Issue #2 Ensuring Quality Care for Medicare Patients

The majority of the policymakers believe that Medicare must be reformed, and reorganized to keep the system running. In 2008, Bush made a proposal to save $70 billion on Medicare within the next 5 years. It seems that drastic cuts will be taken soon, which is why policymakers are attempting to create a solution that will reduce expenditures, but at the same time allow Medicare patients the same quality of services. In 2006, a "pay-for-performance" program went through, and allowed Medicare to pay doctors a 1.5% bonus if they are able to give information on the services they gave their patients, and the quality of it. With enough reports from doctors, medical experts were able to set clinical guidelines for what quality care should be. The reason behing all this is so that legislation wants Medicare to reward excellent doctors, and hospitals for provding exceptional quality for Medicare patients. Most insurance agencies use "after-the-fact, fee-for-service"payment policies. This enforces doctors to submit bills directly to insurance companies and then get reimbursed back with most of the payment. Patients will pay various amounts because their is so many different insurance companies, and sometime they will have to pay $100's of deductibles, but in most plans, patients will pay about 20% of the cost.


I think that the United States needs to switch to a universal healthcare system, so that they don't have to deal with problems or situations like this. I think that problems like these are a waste of time, and their is much bigger issues then how much a doctor, or insurance agency should get paid. If everyone was on the same healthcare plan, things would be much simpler, then everyone would have the same medical fees, and doctors would all be paid accordingly. One politcally powerful person who has the same idea when it comes to healthcare is President Barack Obama. He too, thinks that the universal healthcare would benefit everyone, and cut out a many medical problems today.http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/05/29/politics/main2863074.shtml
Issue #3
http://noelleushistory.blogspot.com/2010/11/issue-number-3-safe-to-eat.html
Issue #1
http://rachelrachrachel.blogspot.com/2010/11/issue-1-comprehensive-vs-incremental.html

Just 32% of Tea Party Candidates Win

As confident as the Tea Party candidates were, only 32% of them won their elections. In the senate races, only 5 of the 10 candidates won. From the House, only 40 of the 130 representatives won theirs so far as well.
I wish that more Tea Party candidates would have one so that the house would be more even. As of right now the majority of the House is democrats at the moment. If more Tea Party Republicans had been elected it would have made the country better because everyone would have to come to an agreement that would work for everyone.

Thousands Cheer Giants at Downtown Parade

Thousands of Giants fans packed the downtown streets of San Fransisco to celebrate their baseball team's first championship in 52 years. Some people claimed that they felt like they were "on cloud nine" after the victory in the fifth game of the World Series. Officials believe that this was the biggest civic event turnout ever within San Fransisco. Even mayor Newsom was ecstatic about the victory saying it was "incomprehensible that this happened."
I think its great that the San Fransisco Giants were finally able to win another championship since its been so long since their last one. Whats even better is that Giants didn't even win their pennant, in fact they barely made the playoffs at all. The Giants somehow were able to get through the Braves, Phillies, and then beat the Rangers to win the World Series.

S. Korea fires warning shots at disputed border

On Wednesday, the South Korean navy shot 10 warning bullets at a North Korean fishing boat, who crossed the disputed border of theses two countries. The boat stayed in the area about two hours before heading back to its own country. This border has created some problems since the U.N. placed it between the countries. Three skirmishes have been fought there since then. These warning shots were the first to be fired since about 7 years ago.
I think that warning shots from South Korea is a little extreme considering they both have issues with each other. Actions like this will only infuriate North Korea and cause even more, serious problems. I think that these two countries should be happy with what they have and stay within their own borders to prevent further problems.