Health Insurance

Robert Buniatyan vaguely accuses supporters of health-insurance reform of turning capitalism into a villain (“Health and capitalism,” Oct. 15). In fact, it is Buniatyan who vilifies regulation, making the wild assertion that “the only thing government has achieved in health care is distortion of price signals, inefficiency and shortages.” In fact, health-care programs treat millions of Americans every year. Medicare extends treatments, it doesn’t create shortages.

GLENDALE — There were roughly 23,000 uninsured children in the two Congressional districts that include Glendale and Burbank in 2007, according to a report released Wednesday. The report from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research found that 6.8% of children in Democratic Reps. Adam Schiff and Brad Sherman’s districts were without health insurance in 2007. And that “snapshot” in time, researchers warned, had likely worsened in tandem with the falling economy, since recent layoffs had undoubtedly cut more families off from employee health benefits.

Bargaining teams for Glendale Unified School District and its teachers union are expected to finalize a deal this week that would defer five unpaid furlough days scheduled for 2012-13. District officials said they expect to put the agreement in writing during a meeting scheduled for Thursday. In April, the Glendale Teachers Assn. had rejected an identical proposal - which defers the furlough days to 2013-14 - asking instead that two of the five days be eliminated outright and three be deferred.

Gretchen Hoffman Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Glendale) and local officials will be walking door-to-door Saturday to hand out information about California's Healthy Families program and Schiff's upcoming Children's Health Insurance Fair. Schiff will be joined by Councilman Frank Quintero, school board President Chuck Sambar and board member Pam Ellis at 10 a.m. Saturday as he walks from the Glendale Unified School District headquarters to the neighborhood around Horace Mann Elementary School.

Karen S. Kim GLENDALE -- A bill by state Sen. Jack Scott (D-Glendale) that would require health insurance companies to include coverage for hearing aids for children was passed by the Senate on Thursday. Under the bill, costs of hearing aids up to $1,500 per child would be covered through health insurance policies. The cost of batteries and cords would not be included. Scott was motivated to introduce the legislation when a Burbank constituent told him her insurance provider would not cover hearing aids for her two deaf children, he said.

The latest statistics released by the U.S. Census Bureau this week show Glendale has taken a major economic hit since the recession began in 2007. The median household income in Glendale last year fell 15% since the recession took hold at the end of 2007, according to the statistics released by the U.S. Census Bureau. That puts the median income in Glendale at $47,647 - slightly higher than the $46,148 in Los Angeles, but below the $64,147 logged in Burbank, which remained relatively steady despite the economic turmoil.

Karen S. Kim GLENDALE -- March of Dimes, actress and singer Vanessa Williams and Glendale Kmart are teaming up to educate the community Saturday about free and low-cost children's health insurance. For "Make a Difference Day," Williams, celebrity spokeswoman for March of Dimes, will sign autographs and distribute information with volunteers about state and federal health insurance programs for children. The March of Dimes is a national voluntary health agency whose mission is to prevent birth defects and infant mortality by funding research, community service, education and advocacy programs.

Karen S. Kim GLENDALE -- Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Glendale) announced Friday that he has introduced HR 3040, a bill that would provide health insurance for laid-off workers and their families at 50% of the cost. Under the federal COBRA program, laid-off workers can remain covered under their employer's health insurance plan for up to 18 months after termination if they pay the full premium for the plan. Schiff's legislation would provide a 50% tax credit toward COBRA coverage for laid-off workers for up to 18 months.

An A1 article on Friday titled ?Students rally for teachers? incorrectly identified the student body president. Her name is Audria Amirian, not Sara Amirian. ? A Thursday A1 article titled, ?IHOP against health reform? inaccurately stated a White House perspective on bills being considered in Congress. The bills would not require businesses to buy health insurance for their employees, according to the White House. Businesses with 50 or more workers would, however, be required to pay a fee for each employee who chooses to buy insurance through a government ?

