<div class="KonaFilter image-container click-to-enlarge"><div class="image"><a title_source="Brian Barsky/UC Berkeley" title_caption="The scientists' vision-correcting concept." class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/53d94ea26da8116a380cebda-960/screen%20shot%202014-07-30%20at%203.57.30%20pm.png"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/53d94ea26da8116a380cebda-1200-667/screen%20shot%202014-07-30%20at%203.57.30%20pm.png?maxX=800" border="0" alt="Vision-correcting screen" width="800" /></a>Brian Barsky/UC BerkeleyThe scientists' vision-correcting concept.</div></div>
As ebooks start to replace hardbacks and newspapers shift online, most of the reading we do tends to be from a screen. With this new reality creeping in, a couple of scientists at UC Berkeley and MIT are realizing that we might be in need of an upgrade from reading glasses.
During his research on optometry, UC Berkeley Professor Brian Barsky realized that instead of focusing on how we take in an image, we could instead look at how an image is displayed. And he has since been working on developing a vision-correcting screen that distorts itself according to the viewer's vision.
<div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right" style="width:200px"><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/53da8ba1ecad045774074e0f-1200-2000/dsc_6313.rotated.adjusted.jpg" border="0" alt="Brian A. Barsky" width="200" />Brian A. Barsky</div></div>The technology is powered by complicated software and algorithms that change the light that a screen emits to distort the image a user sees. Barsky compares it with someone who is wearing sunglasses and struggling to see a smartphone screen. Instead of taking off the sunglasses, the person could just up the brightness on the screen.
Similarly, this new technology would alter the image (factoring in more than just brightness) so that the viewer would not need to put on a pair of glasses.
The back-end technology is paired with a physical screen that attaches to a device and helps transmit a specific image. The screen has tiny pinholes that help direct the light in different directions. Combined with the software, it distorts the device's images so that the user perceives it properly.
So instead of having to put on your reading glasses when whipping out your Kindle, the screen would automatically be set to your prescription, letting you see the words clearly.
The technology also has major implications for people with more-complex vision problems. For instance, some people with what is called "spherical aberrations" have irregularly shaped corneas and cannot solve their vision problems with glasses or contact lenses. Their only current option is getting a cornea transplant, but Barsky's technology could provide a new solution.
"I am hopeful that this research may have the potential to help people who currently struggle to see displays," Barsky told Business Insider. "Considering how ubiquitous displays are now in our society, not being able to see a screen can be an impediment to holding down a job."
<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_left"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/53da7b786bb3f78d452ed0c7-1140-854/vision-correcting-screen.jpeg" border="0" alt="vision-correcting screen" />Brian BarskyThe experimental apparatus Barsky's team is using.</div></div></div>To create a prototype of the screen, Barsky and his UC Berkeley colleagues teamed up with MIT researchers Gordon Wetzstein and Ramesh Raskar. The design is still in its early stages, but it could feasibly become a marketable screen that would attach to devices like tablets, phones, and computers.
"We're not developing a product; rather, we figure out the mathematics and algorithms and try to push the frontiers of science," Barsky said. "We hope that this research will help other scientists and people around the world. It would seem feasible [to bring this to the market], and I am not aware of any major hurdles if people really wanted to do it."
Barsky's team is presenting the display prototype on Aug. 12 at the International Conference and Exhibition on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques in Vancouver, Canada.

Scientists Are Working On A Vision-Correcting Tablet Screen That Would Replace The Need For Reading Glasses

<div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/537fa960eab8ea9d13a0f9d6-600-450/kim-parr-telluridejpg.jpg?maxX=480" border="0" alt="kim parr telluride.JPG" width="480" /><a href="http://eyesonthedollar.com/">Kim Parr</a>Kim Parr and her daughter, who live in Southwestern Colorado, skiing in Telluride.</div></div>Kim Parr pinpoints the beginning of her debt to when she and her husband Jim built their house in Southwestern Colorado in 2004.
While the house itself was within their budget, the spending opportunities it presented were limitless.
"We had a brand new house and nothing to fill it up with," remembers Parr, an optometrist. Her husband, now a school principal, was a teacher at the time. "We bought a bit of furniture, which was a huge expense, and then things like mountain bikes and skis - we're big outdoor enthusiasts."
And then the spending became second-nature. "We live a rural area, and we like to take trips," Parr continues. "We'd take off for the weekend to Phoenix or Denver or Las Vegas and just put it all on the credit card. When you have a high income and a good credit score, people are throwing credit at you right and left."
