Solutions for the Underaffiliated

Why your healthcare costs will increase unless you vote for government action.

Does the current healthcare system work for you?
If you can pay, your health is likely to improve or at least not get worse. 
Otherwise, premiums, deductibles, and costs of drugs and care are so high that many people put off care until they are eligible for Medicare, or they go into medical debt.
To help make the case for change, Solutions for the Underaffiliated explored three reasons our healthcare costs will continue to rise without government intervention with Kip Sullivan, author and advocate for a more equitable affordable health system:
The healthcare system is focused on reducing utilization, not prices, which are what is driving excessive costs. 
The focus on usage leads insurance companies and healthcare providers to invest in staff, activities, consultants, technology, and communications to manage doctors’ and our care and behavior. All that is expensive, and both providers and insurance companies pass those costs to us in the form of higher prices, premiums, and deductibles. 
Health insurance, drug, health care, and medical device companies have consolidated, eliminating the competition that would drive down prices.
Since, there is limited evidence that the current system leads to better health quality and outcomes, let’s focus on the financial part of healthcare.
Would paying for insurance coverage through taxes each year for a single-payer that provided universal coverage be less expensive than the premiums, co-pays, and deductibles we pay today with private insurance?
Of course it depends on a household’s individual needs, so do we believe we should all pitch in for the greater good, knowing one day it could be us that needs it?

To protect and serve the land and the planet, we must reconnect with it. Here’s how.

Filmmaker and historian David Weintraub spoke with us about his latest film, Nature’s Wisdom Through Native Eyes
It is the confluence of storytelling, native wisdom and nature’s intelligence that will help us heal our broken relationship with the living world. It's an intriguing look at history, culture and hope through the eyes of our nation’s First People. 

It’s easier and less expensive to install home solar power than you think + How to focus change in the energy industry

Watching the weather? It’s simpler and less expensive than you might think to outfit your home with solar power, reduce your reliance on energy companies, and help reduce carbon emissions. 
We still need energy companies, but the right action can drive a faster and smoother transition. Advocate for more competition in power generation from wind and solar power companies; expanded use of solar panels on houses and commercial businesses; and an economic model for the management and improvement of power distribution that benefits consumers and energy companies.
Solutions for the Underaffiliated spoke with Ned Ryan Doyle, a long-time advocate for the efficient and effective use of sustainable energy. He simplified a very complex situation for us.
Paying for Solar is Easier than you think 
People are not racing to install solar panels because it seems to cost so much upfront.
But when we buy cars, we put a little money down, sign a lease or financing agreement, and three things happen. We get the car. It starts to depreciate. We usually pay for it monthly.
Installing solar panels costs around $20,000. Here are five reasons you can afford for that. 
There is a federal solar tax credit, which you can apply to the cost of putting in the solar power system. 
Look at your energy bill and find a line that says something like “energy use charge”. Compare that to the total bill. Figure out your average monthly energy use charge and multiply it by 12. That is about how much money you will save each year.
Explore other financing options, including refinancing your home with the new amount baked into your mortgage and spread over 30 years. I bet your monthly payment doesn’t increase much.
The system lasts, so it will increase the value of your house when it’s time to sell. The new owners will never see a high energy bill.
You can disregard those warnings from the energy company and use your appliances when the sun is out!
Politics and Power
The shift to wind and solar will involve energy companies, and they are not going to change from fossil fuels without a push.
In Western North Carolina, Duke Energy and land developers killed legislation that would have allowed wind mills above 3,500 feet on commercial lands. The wind mills would not have been on public land, nor near the touristy Blue Ridge Parkway, so they wouldn’t have detracted from the natural beauty of the mountains.
But Duke and developers didn’t want windmills on commercial land because they wanted future customers to build houses there.
We can find solutions in simplification.
Power generation and distribution are the two main parts of the energy business, so companies want to maximize profit, and shareholder value, from both. 
The built energy distribution system of wires, connections and switches functions well. It serves a public good. Replacing it would be costly and inefficient.  In North Carolina, the state utility commission regulates the amount of money Duke can charge for distribution. In other states, like California and Texas, energy companies can make money from distribution. 
To enjoy the benefits of that distribution system, there should be a price we pay. One debate is about defining an approach to this that benefits consumers and keeps energy companies profitable.
The more an energy company relies on power generation for profit, the more it will fight to use energy sources it can control, like coal and natural gas, and keep out alternative sources like solar and wind that they cannot control.
That’s why energy companies are generally opposed to competing power sources. They don’t want fewer users of their energy. 
But what value does burning fossil fuel create for the public? We now know it harms the public good. We know that wind and solar are better for all of us. 
It seems like we need to advocate for an energy industry that serves the public good. That means advocating for:
The use of solar panels on houses and commercial businesses;
New solar and wind power companies to compete with energy companies or be added to the distribution network at a reasonable fee;
A deal on an economic model for the management and improvement of power distribution that benefits consumers and energy companies.

How city governments can do more to serve people than they are today.

David Morris of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance explains how local government has more power than even they may realize. They have the authority, financial capability, bargaining power and responsibility to serve citizens. From sustainable electricity and broadband to healthcare and affordable housing, city governments can do more.  Read More

Fix homelessness with opportunity and a support network, not penalties for misfortune.

We spoke with Marcus Walls of Homeward Bound, who told us about the types of people who are homeless, the experiences that land them in homelessness, and how hard it is to get out without a support network. Read More

Real-time mental health resources to call when you don’t know where to turn

Mental Health GPS provides connects people in with peer counselors and mental health resources in urgent, but non-crisis, situations. Read More

Free legal support services for access to tax credits, healthcare, domestic abuse, immigration and more

Check out the legal services an organization in North Carolina provides to middle- and low-income people, including immigrants, to help them get tax credits, quality healthcare, immigration services, drivers license restoration and more. You may want to see there is an organization like it in your area. Read More

Health System Consolidation = Higher Care Costs with a Fast Food Experience

The consolidation of health systems into local monopolies owned by corporations means higher prices of care, longer wait times and greater inconvenience, and probably worse care as nurses and doctors work more hours for less pay and fewer benefits. Read More

Domestic Violence 2:Predictors of Abuse; Getting Help; Challenges Survivors Face:Solutions

Discussion with the Executive Director of an organization that provides safety, shelter, and support for victims/survivors of intimate partner domestic violence.
We talked about the the nature of domestic violence, risk factors for developing abusive behavior, what kind of help victims can seek and how to get it, challenges to getting help and safety, and what people, including men, can do to intervene in collaborative ways with male peers if they suspect abuse.
 
Photo by Gottkein.

Domestic Violence: One Woman’s Experience with the Justice System, Self-Healing, and Care for Others

Whitley English, a victim of domestic abuse and Founder WNC GEMS (Girls and Guys Exercising Mindful Solutions) joined us. 
She shared how her experience with the justice system led her to healing and help for others. We need to change the system, not continue to blame victims and leave them to heal themselves alone. Read More