountability need not be linked to where payment comes from!

Future possibilities in your congregation and community.  

• There is a tendency to try to figure out what the health needs are.  This is good from an awareness level, but may not get us far on an action level.  Find out what the health care resources are too!  How many people in your congregation have training or a career in health care?  What is your congregation or cluster already doing to promote wellness in people’s lives?
• Designate a contact person in your congregation through whom information can flow.   Get health care providers together for conversation.  Link them to existing networks like the Parish Nurse network or follow the 4 steps on the Health Care & Wellness Ministries for, by, and within Congregations hand-out. 
• Have a member from your congregation attend the follow-up event at the Luther Manor Board Room, Tuesday, June 26, 2007, from 7-8 PM.  If no one can attend, return the blue card you receive today so that someone from your congregation gets additional information in the future. Work with more than one congregation wherever possible or needed!  There’s no need to go it alone or to reinvent the wheel!  
• Be attentive to needs elsewhere, so that your congregation sees its potential to be part of the solution for people beyond themselves!
• Sponsor or co-sponsor blood drives.  They’re a simple and meaningful way of allowing people to share the gift of themselves
• Contact Bread of Healing to find out how to help with medication collection (414-977-0001).

Bread  of Healing Free Clinic at Cross Lutheran as an example of what is possible.

• The mission of BOH is to provide high quality medical care and education  for people with chronic illness who are working but without access to health insurance.  It is not set-up as a drop-in, urgent care center.  It provides an environment of education for patients and volunteers to learn more about the treatment of chronic illness (like high blood pressure, diabetes, etc.) in people who most often experience disparities in health care.  The opportunities to experience, request and offer health care are there for patients and providers alike.
• When people gain access, they use it!  By tracking outcomes, BOH found that a higher percentage of BOH patients achieved success in lowering blood pressures, blood sugars, or cholesterol than patients at the suburban for-profit settings in which some of the physicians also work.
• The planned “no-show” rate BOH uses for scheduling is about 10%.   It’s 12-15% at many for-profit clinics.  When people who haven’t had access acquire it, they use it!
• In addition to access, this may be one of the rare cases where lack of resources helps.  BOH can distribute meds for one month at a time, so patients come back monthly to monitor their levels.  More frequent interaction leads to better accountability!
• BOH has about 1,500 active patients. They see about 350 people a month.
• BOH distributes about $3,000 in paid-for medications a month.  They also distribute about $20,000 in donated medications a month. 
• A BOH spin-off already operates one day a month at Northbrook Church.  A second  spin-off is about to start in the Florist Avenue Lutheran Church-Agape Community Center neighborhood on July 1.