Looking back, Parr recalls that piling costs on the cards just seemed normal. "At the time, we had about $70,000 in <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/reduce-student-loan-payments-2014-5" target="_blank">student loans</a>, a mortgage, car payments, a loan on my optometry practice. We were already so in debt that we had this terrible attitude: 'Eh, what's a little bit more?' We thought as long as we could make the payments, we could buy anything we wanted."
But their acceptance of a life with debt started to change when their daughter was born in 2007. "Having a kid changes the way you think about things," says Parr. "What would happen if I couldn't work? How would I ever pay for college? The wheels started to turn." And when Jim's parents lost their house to foreclosure a few years later, she was spurred into action.
In the spring of 2011, they sat down and added up their total credit card debt: $30,000. "It was a huge shock," Parr recounts. "People ask how we could not have known, but some of the cards were on auto-pay, and we didn't even get statements in the mail. There was some yelling and some tears, but at the end of a few hours we both promised that this was it: This debt was the highest it would ever be, and we're never going there again."
<h3><div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/537fa93669bedd842ca0f9e4-650-488/kim-parr-headshot-1.jpg" border="0" alt="kim parr headshot" width="480" /><a href="http://eyesonthedollar.com/">Kim Parr</a>Parr works as an optometrist.</div></div>How they got out of debt</h3>
"The first thing we did was go back and track our expenses over the past few months," Parr says. "We made a budget for the first time ever and cut back our expenses. That saved us a few hundred dollars a month, but we realized that to pay off that much debt, we needed to bring in more income."
Parr, who at the time owned her own optometry practice, was able to add a sixth day of work in her field. "I'm lucky to have a job where I can pick up another day a week and bring in extra income," she says. "Knowing that it didn't have to be forever made it more palatable. And when the balances started going down, it was hard not to want to do more."
Jim continued working full-time as a teacher and studied for his master's degree through an online program at night. While taking on more school costs while chipping away at consumer debt may seem counterintuitive, Parr explains that Jim was not only able to get about $10,000 of financial aid, but also that he finished after their credit card debt was gone, so they were able to pay off his loan before the grace period even ended - therefore paying nothing in interest. His degree helped him secure a job as a school principal, doubling his income. 
At the same time, Parr was reading everything she could get her hands on about paying off debt. "I just got online and Googled 'How to pay off huge credit card debt," she remembers. "I took elements from all the financial gurus, like saving an emergency fund first, and paying off debts with smaller balances or higher interest rates and snowballing them into more payments."
About a year into her efforts, Parr started her own blog to document her journey: <a href="http://eyesonthedollar.com/" target="_blank">Eyes On The Dollar</a>. "I thought, I don't know much about blogging or anything about running a website, but I've certainly got a story I can share. Once you put it out there in the world, it's in writing, and there's no going back. It's a huge motivator."
After paying half the balance, Parr made a 0% balance transfer, which allowed her to pay the remaining $15,000 without incurring any interest. While she doesn't recommend balance transfers for everyone - 0% interest is usually an introductory rate, and if you don't have that balance paid off by the time the rate expires, you could get hit with massive interest - they had 12 months to pay off the balance before the interest kicked in, she explains, "and I knew that unless there was a catastrophe, we'd be able to pay it off."
In November 2012, less than two years after resolving to pay off $30,000 of credit card debt, she made her last payment.
<h3><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/537fa8e569beddb825a0f9e5-1200-924/kim-parr-canyonjpg.jpg" border="0" alt="kim parr canyon.JPG" /><a href="http://eyesonthedollar.com/">Kim Parr</a>Parr, who paid off $30,000 of consumer debt, and her 7-year-old daughter.</div></div></div>The way they live now</h3>
Looking back, Parr can pick out one particular feeling: relief. "Sometimes it feels like you're standing in quicksand and won't make any progress," she says, "but just taking action is a relief."
Parr, who also finished paying off their student loans with the sale of her practice, didn't let her experience with consumer debt scare her away from credit cards.
In fact, she and her husband have taken the opposite tack, and have become extremely strategic about how they use their credit. "I've gotten into <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-travel-using-credit-card-points-2014-4" target="_blank">travel hacking</a>, where you sign up for a card and get miles as a bonus," she explains. "I don't spend extra money to get rewards, but we have to buy groceries, pay the electric bill, pay car insurance - so we put it on the cards and then pay off the balance right away." 
Now that the only debt the family holds is the mortgage on their home and those on the two rental properties they own, Parr is focusing on becoming financially independent, so she and husband can decide when and how they want to work. "The plan was to put all of our money into paying off the mortgages after paying the credit card debt," Parr explains, "but tax-wise, it's smarter to invest that money. We're aggressively putting money in our 401(k)s, and in six or seven years, we should have no debt at all."
