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2009 is already shaping up to be a year of change for children's health coverage. So far, President Obama has:

- Signed legislation expanding the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and stated it was "only the first step" and was a "down payment on his commitment" to provide health coverage for every American-and that means every child, too.

- Declared, "Health care reform cannot wait, it must not wait, and it will not wait another year" in his State of the Nation address, and as a result of his message, the Senate Finance Committee got to work immediately to move forward with health care reform by holding a public hearing on our nation's health care.

- Convened a health care reform summit at the White House, and Children's Defense Fund (CDF) was there to speak up for children.

President Obama took one more step last week in his campaign to reform America's broken health care system in announcing two new members of his health care reform team: Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius as Secretary-designate of Health and Human Services and Nancy Ann DeParle as Director of the White House Office for Health Reform. We are delighted that Secretary-designate Sebelius shares President Obama's belief "that we can't fix the economy without fixing health care."

You can e-mail the two newest members of the Health Care Reform team to ensure that any health care reform includes health coverage for ALL children.

Labels: children healthcare, childrens defense fund

Children's health care coverage could soon gain a big boost if the Senate completes action this week for the reauthorization of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Last week, the Senate Finance committee approved the mark established by Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) that could allow an additional four million children to receive health care.

Like the previous measure, the new bill would extend the SCHIP program, which last year covered 7.4 million children in families whose incomes were too high to qualify for Medicaid but couldn't afford private health insurance. The bill would also provide - largely through a 61 cents-per-pack increase in the federal cigarette tax - enough funding to expand the program to an additional 4 million children by the year 2013.

President George W. Bush twice refused to sign the Children's Health Insurance Program bills, because he's so sweet. NOT! The main debate has been how this program works for immigrants. Immigrants can come to the United States illegally to have their children, because anyone born here is entitled to benefits as a citizen. I understand that being a cause for concern, I just don't think it warrants leaving all the other children out in the cold. I'm hoping some sort of compromise can be reached.

Voices urges advocates to call your U.S. Senators and tell them to support SCHIP and oppose any amendments that undermine children's health care.

You may reach your Senators by calling Voices toll-free number that goes directly to the Capitol Switchboard: 1-866-277-7617.

Should you wish to print the Voice Roll Call Ad to share with people, please click here for the PDF.

Labels: children healthcare

It seems that vegetarians are screwed on multiple levels, they get called hippies by me AND they might be at an increased risk of dementia in old age. The study recently published in the journal Dementias and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders focused on a number of elderly Indonesians who live across a wide range of areas in Java. They discovered that people who ate tofu at least once a day (which is classified as high consumption) had a statistically higher chance of showing dementia.

Soy products are rich in micronutrients called phytoestrogens, which mimic the impact of the female sex hormone oestrogen.

Soy products are NOT all bad though. You need to know the differences in what you are consuming. Unfermented soy products are the problem.

Unfermented soy products like tofu and soy milk and yogurt cause the following:

- Block absorption of essential minerals like calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc. This results from a high content of phytic acid and phytates.
- Estrogenic effects from the isoflavones causing increasing estrogen levels higher than what's healthy
- Suppress thyroid function which is referred to as Goitrogenic effects and disrupt endocrine function
- Inhibit growth due to the trypsin inhibitors that it contains
- Can cause blood clots due to haemagglutinin

Some of the symptoms caused by soy include acne, canker sore, inflammation and infection of the mucous membrane lining of the eyelids and the exposed surface of the eyeball, dermatitis, diarrhea, eczema, hives, heart palpitation, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, panic attack and PMS like symptoms.

However, there are also many good reasons for eating soy products. If you have diabetes, soy products slow absorption of glucose into the bloodstream. They may also protect against damaging effects of glucose-induced oxidation, common in people with diabetes.

Soy protein is a complete protein. It is equal in quality to animal proteins, such as that found in milk and meat. Soy has been recognized as such in the new USDA food guidelines.

Studies indicate soy components may delay onset of tumor growth and decrease size of tumors present. As little as one serving of soy foods a day (ex: one cup soy milk or 1/2 cup tofu) may be enough to reduce the risk of developing cancer.

It is up to you what type of soy intake you bring into your diet. It is always important to way the options and research what you are putting into your body because in nearly all cases there will be positive and negative effects.

Labels: children healthcare, diet, nutrition, soy, tofu

The top two hospitals on this year's list held the same spots on last year's list.

1. Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
2. Children's Hospital Boston
3. Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
4. Johns Hopkins Children's Center (Baltimore)
5. Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital (Cleveland)

I gotta say I feel good two of the top five are within 1.5 hours from home. =o)

This year, the U.S. News & World Report magazine also created separate lists that rank children's hospitals for these specialties: cancer, digestive disorders, heart and heart surgery, neonatal care, neurology and neurosurgery, and respiratory disorders.

I think it is brilliant to show specific categories.

According to the report, 1,100 pediatricians were surveyed by mail and asked to name up to five centers they believe to be most successful with difficult cases in their specialty. They were chosen at random from the database of the American Board of Medical Specialties, 200 for general pediatrics and 150 for each of the six specialties.

