Health Care Headache

Affordable Medical Care is a really big issue in this country. According to the latest 2006 Census Bureau figures, 15% of America does not have Health Insurance. 11% of America's children do not have health insurance. These numbers are on the rise. While they may seem like small percentages, even those with health insurance are finding that rates are rising far in excess of inflation. According to a recent Kaiser Family Fund and Health Research Survey health insurance premiums have risen at double-digit rates since 2000, and have increased by 73% in the last five years, and health care spending reached 16% of GDP, the highest level in our nation’s history. According to a December 2nd, 2007 press release, the CDC summarizes the findings of "Health, United States, 2007" by stating that nearly one in five Americans say they can’t afford needed health care.

In Nevada alone, 451,000 people are without some form of Medical Insurance (about 18% of the population) This, you will note, is higher than the average State's unisured rate, in fact 35 states do a better job of getting affordable health insurance to their citizens. According to the Health Insurance Resource Center which sites a United Health Foundation Survey, Nevada:

• Is only the 38th healthiest state to live in


• Has the worst childhood immunization program in the country.


• Ranks 45th in the nation for quality of prenatal care.


• Is 17th in the nation for infant mortality.
  
• Has the highest meth use of people 12 and older.

From time to time people inquire about free or low cost Medical Clinics in the area. There are a few, and the Southern Nevada Health District has an excellent list of them including contact information found here. Be sure to bookmark this site! These treament facilities specifically exist for the unisured or the underinsured, and there are a number of services available including Children's Services, Dental Drug Treatment, Family Planning General Medical Care, Health Education, HIV/AIDS Homeless ServicesHospitals, Immunizations, Medical Equipment, Medicare Services Mental Health, Pediatric Services, Rape Counseling, Referral Services, Senior Services, Sexually Transmitted Disease Treatment, Social Services Transportation Assistance, and Women's Health.

Many states also have programs for children. A complete list can be found on the Health and Human Services Insure Kids Now Website. Nevada's State Program for Children is called Nevada Check Up. Visit this site or call 1 (877) 543-7669 to find out eligibility requirements.

For the Injured Nevada Worker there is the Governor's Office for Consumer Health Assistance Bureau for Hospital Patients that is established to provide a single point of contact for consumers and injured workers to assist them in understanding their rights and resonsibilities under Nevada law and health care plans, including industrial insurance policies.

For those looking for affordable prescriptions, RXHELP4NV.org which is a program that connects qualified, low-income people with discount prescription drugs, direct from the pharmaceutical manufacturer.

Last, but not least, if you are unsure where to turn, you can always use the Nevada Help Line a free referral service for all Nevada residents. Access it by dialing 211.

Please feel free to add anything I've missed.

Behind Bars

Inmate Locator

Did you know the Federal Bureau of Prisons has an inmate locator? Visit The Bureau of Prison's Inmate Locator to find a searchable database of Federal Inmates. Additionally, you can also view population statistics, locate prisons, get visiting and mailing information right from the same website found at The Bureau of Prison's Website.

For a list of searchable State and Local inmate databases visit USA.gov. Many states now have a database that you can search by name to find out information about inmates, offenses, sentences, etc. Nevada has a seachable database as well. Visit the Nevada Department of Corrections to get access.

Nevada Caucus Info

The Caucus begins January 19th 9am -- Locations Depend upon your Party Affiliation

Republicans

1. All registrated Republicans will be getting something in the mail 1st week of January that gives them the location.
2. Sometime later this week 12/16/07 an online sign up will be available for Register Republicans at: http://www.nvgopcaucus.com/ Registrants can type in their address and get the location.
3. Or they can call the Republican Party HQ at (702) 258-9182 and get the location if they are registered Republicans.

Democrats


If you are a registered Democrat and wondering where you are supposed to> go for the caucus on January 19 you can find it at www.nvdemscaucus.com> just click on "Find Your Caucus Location" button on the left hand side> and follow the directions. Or they can call the Democratic Party HQ at (702) 737-8683 and get the location if they are registered Democrats.

Finding the Dead

Department of Veteran's Affairs

National Gravesite Locator

A cool Government database that let's you search for burial locations of veterans and their family members in VA National Cemeteries, state veterans cemeteries, various other military and Department of Interior cemeteries, and for veterans buried in private cemeteries when the grave is marked with a government grave marker. Search by cemetery, veteran name, birth date, or death date. Find veteran's burial place including contact info of cemetery, map of plot if available, veteran information including wars fought, birth and death date, rank and military branch. Click here to search.

Find a Grave is another site to visit for finding the interred. While not a government site it allows the user to search for both famous and non-famous persons buried throughout the United States. If you are trying to locate a cemetery use Epodunk's Cemetery Seach , another non-government site that allows you to pinpoint cemeteries within any given vicinity. Or if you are really lucky, you might even be able to view a picture of the actual marker using Genealogy.com's Virtual Cemetery Search.

Updated Colorado River Interim Draft Guidelines

The Draft Colorado River Interim Guidelines for Lower Basin Shortages and Coordinated Operations for Lake Powell and Lake Mead have been updated again and are posted on the United States Bureau of Reclamation's website found here.

Free Postal Pickup Service

Did you know? Your local postal carrier can pick up an unlimited number of packages from your home at no cost to you. Just make sure you properly seal the packages and have the correct postage affixed. You can schedule a pick-up for tomorrow or a date up to 3 months in the future.Visit United States Post Office Carrier Pickup to schedule your pickup.

Holiday Shopping Online

Here are some tips from the FBI and National White Collar Crime Center's Internet Crime Complaint Center The Center accepts complaints crossing the spectrum of cyber crime matters, including online fraud in its many forms such as Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) matters, Computer Intrusions (hacking), Economic Espionage (Theft of Trade Secrets), Online Extortion, International Money Laundering, Identity Theft, and a growing list of other Internet facilitated crimes.

Online Shopping Tips

• Ensure a site is secure and reputable before providing your credit card number online.


• Don't trust a site just because it claims to be secure.


• If purchasing merchandise, ensure it is from a reputable source.


• Promptly reconcile credit card statements to avoid unauthorized charges.


• Do your research to ensure legitimacy of the individual or company.


• Beware of providing credit card information when requested through unsolicited emails.


• Beware of individuals using the DHL or UPS logo in any email communication.


• Be suspicious when payment is requested by money transfer before the goods will be delivered.


• Remember that DHL and UPS do not generally get involved in directly collecting payment from customers.


• Fees associated with DHL or UPS transactions are only for shipping costs and never for other costs associated with online transactions.


• Contact DHL or UPS to confirm the authenticity of email communications received.


• If you are using an online auction, contact the seller with any questions you have and review the seller's feedback.


• Ensure you understand refund, return, and warranty policies.


• Determine the shipping charges before you buy.


• Be wary if the seller only accepts wire transfers or cash.


• If an escrow service is used, ensure it is legitimate.


• Consider insuring your item.


• Be cautious of unsolicited offers.