"I feel like paying off this debt has shown me that anything is possible," Parr says. "You just have to be mindful of every choice you make. We used to live for the day, but now every financial move we make is geared towards not just today, but, how is this going to affect our future?"

How One Family Paid Off $30,000 Of Credit Card Debt In Less Than 2 Years

Welcome to Digital Health Briefing, a new morning newsletter providing the latest news, data, and insight on how digital technology is disrupting the healthcare ecosystem, produced by Business Insider Intelligence.<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/intelligence/digital-health-briefing?IR=T" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sign up and receive Digital Health Briefing free to your inbox. </a> Have feedback? We'd like to hear from you. Write me at: <a href="mailto:lbeaver@businessinsider.com">lbeaver@businessinsider.com</a> <hr />UBER LAUNCHES HEALTH PLATFORM: Riding-sharing company Uber <a href="https://www.uber.com/newsroom/uber-health/">unveiled</a> Uber Health, a centralized healthcare platform that aims to make it easier for providers to assign nonemergency medical transport (NEMT) for their patients and clients. Hospital admins can schedule rides for patients to take place immediately, within a few hours, or up to 30 days in advance. Uber Health also released an API so that organizations can add the service to their existing patient management software. Patients will receive alerts via text message, which means they don't need to have the Uber app or a smartphone to use the feature. Uber said its working on a voice service for landlines.Uber Health aims to improve the rate of patients turning up to appointments, saving hospital networks billions.<ul><li>About 3.6 million patients miss medical appointments each year because of transportation barriers, according to the National Academy of Sciences. The lost revenue from missed appointments could be as much as $150 billion each year, <a href="https://www.healthmgttech.com/missed-appointments-cost-u.s.healthcare-system-150b-year">according</a> to Health Management Technology.</li><li>Missed appointments can lead to poor health outcomes and increased emergency department visits and hospitalizations, placing further strain on hospitals and emergency response staff. By allowing staff to book transport in advance, Uber Health could help alleviate this issue. </li></ul>Uber's not alone in the non-emergency medical transport (NEMT), but it's arguably the most recognizable, which could give it a leg-up over the competition. Rival ride-sharing company Lyft has also made several forays, including a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/digital-health-briefing-google-ai-can-predict-heart-attacks-from-eye-scans-lyft-hitch-health-partner-for-medical-transport-nokia-executive-sees-no-path-for-digital-health-2018-2">partnership</a> with Hitch Health. Meanwhile, other companies, like Veyo, are dedicated NEMT services. A beta version of the Uber Health platform released in July 2017 is already being used by more than 100 healthcare organizations in the US.However, as ride-sharing companies take a larger role within NEMT, they're likely to face barriers that could stymie adoption. For example, there is some concern over whether drivers will be liable for anything that happens to the patient to or from their appointment, <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/carolineodonovan/taking-uber-lyft-emergency-room-legal-liabilities?utm_term=.jmM1853mj&amp;bftwnews#.ugGqzd76l">according</a> to BuzzFeed. Further, it's not clear whether ride-sharing has a positive impact on appointment no-shows, <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2671405">according</a> to a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine.Enjoy reading this briefing? <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/intelligence/digital-health-briefing?IR=T" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sign up and receive</a> Digital Health Briefing to your inbox.TELADOC NEARLY DOUBLES ITS REVENUE IN 2017: Telemedicine company Teladoc <a href="http://ir.teladoc.com/news-and-events/investor-news/press-release-details/2018/Teladoc-Announces-Full-Year-and-Fourth-Quarter-2017-Results/default.aspx?utm_source=Triggermail&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=Post%20Blast%20%28bii-apps-and-platforms%29:%20Uber%20launches%20ride%20sharing%20platform%20for%20hospitals%20%E2%80%94%20Teladoc%20nearly%20doubles%20revenue%20%E2%80%94%20Google-sister%20Verily%20plans%20insurance%20market%20play&amp;utm_term=BII%20Digital%20Health%20COTD%20exBII" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> positive results in Q4 2017 with $77 million in revenue, up 106% year-over-year (YoY), and an 89% increase in total revenue for the year to reach $233 million. Teladoc also more than doubled its hospital and health system partners during the year - the firm now supports over 200 hospitals. The addition of these new partners, which includes Mount Sinai and Mercy Health Network, coupled with a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/digital-health-briefing-google-ai-can-predict-heart-attacks-from-eye-scans-lyft-hitch-health-partner-for-medical-transport-nokia-executive-sees-no-path-for-digital-health-2018-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">severe flu season</a>, catalyzed a 54% increase in telemedicine appointments, reaching 1.5 million during the year.Teladoc is poised for an even bigger year in 2018:<ul><li>In January, more than 50% of visits were new and on peak days the company averaged 8,000 visits. This is a critical figure for the company because those that use telehealth for the first time are more likely to return in the same year, according to Teladoc CEO Jason Gorevic.