In addition to the surveys, ranking was also broken down by looking death rates, information about technology in place, and other data supplied by the hospitals. I'd like to know the "other" but that material doesn't appear to be supplied. Either way this information is helpful for a parent. =o)

SOURCE

Labels: children healthcare, hospital

Maybe we should move to Iowa? Or the runner up, Vermont? I've always wanted to visit Vermont.

In a recent report of which states have the best children's healthcare, Iowa came in first and Vermont came in second.

The two states lead the country in making sure children have access to regular health care and preventive services, says the Commonwealth Fund, a nonprofit organization.

The report measured states on factors such as rates of uninsured children, how many children had a regular doctor or other source of care, overall costs, and health care quality.

Vermont has a law guaranteeing health coverage to all its children. Iowa has a new law aiming for universal health coverage for children within the next three years. At the top of the list along with those two states and Massachusetts are Maine, New Hampshire, Ohio, and Hawaii.

My home state of Delaware is ranked number 31 on the list. Shameful. If you count the states which tied earlier on in the list, Delaware would be ranked 37. I will now hang my head in shame for raising a child here.

In all seriousness, I know Delaware has bad healthcare in comparison to other states. Working for the University of Delaware provides me with healthcare far better than any other company I have worked for ever and so at least I have that going for me and my family. =o)

SOURCE

Labels: children healthcare

Did you know there is an entire website about parents against junk food?

I found it on Roseanne's blog. Yes, Roseanne from the television comedy about the Conner Family from back in the 80s and 90s. Man, I loved that show. I still watch it whenever it is on Nick @ Nite.

Anyway.

Parents Against Junk Food is a website devoted to descreasing childhood obesity in America. It has facts about childhood obesity such as, "In the past 30 years, the occurrence of overweight in children has doubled and it is now estimated that one in five children in the US is overweight." And it has an entire page devoted to taking action against junk food being sold in public schools. We all know why it is sold there...money. But you can support the cause to eliminate said junk food nonetheless.

I eat junk food. Yep. Well, see, you need to know this about me. I am always hungry. If I'm not hungry then I am sick or really depressed. Right now I'm not particularly hungry but I have been feeling depressed. There is a lot going on in my life right now and the stress is wearing on me. But I love cookies, ice cream, salt&pepper chips, nachos, pizza...all that good stuff. I must admit I have been trying to eat better though by snacking on carrots, oatmeal and dry cereal from time to time.

I think this website is a wonderful idea. I hope there are many parents out there who support this cause and actively participate. My son is very active. He loves his video games and tortilla chips, but he can also run around for hours and he is super thin even after eating tons of pizza. I have been trying to get Braeden to eat more healthy, but it's not easy.

It is refreshing to find a site in which learning new methods of keeping a healthy home are relevant and upfront. Their mantra is, "We are devoted to eliminating junk food from our public school system. No sodas. No candy bars. No chips. No processed lunch or foods of minimal nutritional value. Let's ask our public schools to feed both body and mind properly, to take seriously their role as guardians of our children's health and welfare."

What are your thoughts on this topic? I know money is a huge issue and the junkier the food the cheaper it normally is because it has the demand to be competitive with pricing. How do you think we, as parents, can help to back this situation better?

Labels: children healthcare, junk food, obesity

"The president has rediscovered his long lost inner fiscally conservative self," said Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon, in a mocking tone. "After an orgy of borrowing, spending and misspending on many dubious things, his target? Ten million low-income kids."

Why the disdain?

This morning, President Bush vetoed legislation expanding a children's health insurance program by $35 billion over five years. The bill would have extended a health insurance program for children of the working poor. The Senate still has a chance to override this veto.

The veto is the fourth of Bush's presidency. After not using his veto power at all during his first four years, the president has vetoed three other bills in his second term: two on stem-cell research legislation and one on a war funding bill with a Democratic timetable for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq.

About 9 million children in our country are uninsured.

Add that 9 million to the amount of people who have lost their lives in the Iraq war...the total number of people our dear President is screwing over is growing by the minute.

He is such a creep.

Labels: children healthcare

A topic of much discussion lately is children's healthcare in the United States. The Senate has been debating expansion of the health insurance programs for children for some time now. The commotion has been stirring because the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) is due to be reauthorized in September of 2007.

The only thing I don't understand is how this issue could have ever been debatable in the first place. Something like this should be an absolute, hands-down given.

According to an article in The New York times the argument against a reauthorization of SCHIP is because "some Republicans in Congress said they saw these efforts as a stalking-horse for government-run health care, national health insurance and socialized medicine."

What!? I don't care what you have to socialize, if a child has special needs and requires healthcare and/or extra healthcare they should not be denied. As adults we are responsible for people who are underage. You might as well say no one should give blood anymore!

Oh I'm sorry President Bush your future grandchild can't be treated at this hospital for her asthma, she doesn't have the proper insurance. Wait...of course...someone with political power would never have to deal with such a scary situation.

Hmm..I guess since he can't, and would never be elected again, it's okay for him to threaten to veto the reissue of this program.

As for the graph, it is very positive to see that the number of uninsured children has dramatically dropped. But please note the vertical axis is counted in millions. MILLIONS. This means there are still more than 8 million children who are uninsured and that is just the number based on a census.

Labels: children healthcare, healthcare