If federal lawmakers can't reach a budget agreement by the end of the year to avoid the so-called “fiscal cliff,” the Verdugo Jobs Center in Glendale could see an 8.2% funding reduction, a top official at the agency said. Don Nakamoto, executive director of the Verdugo Workforce Investment Board which oversees the Verdugo Jobs Center, said there is a push at the state level to target prominent high-growth industries with vocational training programs. That means for the Verdugo Jobs Center - which services the Glendale-Burbank-La Cañada Flintridge area - officials focus on the entertainment industry, a top employer for the region, followed by healthcare, retail and manufacturing, Nakamoto said.

The latest statistics released by the U.S. Census Bureau this week show Glendale has taken a major economic hit since the recession began in 2007. The median household income in Glendale last year fell 15% since the recession took hold at the end of 2007, according to the statistics released by the U.S. Census Bureau. That puts the median income in Glendale at $47,647 - slightly higher than the $46,148 in Los Angeles, but below the $64,147 logged in Burbank, which remained relatively steady despite the economic turmoil.

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) today called the U.S. Supreme Court's vote to uphold President Obama's healthcare law "the correct legal decision," contending that the "hard-passed" reforms would benefit millions of people across the nation. In a statement released shortly after the ruling was made public, Schiff said he was “very pleased” with the court's decision to uphold Obama's Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act -- the most contentious issue being the so-called mandate that all must have insurance by 2014 or pay a tax penalty.

Bargaining teams for Glendale Unified School District and its teachers union are expected to finalize a deal this week that would defer five unpaid furlough days scheduled for 2012-13. District officials said they expect to put the agreement in writing during a meeting scheduled for Thursday. In April, the Glendale Teachers Assn. had rejected an identical proposal - which defers the furlough days to 2013-14 - asking instead that two of the five days be eliminated outright and three be deferred.

Eighteen years ago, the community of Glendale recognized a need: There were children who had no insurance and parents who had no means to provide medical or dental care. So the “virtual clinic” of Glendale Healthy Kids was created, and annually has provided hundreds of thousands of dollars of services, and kept a yearly average of 35 kids out of costly emergency rooms. With no government funding, and providers who generously donate most services in their offices, we have provided help that allowed kids to return to school quickly and parents back to work.

The rate of smoking in the greater Glendale area has dropped to below 10%, according to a new study released this week. The Glendale Community Needs Assessment, required by law every three years, identifies health trends to help Glendale Adventist Medical Center, Glendale Memorial Hospital, Verdugo Hills Hospital and nearly two dozen healthcare and social service agencies better tailor their services to local needs. Many of the main service providers comprise the Glendale Healthier Communities Coalition, which heard the report on Tuesday.

Glendale's Pacific Community Center became a doctor's office Saturday as hundreds of people had their eyes, blood and balance checked at the inaugural Glendale Health Festival. People from around the region filled the gym as doctors, nurses, physical therapists and others offered their services for free. Dr. Vicken Sepilian, chair of the event, said he was pleased with the support of local hospitals and doctors, as well as the enthusiasm of the public. "We have a great turnout," he said.

Six months ago in Washington, there was a fierce battle over health-care reform and today is the day that several major insurance changes go into effect. As a mother of a young child with hydrocephalus, a lifelong, life-threatening medical condition, all I can say is "Hallelujah!" Here are some of the key changes that will directly affect our family: Coverage expansion for adult dependents until age 26: We hope and pray that Josh will go to college and get a good job, just as we expect for his sister, but we know that he could have major complications and surgeries in his future, which might mean he needs to stay home with us longer.

About a month ago, my sister got laid off from her job with one of the country's largest telecommunication corporations. After more than 20 years it was, "Thank you very much, but your services are no longer needed." Actually, there was no thank you. Her immediate supervisor may have expressed some regret, but that was it. To the larger megacorp, she was just a name on a list and a dollar amount on a spreadsheet. She now has two choices. She can look for another job, which will likely pay significantly less than she was making and may or may not have health insurance, or she can "retire" in her early 50s and wait more than 10 years to collect Social Security and tap into her 401(k)

In the March 26 letter “Bill takes away freedoms,” the Glendale letter writer regurgitates the same money-grubbing rhetoric of health-care-reform opponents who over the decades reduced our nation’s health-care standards nearly to the level of Third World countries. Turning truth on its head in an Orwellian fashion employed by North Korea, President Obama’s welcome relief for the less-rich becomes, according to the writer, a loss of freedom for the wealthy.