</li><li>Telehealth is becoming a priority for executives, which could help Teladoc enter even more partnerships in 2018. Fifty-six percent of healthcare executives stated they had implemented telemedicine services, and of the 44% that had not done so 86% said it was a medium to high priority, <a href="http://e.businessinsider.com/click/12264268.1066/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZmllcmNlaGVhbHRoY2FyZS5jb20vbW9iaWxlL3Blbm4tbWVkaWNpbmUtdGVsZWhlYWx0aC1hbm4tbW9uZC1qb2huc29uP21rdF90b2s9ZXlKcElqb2lXbGRaZDFsVVRtbFBWRlY0VFVkUmVDSXNJblFpT2lKalREbEtOMEZ4ZUhRNWIwTTBWR1Y1Wm5GSmIySmxPVmQ1Y25GaVJqVTBZWGQyTlhScE1UVmlUVGhGWmxSMVMwNXVjWEpwYjNSeVJuUXhSak5oU0RkcllqUmlWR1pRTjNaWlVuazRVbTFYTUZwcWFuUnhXbXBuVldOb01FUmNMMmczUzA1Y0wzbHhUbUZXWm5aWlVXZGNMMFJQU2taWk9WQnVWMU4xY0V0aVEzVTFlaUo5Jm1ya2lkPTU1ODgyNzcy/57d844d117893faf778b549fB7ab82ffd" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=http://e.businessinsider.com/click/12264268.1066/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZmllcmNlaGVhbHRoY2FyZS5jb20vbW9iaWxlL3Blbm4tbWVkaWNpbmUtdGVsZWhlYWx0aC1hbm4tbW9uZC1qb2huc29uP21rdF90b2s9ZXlKcElqb2lXbGRaZDFsVVRtbFBWRlY0VFVkUmVDSXNJblFpT2lKalREbEtOMEZ4ZUhRNWIwTTBWR1Y1Wm5GSmIySmxPVmQ1Y25GaVJqVTBZWGQyTlhScE1UVmlUVGhGWmxSMVMwNXVjWEpwYjNSeVJuUXhSak5oU0RkcllqUmlWR1pRTjNaWlVuazRVbTFYTUZwcWFuUnhXbXBuVldOb01FUmNMMmczUzA1Y0wzbHhUbUZXWm5aWlVXZGNMMFJQU2taWk9WQnVWMU4xY0V0aVEzVTFlaUo5Jm1ya2lkPTU1ODgyNzcy/57d844d117893faf778b549fB7ab82ffd&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1520021583991000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEFLvK1spS8HoJbzr05i3I783ACjg">according</a> to Sage Growth Partners. </li></ul><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Business Insider Intelligence" title_caption="" class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5a9980faaae6051b008b47a1-960/bii teladoc earnings.png"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5a9980faaae6051b008b47a1-2342/bii teladoc earnings.png" alt="bii teladoc earnings" data-mce-source="Business Insider Intelligence" /></a>Business Insider Intelligence</div></div></div>VERILY TO MOVE INTO THE INSURANCE MARKET: Verily, the life sciences unit owned by Google's parent company Alphabet, is moving into the insurance market, <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/02/27/alphabet-verily-health-insurance-care-management.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to CNBC. The firm recently posted several job openings that asked for experience in working with health insurers and managing at-risk patient populations. Verily is already in talks with insurers about jointly bidding for contracts in which it would take on risk for hundreds of thousands of patients, sources told CNBC. Verily could potentially be seen as a valuable partner in population health management. For example, the company could use its ability to gather and analyze massive sets of data to identify at-risk patients and the types of care they would most benefit from, driving down future costs for insurers in the process. For its part, Verily would get a share of these savings, and build a presence in the growing population health management market, which is projected to reach $42.5 billion by 2021 from $13.9 billion in 2016, <a href="http://e.businessinsider.com/click/11574733.0/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubWFya2V0c2FuZG1hcmtldHMuY29tL1ByZXNzUmVsZWFzZXMvcG9wdWxhdGlvbi1oZWFsdGgtbWFuYWdlbWVudC5hc3A/57d844d117893faf778b549fB5629adc9" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=http://e.businessinsider.com/click/11574733.0/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubWFya2V0c2FuZG1hcmtldHMuY29tL1ByZXNzUmVsZWFzZXMvcG9wdWxhdGlvbi1oZWFsdGgtbWFuYWdlbWVudC5hc3A/57d844d117893faf778b549fB5629adc9&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1520016802722000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHI9dELENHSLua7Ep7DCdrz3VhmyQ">according</a> to MarketsandMarkets. Verily's healthcare strategy differs from other tech giants, like <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/digital-health-briefing-amazon-berkshire-jpmorgan-to-launch-healthcare-company-mobile-tech-is-transforming-hospitals-omada-health-launches-new-trial-2018-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amazon</a> and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/digital-health-briefing-apple-unveils-health-clinic-fitbit-misses-earnings-amid-pivot-samsungs-new-phone-will-have-in-built-health-trackers-2018-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple</a>, aiming to complement the offerings of traditional healthcare companies, whereas Amazon and Apple's solutions would enable them to cut out traditional firms. LENSCRAFTERS LEVERAGES IPADS TO PERFORM EYE EXAMS: LensCrafters, a division