Italian Healthcare

The inspiration that drove me to write this blog post on the Italian Healthcare system was my Mother and my Nonna.  They are currently in Italy together visiting my family and relatives.   My Nonna has been there for two months, and my Mom is spending two weeks there.   Since I have never been there before, I have so many questions and wonders about what life is like in Italy.   In thinking about what to write, I thought it would be cool to look into their healthcare system.  I want to get more of an insight on the type of healthcare my relatives have access to in their every day lives.  

Italy is ranked among the World Health Organizations's top 10 countries for quality health services.  Private medical insurance seems to be what most patients have.  In small towns, mostly in the South, it is more common to have private doctors and hospitals, all of which are covered by the private medical insurers.   For example, my Mother's cousin is a doctor in a small town of Italy called Naples.  He works in a very small hospital there as well. From what I have read in this 'International Living' article on Italian healthcare,  the best medical care is located in northern Italy in cities such as  Milan, central Italy, and Rome.  That makes the most sense because those seem to be the biggest cities in Italy, where the most tourist attend to.  It is also said, these have the best emergency hospitals, because they have the most English-speaking doctors. 

The national health plan Italians use is called Servizio Sanitario Nazionale.  Like many other countries, this system provides them medical benefits for the people and hospitals.  If you are a legal resident of Italy, you are provided this healthcare.  With this plan, everything is either universal or very low costs.  This includes everything from consults with a physician, to hospital visits, and prescribed medications.  This is something that the U.S. does not fully cover.  We have copays, and less access for certain citizens to have health care.  There must be requirements.  However, the main thing Italian's need to pay a small co-pay for is a non-urgent hospital visit.  Urgent visits are reported free. 

From my readings, I learned a whole lot of things about what access my ancestors have in living in the great country of Italy.  Overall, it seems as if they are treated fairly in the aspects of healthcare.  It is interesting to compare where I live, and what systems and rights I have access to, to my family in a different country.  I look forward to learning more about other countries healthcare systems, and look forward to hearing about my Mother and Grandmother's experience back in their homeland when they return!  I am sure I will have many questions! 

Harvey and Irma

The recent destruction that hurricane Harvey and Irma has left on many states in the South has left many people, places, and infrastructure completely ruined.  Almost everything in different parts of Florida, as well as parts of the Caribbean is underwater.  With Harvey hitting the U.S, it has affected many of the health care companies within those areas.  It has affected hospital chains to medical technology facilities, as well as pharmaceutical chains.  "We estimate that the two storms (Harvey and Irma) could result in a procedural growth drag of ~30 bps for each week that hospitals are out of commission and/or patients are displaced," Matson said.  "We believe this impact could last anywhere from 2-4 weeks, resulting in an estimated 60-120 bps drag on U.S. procedure growth in 3Q17" (Needham analyst Mike Matson).   With all of this decrease and damage, I cannot even imagine how the patients and employees dealt with incoming patients in the middle of the hurricane. 

Pharmacies also were affected by the hurricanes.  Each chain, such as CVS and Walgreens, number percentages decreased in their income.  These hurricanes are not only affecting the hospitals physically, but financially as well.  It is terrible to see the hospitals in such destruction, but the cost to rebuild and resupply is equally as devastating.  The article also compares this to hurricane Matthew that hit Florida last October at a ranking of Category 5.  "Hurricane Matthew affected companies in different ways.  It cost Tenet hospitals an estimated $5 to $10 million and Tenet surgery centers an estimated $1.5 to $2 million, and cost Surgery Partners about $1.5 to $2 million, Ransom noted" (Analyst John Ransom).  This is only a few of the payments the state of Florida had to pay in order to rebuild.  

It is a terrible thing that there is nothing you can do about preventing the destruction of a hurricane.  It is hard to find a solution on how to keep everyone healthy and safe, when a lot of the destruction is in the hospitals and pharmacies themselves.  As long as the communities work together to the best of their abilities, that will keep everyone as safe as possible.  

