Post subject: Budget problem in Washington affects world healthcare

A top official said this Monday that a tighter 2006 budget for the National Institutes of Health could force the world's No. 1 funder of medical research to pull the plug on some AIDS research and other projects that don't prove their value; the Bush administration's 2006 budget calls for a $163 million, or 0.5 percent, increase in the NIH's $28.8 billion budget, said Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, or NIAID. That compares with a doubling of the overall budget between 1997 and 2003. It is a well known fact that budgets have been cut in all government programs and programs supported by the government (except for the defense). While US foreign policy has not been very popular for the last several years, US was making contribution in medical research. Now, it is getting to the point which that contribution is also fading away. This doesn't seem like how US should be handling its politics and economy, does it?

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I suppose they have to fund the military somehow

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They always had problems, but things are really getting out of control for the last several years. With regard to funding to healthcare, only one of two things are happening.

1. Money available to the public is being cut.
2. If money goes anywhere, it goes to pharmaceuticals.

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I just found this news info about Washington:

Washington county to reward workers for keeping healthy
2005-04-20

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King County, the most populous county in Washington state that includes Seattle, is adopting a health care plan starting in 2007 that will reward employees for maintaining a healthy lifestyle by charging them lower out-of-pocket healthcare costs.

Local government employees will be asked to fill out a questionnaire and also have regular checkups, which will be evaluated by a third party that will rate the employee's health according to "bronze," "silver," or "gold" level, said King County Executive Ron Sims.

The move by the county comes as local governments and corporations across America try to cope with rising health care costs for their employees.

Those who decide not to participate in King County's program will be paying more than $1,000 per year, on average, through higher deductibles.

"People need to pay attention to their health care decisions," Sims told Reuters, "we're asking people to take ownership of their health."

Sims said that the county worked out the new plan with the county's various unions after learning that healthcare costs for King County's 46,000 employees and dependents were projected to rise $149 million over the next seven years.

The new plan will save $33 million between 2007 and 2009 in the first phase of the plan, Sims said. Law enforcement and managers will not be included in the plan.

While several states have healthcare incentives for government employees who don't smoke tobacco, similar to many corporate plans, the King County plan appears to be the first to adopt a healthcare incentive plan, said Richard Cauchi, a health policy analyst with the National Conference of State Legislatures.

"The states (and local governments) are feeling the strain of covering the cost for their public employees' health benefits," Cauchi said, adding that it was likely that more U.S. municipalities would adopt healthcare incentive plans.

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Do you think this is a good way to go?

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