of Luxottica that provides eye doctor consultations and sells eyeglasses, has partnered with Apple to use iPads during examinations, <a href="http://www.mobihealthnews.com/content/how-lenscrafters-using-ipads-reinvent-eye-exam" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to MobiHealthNews. During Apple's Q1 2018 earnings call, CEO Tim Cook told shareholders that LensCrafters would be using over 7,000 iPad Pros to provide digital eye exams and digital optical measurements. LensCrafters is already enabling doctors to conduct eye exams directly from iPads. Instead of manually turning dials to gauge what images are more clear for patients doctors can run a digital refractor and change lenses directly off of the tablet. After the exams, doctors use the iPads to show and explain eye health images, simulations, and lens benefits. Giving doctors a more efficient way to perform exams while also providing them a way to increase patient engaged could help LensCrafters increase customer satisfaction. For Apple, positive end results could open up another avenue for the company to capture a piece of the healthcare industry - the global optometry market was valued at $56 billion in 2016, <a href="https://www.rednewswire.com/optometry-market-predicted-value-us79-871-bn-2025/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to a report by Transparency Market Research. MEDTRONIC, LVHN PARTNER TO PROVE VALUE-BASED CARE OPPORTUNITY: Medical device company Medtronic signed a five-year deal with Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) to explore and demonstrate the benefits of value-based care, <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/02/28/medtronic-takes-another-step-toward-value-based-care.html">according</a> to CNBC. The two companies will use Medtronic equipment to develop treatment processes for more than 70 conditions with the aim of improving patient outcomes and lowering the cost of treatments. Value-based care is a reimbursement system where healthcare companies are paid for the overall positive outcome of a patient's journey, rather than for each service used, which is the current system (fee-for-service). The idea is that value-based care will help focus pharmaceutical and medical equipment companies on treatments that work, since they won't get paid. However, value-based care faces the <a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/insights/us/articles/value-based-care-market-shift/DUP-1063_Value-based-care_vFINAL_5.11.15.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issue</a> of how to measure and value these outcomes. LVHN will compare patient results with existing data from its hospital network to quantify the results, some of which will form the basis for how Medtronic gets paid. The two companies plan to reach 500,000 patients in Northeast Pennsylvania and reduce costs by $100 million. Should the partnership yield positive results, it will serve as another step closer to providing a proof-of-concept for value-based care. Get the latest Google stock price<a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stock/GOOG-Quote"> here.</a>

DIGITAL HEALTH BRIEFING: Uber launches ride sharing platform for hospitals - Teladoc nearly doubles revenue - Google-sister Verily plans insurance market play

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5d813a0a2e22af4dc23aaaa8-2400/gettyimages-1142110022.jpg" border="0" alt="Sen. Bernie Sanders Introduces Medicare For All Act Of 2019" data-mce-source="Photo by The Asahi Shimbun via Getty Images" data-mce-caption="en. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) speaks while introducing health care legislation titled the &amp;quotMedicare for All Act of 2019&quot; with Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), during a news conference on Capitol Hill, on April 9, 2019 in Washington, DC" /></div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>As Democratic candidates duel over healthcare reform, Insider polled to see what a popular universal healthcare could look like - and to gauge what Americans want covered in a public health plan.</li><li>In short: a lot. But it also depends on the person you ask.</li><li>Democrats want to see almost everything covered in a public health plan, including pediatric care, nursing home care, and mental health services.</li><li>Republicans are staunchly opposed to transitioning their healthcare towards a government-run system, though making hospice care part of a government-run insurance system drew more favorable opinions than most in the Insider poll.</li><li>The progressive wing of the Democratic Party led by primary candidates Sens. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/who-is-bernie-sanders-bio-age-family-key-positions-2019-3">Bernie Sanders</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/who-is-elizabeth-warren-bio-age-family-key-positions-2019-3">Elizabeth Warren</a> have rallied around Medicare for All, a sweeping proposal that would make the federal government the main health insurance provider for Americans.</li><li>What Insider found is that a large share of Americans want the government to extend its reach into the nation's healthcare system.