Category Archives: Healthcare

Child hunger: A crisis of Epic proportions

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Child hunger

Child hunger is an alarming global issue that continues to worsen at an unprecedented rate, with millions of children suffering from malnutrition and starvation amidst an abundance of food and wealth. This harrowing atrocity is further exacerbated by misplaced priorities, such as the exorbitant military spending of developed countries like the United States. This essay explores the prevalence of child hunger, the paradox of food waste, and the urgent need for a shift in global priorities to address this humanitarian crisis.

The Prevalence of Child Hunger: A Startling Reality

As of 2022, approximately 811 million people worldwide suffer from chronic hunger, with 50 million facing emergency levels of hunger across 45 countries. This dire situation has escalated so rapidly in recent years that numerous countries are now at risk of famine. Among the most vulnerable to hunger are children, with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimating that 45 million children under the age of five suffer from wasting, increasing their risk of mortality by up to 12 times. Additionally, 149 million children under five experience stunting due to inadequate nutrition and lack of essential nutrients.

The Paradox of Food Waste: An Appalling Injustice

It is a distressing fact that while millions of children go hungry, around a third of the food produced globally for human consumption is wasted or lost, amounting to approximately 1.3 billion tons per year. Food waste occurs at various stages of the supply chain, from production and harvest to storage, processing, and consumption. In developed countries, a significant portion of food waste occurs at the retail and consumer levels due to stringent quality standards and over-purchasing.

Instead of destroying excess food and agricultural produce, efforts should be directed towards redistributing these resources to the hungry and impoverished. Implementing more efficient food distribution systems, reducing waste, and encouraging sustainable consumption practices could help alleviate child hunger worldwide.

Misplaced Priorities and Wasted Resources: A Call for Change

The developed world, particularly the United States, has often prioritized military spending and engaging in conflicts over addressing the pressing issue of child hunger. In 2020, the US military budget amounted to a staggering $740.5 billion, which dwarfed the $9.5 billion allocated to global health programs, including those tackling hunger and malnutrition. These figures reveal a glaring disparity in resource allocation and a lack of political will to address the plight of starving children.

The Impact of Hunger on Women and Children

Hunger disproportionately affects women and children, with over 31% of women worldwide facing hunger compared to 27% of men. This gender gap has intensified since the COVID-19 pandemic. The FAO estimates that 2.3 billion people, or roughly 29% of the global population, experience less extreme but still dangerous levels of food insecurity.

Health Care: Total Costs

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Middle-Class Families Confront Soaring Health Insurance Costs

Middle-Class Families Confront Soaring Health Insurance Costs

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Consumers here at first did not believe the health insurance premiums they saw when they went shopping for coverage this month on HealthCare.gov. Only five plans were available, and for a family of four with parents in their mid-30s, the cheapest plan went typically for more than $2,400 a month, nearly $30,000 a year.

With the deadline for a decision less than a month away, consumers are desperately weighing their options, dismayed at the choices they have under the Affordable Care Act and convinced that political forces in Washington are toying with their health and well-being.

“I believe in the Affordable Care Act; it worked for me under the Obama administration,” said Sara Stovall, 40, who does customer-support work for a small software company. “But it’s not working as it was supposed to. It’s being sabotaged, and I feel like a pawn.”

Ms. Stovall said she might try to reduce her hours and income, so her family could qualify for subsidies on offer to poorer families to help pay for premiums.

Heather Griffith, a 42-year-old real estate broker, said she would put aside much less money for her retirement and the education of her two young children so she could pay the premiums.

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Why health care costs are making consumers more afraid of medical bills than an actual illness?

  • Health care costs are spiraling higher, but patient visits to a doctor have been on the decline.
  • A growing number of consumers are staying away out of fear of big bills.
  • However, “untimely visits or delay of visits to the physician ultimately leads to the increased cost of care,” the Cleveland Clinic’s CEO told CNBC.

As health care costs keep rising, more people seem to be skipping physician visits.

It’s not fear of doctors, however, but more of a phobia about the bills that could follow. Higher deductibles and out-of-network fees are just some of the out-of-pocket costs that can hit a consumer’s pockets.

U.S. health care costs keep rising, and hit more than $10,000 a year per person in 2016. According to a recent national poll, over the past 12 months, 44 percent of Americans said they didn’t go to the doctor when they were sick or injured because of financial concerns. Meanwhile, 40 percent said they skipped a recommended medical test or treatment.

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Your total costs for health care: Premium, deductible & out-of-pocket costs

Your total costs for health care

When choosing a plan, it’s a good idea to think about your total health care costs, not just the bill (the “premium”) you pay to your insurance company every month.

Other amounts, sometimes called “out-of-pocket” costs, have a big impact on your total spending on health care – sometimes more than the premium itself.

Beyond your monthly premium: Deductible and out-of-pocket costs

  • Deductible: How much you have to spend for covered health services before your insurance company pays anything (except free preventive services)
  • Copayments and coinsurance: Payments you make each time you get a medical service after reaching your deductible
  • Out-of-pocket maximum: The most you have to spend for covered services in a year. After you reach this amount, the insurance company pays 100% for covered services.

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