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/how-hurricanes-harvey-and-irma-are-affecting-health-care-companies-2017-09-07

Lost in Cancer

Cancer is an ongoing battle that countless amounts of people all over the world are fighting every single day.  From all ages, whether you are 5 or 75, cancer is effecting the lives of people we all care about.  In the song, ‘I’m Gonna Love You Through It’ by Martina McBride, it says, “Cancer don’t discriminate, or care if your just 38”.  And it is sad, but true.  I decided I wanted to work with cancer as a future career because of the people it has struck, and tortured in my life already.  Cancer is becoming so common in our nation, that it seems as if it should just be a part of people’s everyday life now.  Not to say researchers and doctors aren’t sufficiently searching for a cure, but sometimes they could lose sight of the actual pain, unconmfort, and distress their patients are feeling in the process.   That should not be the case.  As I read in a New York Times article, ‘Cancer Patients, Lost in a Maze of Uneven Care’, this article talks a lot about how specific patients, as well as patient feel there is not one person throughout their battle who they can fully count on or call their “champion”.  Karen Pasqualetto is a 35-year-old woman who had just discovered she had colon cancer.  She is so young, and has already realized that the cancer is not just in her colon now, but her liver too.  Her life is slowly slipping away right before her, and her newborn babies, eyes.  “I don’t feel I have a doctor who is looking out for my care. My oncologist is terrific, but he’s an oncologist. The surgeon seems terrific, but I found him through my own diligence. I have no confidence in the system”, says Pasqualetto.  She knows each doctor is doing their job, but it seems as if she wants more of a fight or an effort in her situation. Yes, I do believe the doctors are all doing their jobs, very well I might add, however, Pasqualetto’s frustration makes sense to me.  As a cancer patient, you are seeing more than one doctor, more than one time a week.  It is a lot of tireless work, stress, and a lot of new levels of patient-doctor trust you need to learn to build.  Your main goal as a person living with cancer is to get better, and all these patients want is some answers. 

From my readings, I have come to understand that “death rates from cancer have been dropping for about 15 years in the United States, but experts say far too many patients receive inferior care. Mistakes in care can be fatal with this disease, and yet some people do not receive enough treatment, while others receive too much or the wrong kind” (Cancer Patients, Lost in a Maze of Uneven Care).  This makes the patient’s battle that much more difficult.  In reading articles as upsetting as these, it only makes my aspirations to help people with cancer grow stronger.  I hope that one day I can connect with these patients to make them feel as if I am their “champion”, and their hope to becoming healthy again.  Cancer is a terrible disease that is hurting so many people. With the help of countless doctors trying to find a cure, and support of family and friends, we can all help fight cancer together, one step at a time.  

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/29/health/29Cancer.html

The Start of It All

Hello, and welcome to my first blog post!  Throughout my blog, I will be trying to compare what is going in the Health Care world, to my personal life, as well as my goals and aspirations for my future career. A little bit of background about myself: my ultimate career goal is to become a Radiation Therapist.  In the fall of my Freshman year of college, I attended Suffolk University in Boston. I had explored many majors upon attending, however, nothing really stuck out to me.  I was very nervous and confused, because I was going into a brand new chapter of my life with no idea on what I wanted to pursue.  Until one day, with the help of my extremely productive mother, I found the program for me.  Suffolk has a very unique program strictly for radiation therapy. Since my mother is in the health care field, she always has pushed me in that direction. I soon realized, one of the best fields to be in is the health care field.  I have always been interested in the cancer aspect of health.  Since I was younger, I always said I wanted to “help people” when I get older.  That is a very broad statement, I know, but knowing multiple people close to me suffering from cancer, this major just seemed fitting.  Although I enjoyed being in the major and taking the core classes, after first semester, I decided Suffolk was not the all-around right fit for me.  That is when I decided to transfer to UNH in the Spring.  Since there was no program here specified for radiation therapy, I chose a new major that would keep me involved in health care still, Health Management and Policy.  And now, I am here. 

I have learned so much about health care since I transferred into the HMP major.  Even though I am looking to do more of a clinical career, all the information that I am learning in these classes will help me benefit and excel in any program.  I will need to know this information about health care for any future jobs, as well for my own knowledge about how the world stays healthy.  I am mainly focused on how health care and cancer intertwine with each other.      

In this specific blog post, I briefly focused on a few facts about the relationship between the health care system and radiation therapy. More specifically, the health care or insurance background to what all cancer patients deal with on day-to-day basis; on top of feeling extremely sick.  On the mdicare.gov website, I found the first facts I have read about the coverage for patients receiving radiation therapy specifically. I read that “Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) covers radiation therapy for hospital inpatients. Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) covers this therapy for outpatients or patients in freestanding clinics” “All people with Medicare Part A and/or Part B are covered”. (The Official U.S. Government Site for Medicare-Radiation Therapy).   This information is what I assumed would be the insurance coverage plan for patients receiving this type of therapy.  In certain cases, doctors may require the patient to get more services than Medicare covers, and that is when the patient will pay some or most of the costs. These are just small facts about other things cancer patients have to worry about, other than the main goal; them becoming cancer free! 

https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/radiation-therapy.html