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. </a></li></ul>As Democratic primary candidates duel over healthcare reform, Insider polled to see what a popular universal healthcare could look like - and to gauge what Americans want to see covered in a national health insurance plan.In short: a lot. But it also depends on the person you ask.As expected, the response tracked along partisan lines. Democrats want to see almost everything covered in a public health plan, including pediatric care, nursing home care and mental health services. Republicans are staunchly opposed to transitioning their healthcare towards a government-run system, though making hospice care part of a government-run insurance system drew more favorable opinions than most in the Insider poll.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/terms-you-need-to-know-democrats-clash-us-health-care-2019-7">Democrats are clashing over how to fix US health care. Here are the 7 key terms you need to know.</a>Both self-identified Republicans and self-identified Democrats backed making health insurance for members of the military and veterans sponsored by the government. There was support for publicly insuring the elderly and poverty-stricken as well, though Republicans were less likely to endorse that idea.The progressive wing of the Democratic Party led by primary candidates like Sens. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/who-is-bernie-sanders-bio-age-family-key-positions-2019-3">Bernie Sanders</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/who-is-elizabeth-warren-bio-age-family-key-positions-2019-3">Elizabeth Warren</a> have rallied around Medicare for All, a sweeping proposal that would make the federal government the main health insurance provider for Americans.It has substantial backing among the public, polls show.<a href="https://www.kff.org/interactive/tracking-public-opinion-on-national-health-plan/">The Kaiser Family Foundation this month found</a> that just over half of Americans support the idea of a national health plan, and it tracks much higher among Democrats at 77%. Republicans, though, overwhelmingly oppose it and over half of independents endorse the idea.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5d83d40e2e22af37c855c039-1667/the public health coverage americans want chart.png" border="0" alt="the public health coverage americans want chart" data-mce-source="Shayanne Gal/Business Insider" /></div></div></div>Insider asked 1,165 respondents two questions to determine what they wanted to see covered in a publicly-funded national healthcare system and which services should remain managed by private insurers.The questions: "Which of the following should mostly be paid for by private health insurance?" and "Which should mostly be paid for by a publicly-funded national healthcare system?"Respondents were then presented with an identical list of 27 options for both questions, as well as "none of these." To calculate the net favorability of whether Americans prefer each option to be part of a private or public health insurance plan, Insider took the difference between the results of these answers.The Affordable Care Act - signed into law in 2010 - helped <a href="https://fortune.com/2018/11/15/obamacare-americans-with-health-insurance-uninsured/">insure around 20 million more Americans</a> and made health insurance more comprehensive, requiring plans to cover services such as maternity care and drug addiction. Its also enhanced patients' access to services like cancer screenings and contraception.Still, the American health insurance system is still complex and more people are now underinsured, with many of them on employer-based plans, <a href="https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2019/feb/health-insurance-coverage-eight-years-after-aca">according to a health survey</a> earlier this year from the Commonwealth Fund, a nonpartisan health research organization.Earlier <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/most-americans-employer-based-plans-healthcare-medicare-for-all-2019-8">Insider polling</a> found that most Americans with employer-sponsored health insurance were comfortable with the idea of switching to Medicare for All if they kept their current coverage. What Insider concluded this time is that a large share of Americans want the government to extend its reach into the nation's healthcare system.<h2>Medicare for More: Larger margins believe medical care for children and the elderly should be covered in a public plan</h2>There were some basic, popular expansions to cover. Among them:<ul><li>Hospice care - It proved popular among all respondents to make care for people at the end of their lives part of a public insurance plan over a private plan, 40% to 30%.</li><li>Pediatric care - Placing the medical care of young children into a public healthcare plan also garnered strong support among Americans, 41% compared to 32%.</li><li>Preventative services - Making services like disease screenings and immunizations drew strong support to be included in a government-run healthcare plan, 39% to 30%.</li><li>Mental health services - Transitioning mental healthcare into a public plan amassed strong support, 40% to 31%.