US President Barack Obama signed the extension of State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), now the so-called Children’s Health Insurance Bill after having been approved by the US House of Representatives, according to the New York Times. This is a major victory for those who have been campaigning for the bill for several years which former President Bush strongly opposed. Similar bills have been vetoed by the former administration. With the extension of the bill also comes some expansion, namely:

• The bill covers not only citizens but legal immigrants who are under 21 and who are pregnant. Immigrants were previously not qualified for Medicaid.
• Dental care for children.
• Mental and physical illnesses equally – the so-called “mental health parity.”

Proponents of the bill are happy and see this as a first step towards major reforms in the US health care system. Opponents think such a bill too closely resembles “socialized medicine” or “government-run health care for every one” including those who can afford private health insurance coverage. In addition, this will cost taxpayers a lot of money.

As a European resident, I am not really involved in American politics but the health care problem is an issue that I’ve been following closely. Most European countries have universal health care systems and we Europeans tend to take medical care for granted. Regardless of how the health care reforms turn out, I’m just glad that children and pregnant women now have access to health care in a time of recession.

SCHIP stands for State Children’s Health Insurance Program. Last year’s figures indicate that enrollment was up by 4% equivalent to an additional 7.4 million American children enrolled for 2008, according to this U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) update.

SCHIP is a state and federal insurance program created in 1997 to help provide health care to uninsured American children with funds available for 10 years. This was extended by the SCHIP Extension Act of 2007.

Children covered by SCHIP are those living with families whose income are about 200% of the federal poverty level ($42,000 for a family of four in 2008). In many states, this income cut-off is too high to qualify for Medicaid, yet these families cannot afford or qualify for private coverage. The increase in SCHIP enrollment in 2008 might be related to the currently ongoing economic crisis and the increase in unemployment.

The current funding SCHIP ends in March 2009. On January 14, members of the US Senate and the US Congress have already approved the new reauthorization but some reconciliation is needed before it can be passed on to the White House.

For millions of American children, SCHIP may be their only means of survival in the tough economic times ahead.

Have you and your partner decided to get pregnant? If you have, congratulations. Trying to get pregnant can be a snap for some couples, but for others, it may take awhile. Before you and your partner take the plunge however, you’ll be ahead of the curve if you try to at least do some of the following. You’ll not only feel healthier, it may even better your chances of conception and a healthy baby in the end.

1. Make a visit with your ob/gyn or general physician. Tell them of your plans, they’ll most likely due a routine examination and then tell you of anything you should work on. Whether it be weight, blood pressure, diabetes, etc. If you’re given an all-clear, they’ll most likely prescribe you some prenatal vitamins.
2. Regularly take the prenatal vitamins. Physicians usually recommend taking the vitamins for at least two months, so you’re body is nice and stocked with the essential vitamins that helps you while pregnant. The most important of this is folic acid, which aids in the baby’s brain development for the first few months and helps avoid any potential brain defects. You need at least 400 grams of folic acid and you’re prenatal vitamins is the one that will pack the appropriate punch.
3. Start exercising and stick to it. It’s more important now than ever before to get healthy. I wish I had gotten ultra-fit before I tried to get pregnant. Studies show that the fitter you are before getting pregnant, the faster you’ll get back to your pre-pregnant weight. And let’s face it, that’s mom’s top desire immediately following the desire to have a healthy and happy baby. You’ll also be able to carry the added weight of pregnancy if you’re exercising, be less stressed, and more limber. All of which could greatly help in labor.
4. Avoid alcohol and cigarettes, even second-hand smoke. Both can get in the way of getting pregnant, and it’s not healthy having any of the carcinogens in cigarettes or any alcohol in your system even at the very beginning of conception.
5. Start eating healthy. The healthier you are, the better your body is prepared to start conceiving and nurturing a baby inside you. Getting into a habit now will help stave off the “I’m pregnant so let me eat what I want” excuse. Your future baby will soon be ingesting everything you put into your mouth, so watch what you eat.
6. Start saving. Babies cost money. A LOT of money. Even with generous parents or friends, you’ll want a nice cushion to help you once the baby comes. You’ll suddenly find you absolutely need that new and top of the line infant swing once you heard it helps babies get to sleep faster. It’s also nice to have savings so you are not beholden to your company’s stingy maternity leave (for those who aren’t as lucky as others).
7. Start looking at your health insurance policy. The earlier you’re forearmed with knowledge, the better. I had a top-notch insurance policy. All I had to pay, literally, were $300 out of pocket. My best friend’s brother’s family however, had to fork out $2000 because their policy wasn’t as inclusive.
8. Start investigating your work-place’s maternity leave? How much money will you need to save up if you plan to stay home for 6 months after the baby’s born? Is your job save if you wish to stay home that long? Be in the know.
9. Find out when you ovulate. There are many different methods. You can time your periods, take your temperature (there’s a small spike in body temperature when ovulating), etc. Research the different methods and time your bedroom forays on the right day.
10. Last but not least: Relax! Do yoga, practice meditation, and breathing exercises. The more relaxed you are, the better your chances at conceiving.

Good luck!

When it comes to the risk of dying young from stroke, it seems that the rich has a big advantage over the poor. A study by Dutch researchers shows that an American’s risk of suffering from stroke is related to his income. At least for adults below 65. Beyond 65, the gap in the risk narrows and becomes almost non-existent.

After the age of 65, the effect of selective survival kicks in, e.g. poor people with the highest risk will have died before reaching this age and only the healthiest and fittest are left.

The reasons for this health advantage of the rich over the poor are many, among them is the fact that those who belong to the low income group tend to smoke and drink more but exercise and eat nutritious food less.

Another main reason is probably the fact that poor people lack health literacy as well as primary health care as a consequence of not having health insurance coverage. According to a recent CDC report from 2005 data:

• 43.6 million (14.8%) people in the US do not have health insurance.
• Those who have insurance tend to consult their doctors more often.
• Most patients landing in an emergency room are not health insured.

Of those who are uninsured, 36.5 million are adults and 6.8 million are children.

The same group of researchers also point out the US healthcare system focuses more on treatment and less on prevention, in contrast to what is practiced in other countries, especially Europe.