Health Insurance: A Necessity

Patrick Olabode

Health insurance is a must have just as life insurance is; both are equally important. Health insurance is not a common practice in many developing countries but it is a necessity, hence it is worth-looking into. In all seriousness, everyone needs to have one form of health insurance or the other no matter the cost of the premium. Having health insurance is important for several reasons some of which are highlighted below. 
 

1.                     Age and dying is inevitable. As we age we all tend to lose the ability to remain physically fit thus we end up with illnesses some of which become chronic and debilitating. Uninsured people receive less medical care and less timely care, they have worse health outcomes, and lack of insurance is a fiscal burden for them and their families. Moreover, the benefits of expanding coverage outweigh the costs for added services.

2. No one plans to get sick or hurt, but everyone needs medical care at some point. Health insurance covers these costs and offers many other important benefits. It protects families from financial losses in the same way that home or car insurance does. Even if one is in good health, a minor illness or an accident might cost someone a trip to the hospital which can be much more costly than expected. 

3. Health insurance covers essential health benefits critical to maintaining health and treating illness and accidents.

4. Health insurance protects from unexpected high medical costs with less payment for covered in-network health care even before deductible is met.

5. Health insurance covers free preventive care, like vaccines, screenings, and some check-ups.

 Let us ponder on these:

• The average cost of a trip to the emergency room for an adult is about $1000 or more; with tests or hospitalization included, it may well be over $3,000

• A broken leg can cost up to $7,500

• Average costs for childbirth are up to $8,800 and well over $10,000 for Caesarian section delivery while the cost of a hip replacement can run a whopping $32,000.

These examples sound scary, but the good news is, with the right plan one is protected from most of these and other types of medical bills. One may be healthy now, but the onset of a sudden or serious illness (cancer, diabetes, appendicitis) or a traumatic event (stroke, heart attack, car crash) can leave an individual with staggering medical bills.

 The inability to pay high medical bills is one of the most common reason people file for personal bankruptcy. This can ruin credit history and set an individual back for years. 

There are affordable health insurance agencies out there with reasonable premium and low deductible payment. Purchase a health insurance today.

Patrick Olabode MSN, RN, CNP (patolabode@yahoo.com)

New American Forum holds May 10

Dr. Frederic Bertley

The Franklin County Commissioner Kevin Boyce together with the newly-formed New American Advisory Council will host a New American Forum on Wednesday, May 10, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m at The Columbus Athenaeum, Columbus, Ohio. 

 

The event is expected to foster dialogue and familiarity on the challenges and opportunities facing Franklin County’s immigrant community, while raising awareness and promoting integration through community engagement.

Dr. Frederic Bertley, President and CEO of the Center of Science and Industry (COSI), will be featured as this year’s keynote speaker. 

Dr. Bertley is a nationally renowned thought leader in the fields of applied science, education and community engagement, and has worked internationally in preventative medicine in several countries including Haiti, Egypt, Peru, The Sudan and the Canadian Arctic. A native Canadian, Dr. Bertley also has roots in Trinidad and Tobago.

The event will also feature a panel on business development, as well as remarks from Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther, Columbus City Councilmember Elizabeth Brown and other elected officials.

As New Americans contribute to Ohio’s population growth, their vote and ability to influence policy decisions around the state and nation has become continuously stronger. Ohio is home to an estimated 480,000 immigrants, nearly half of whom are naturalized U.S. citizens.

Abdullahi Warsame: From one grocery store to a shopping mall with 70 stores

Abdullahi Warsame

The crisis in Somalia forced Abdullahi Warsame, then Mayor of Mogadishu, the country’s capital, to relocate to the United States of America in 1992. Beginning again in life was the only option of survival in the new land and city, Columbus, Ohio. 

His knowledge of the essential needs of those who were displaced in Somalia, and had to take refuge in Columbus as well, prompted him to start a grocery store in 1997 to meet such needs. 

Over time, others who had saved and desired to establish outlets for Somalian goods and products but were unable due to the amount of funds required to lease shops got him thinking. This resulted in the establishment of the Banadir Shopping Mall on Cleveland Avenue, Columbus in 2008, to provide space and shops for the potential traders and business owners. 

Abdullahi Warsame secured a Warehouse, restructured it and has created up to 70 stores till date. He told TheNewAmericans that “we used to build this type of structures in different parts of Mogadishu. The experience is what I applied here in Columbus in the Banadir Shopping Mall.

Determined to own the building, Warsame said “we bought the building after six years.”

His choice of the location was based on the fact that “there are a lot of Somalians living on the Northside of Columbus; with the West side as next. There is a similar place in the West side but not as big as Banadir.”

The mall boasts of businesses such as truck/transportation companies, travel agencies, cab companies, home healthcare agencies, retailers, barber shops, communications dealers, employment service agencies, money transfer and check cashing, gold dealers, law firm and nonprofit community support groups. 

 It is not only the Somali community that is benefiting from the Mall, according to Warsame, “we are paying taxes and working with government on security.”

His dream is to have another shopping mall in other cities to serve the Somali community.

Franklin Board of Elections Shares ADA App with Iowa

The Franklin County Board of Elections, Columbus, Ohio has announced that it has shared its award-winning computer application with the Iowa Secretary of State’s office. 

 

The Iowa Secretary of State’s office thanked both the Franklin County Board of Elections and Ohio Secretary of State’s office for their generosity in sharing the application with them. 

The Iowa effort to improve voter accessibility with the help of the Franklin County app has been recognized as a finalist for the 2017 Ideas Award by the National Association of Secretaries of State.

The Franklin County application was such a success that it was nominated and won The Election Center 2015 Professional Practices Independence Award-Voting Accessibility Innovation. 

The software app will ensure that polling places comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). All of Iowa’s ninety-nine county’s will use the ADA checklist program app on computer tablets to guarantee voter accessibility.

“We are quite proud of the work that our team here at the Board of Elections has done to develop and share this software tool that is designed to improve the accessibility of our voting locations to those with physical disabilities,” said Ed Leonard, Director of the Board of Elections (BOE).

Election officials can use the app to determine if polling places have required accessibility features to be compliant with the ADA. The app provides a checklist that officials can navigate through to survey the polling places.

Taste of Nigeria holds June 17 in Columbus, OH

A display of Nigerian products including food, clothing, jewelry, music, games, fashion show and head-ties (gele) will hold Saturday, June 17, 2017 at the King Arts Complex, 867 Mt. Vernon Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43203.

The event which is being organized by the Weavers of Nigeria is free for children under 12 and $5 for adult.