</li><li>Nursing home care - This is an area of the economy that's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/senior-care-market-trends">growing rapidly</a> given the aging Boomer population who will be needing elder care in the near future. Moving the care of the elderly into government hands proved more popular, 40% to 31%. </li><li>Dialysis - The government <a href="https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/insurance-options-people-dialysis-or-kidney-transplant">already pays up to 80% of dialysis costs</a> under Medicare, and <a href="https://pharm.ucsf.edu/kidney/need/statistics">it absorbs seven percent</a> of the system's budget each year. Yet respondents supported making this part of a public insurance plan, 38% compared to 31%.</li><li>Insulin - Making insulin part of a public plan drew substantial support, 40% to 33%.</li></ul>The Sanders Medicare for All plan includes a robust set of benefits that includes all medically necessary services, which extend to all of these.Read more:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/most-americans-employer-based-plans-healthcare-medicare-for-all-2019-8"> A majority of Americans with employer-based health insurance don't mind if it changes to Medicare for All - as long as they can keep their current coverage</a>What's worth noting is that many services listed here is could be considered part of lifesaving medical coverage, such as ensuring access to dialysis and insulin treatments. Sanders <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/7/30/20729479/bernie-sanders-canada-medicare-for-all-drug-price-insulin">has traveled to Canada</a> - the country whose medical system has elicited the most comparisons to Medicare for All - and repeatedly points out the lower cost of insulin there, the product of stronger government price controls.<div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5d84dec12e22af68967a2267-1810/5d4048378d664205de2720c4-1920-960.jpg" border="0" alt="Bernie Sanders in Canada, insulin" width="704" height="352" data-mce-source="Scott Eisen/Getty Images" data-mce-caption="Democratic presidential candidate, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) talks about the cost of insulin in the USA versus Canada as he joins a group of people with diabetes on a trip to Canada for affordable Insulin on July 28, 2019 in Windsor, Canada" /></div></div>A <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/2717499">study from researchers at Yale University</a> found that one in four patients have been frugal with their insulin because of its high costs. Its out-of-pocket costs <a href="https://news.yale.edu/2018/12/03/one-four-patients-say-theyve-skimped-insulin-because-high-cost">have doubled</a> in the last decade. Patients have often complained about the difficulty of getting mental healthcare covered by insurance companies, particularly when they are not in any immediate danger.Though there's <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/05/health/unitedhealth-mental-health-parity.html">a federal law</a> in place compelling insurers to cover mental health disorders the same as a physical illness, its fallen well short of its goal and left patients often maneuvering through a system that hasn't adjusted to meet their needs. And the amount of people seeking treatment for mental health <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/the-health-202/2018/12/18/the-health-202-more-people-are-getting-treatment-for-mental-health-and-substance-abuse/5c17d07a1b326b2d6629d4c9/">is rapidly increasing.</a>The results of the Insider poll also shows there is strong support for making the medical care of the nation's oldest and youngest citizens covered by a public plan. <h2>Medicare for Lots: More areas of healthcare Americans want to see covered, but not as much</h2><ul><li>Maternity and neonatal care - Shifting the care of pregnant women and premature newborns onto a government insurance plan garnered more support compared to a private plan, 38% to 32%.</li><li>Ambulance services - Making ambulance rides part of a public health plans drew more backing among respondents, 38% to 33%.</li><li>Chronic disease management services - The type of care associated with with conditions such as diabetes and hypertension attracted more support to be part of a public health plan, 37% to 31%.</li><li>Medical equipment - Respondents supported making equipment like oxygen tanks provided in a public plan, 36% to 31%.</li></ul>Ambulance services in particular is a big source of "surprise" medical bills Americans have encountered. <a href="https://www.healthaffairs.org/">Research published in the journal Health Affairs</a> found that just over half of ambulance rides result in out-of-network bills.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/maternity-leave-worldwide-2017-8">Here's how much paid leave new mothers and fathers get in 11 different countries</a>The US remains one of the very few developed countries that doesn't have paid maternal leave.<h2>Medicare for all: Americans divided on whether basic care should be covered by the government </h2>This is really where the rubber meets the road, and whether or not coverage exists is a legitimate issue debated by those involved.These issues are the broadly-defined battleground of Medicare-for-all, as nearly equal numbers of people think that they should be covered by a public plan versus a private plan. However, preference for a public plan has the edge over private in each situation:The ensuing parts of healthcare are more contentious to transition to a government-run healthcare plan.<ul><li>Emergency room visits - Among respondents, shifting emergency room visits to a government-run plan drew more support than keeping it in the private insurance market, 39% to 36%.</li><li>All prescription drugs - Moving prescription drugs to public healthcare drew a little more support than the private alternative, 37% to 34%.</li><li>Hearing care - Respondents believed hearing care should be part of a government-provided plan, 35% to 32%.</li><li>Laboratory services - This type of medical service, which includes blood tests and X-rays, drew more support to be part of a universal healthcare plan, 36% to 33%.</li><li>Physical, occupational and speech therapy - Respondents supported making these types of therapy as part of a public insurance plan, 34% to 31%.</li><li>Dental care - Slightly more respondents than not believed a trip to the dentist should be covered by the federal government, 36% to 34%</li><li>Optometry and eye care - Getting eyes examined drew a little more support to make part of a public insurance plan, 35% to 32%.</li><li>Hospitalization - Brief or long-term hospital admission for treatment, 36% to 34%.</li></ul>On some of the most common forms of medical care, whether its prescription drugs, dental or therapy, there is a clearer divide among Americans over whether the government should play a central role in insuring them.Curbing the expensive cost of prescription drugs, however, <a href="https://www.kff.org/medicare/issue-brief/whats-the-latest-on-medicare-drug-price-negotiations/">is an area Republicans and Democrats agree on</a>.Americans have been confronted with high out-of-pocket costs as a result of the nation's uninsured population and higher cost-sharing requirements compared to other countries. Pharmaceutical spending <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/12/upshot/why-prescription-drug-spending-higher-in-the-us.html">was comparable</a> to that of other advanced nations like Netherlands and Norway through the 1990s - and then it started to skyrocket. <div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/56e3ab9f52bcd01a008b5ede-2400/rtr3cgfy.jpg" border="0" alt="prescription drugs" width="714" height="357" data-mce-source="REUTERS/Brian Snyder" data-mce-caption="Pharmacist Jim Pearce fills a Suboxone prescription at Boston Healthcare for the Homeless Program in Boston, Massachusetts January 14, 2013." /></div></div>Americans <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/10/why-prescription-drugs-in-the-us-cost-so-much.html">now spend around</a> $1,200 on prescription drugs every year and <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/184914/prescription-drug-expenditures-in-the-us-since-1960/">expenditures in the US</a> were $333 billion in 2017 - and it continues to climb. House Democrats <a href="https://www.vox.com/2019/9/19/20856948/house-democrats-prescription-drug-prices">recently introduced a bill</a> that would empower the government to negotiate drug prices directly on behalf of Medicare recipients as well as others who are purchasing the drugs.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-exploring-imports-of-cheaper-prescription-drugs-from-canada-2019-7">Trump is exploring ways to let the US import cheaper prescription drugs from Canada and other countries</a>The high costs of emergency room visits have also burdened the pockets of many Americans.Vox reporter Sarah Kliff wrote last year about emergency room bills around the nation. She found that prices veer drastically from one hospital to another. One patient was charged $238 for eye drops that could have been purchased at most retail pharmacies for between $15 to $50."Hospitals are not transparent about the cost of their services, their prices vary wildly from one ER to another, and it's hard to tell which doctors are covered by insurance (even if the hospital itself is covered)," <a href="https://www.vox.com/health-care/2018/12/18/18134825/emergency-room-bills-health-care-costs-america">Kliff reported.</a>On the campaign trail, healthcare remain a lightning rod for debate. But the American public is growing more comfortable with the idea of the government insuring more parts of the nation's expansive healthcare system.SurveyMonkey Audience polls from a national sample balanced by census data of age and gender. Respondents are incentivized to complete surveys through charitable contributions. Generally speaking, digital polling tends to skew toward people with access to the internet. SurveyMonkey Audience doesn't try to weight its sample based on race or income. Total 1,165 respondents collected August 30-31, 2019, a margin of error plus or minus 3.01 percentage points with a 95% confidence level.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/intelligence/digital-health?IR=T&amp;itm_source=businessinsider&amp;itm_medium=ctgr_bii&amp;itm_term=ctgr_subscription&amp;itm_content=health&amp;itm_campaign=digital-health-3"><img src="https://static.businessinsider.com/image/5d5ecc56ad2b472c2b7bbbd5" alt="Join Digital Health Pro" border="0" style="width: 100% !important" /></a>

You Searched For "Optometry" and got 4 results

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