Saturday, September 21, 2013

Friday and a new beat

I switched beats this week. I want to focus more on health. I also want to focus on news reporting and hopefully, tackle features later. The community beat seems like a better opportunity for an intermediate or advanced writing class. So far, I like my decision.

I wrote an article yesterday about BJC HealthCare, one of the largest healthcare providers in the state. Employees working less than 24 hours a week may be losing their health benefits. Although BJC has not officially confirmed the claim, a few current BJC employees shared the story with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Even though the information is unconfirmed and the reason for the changes is unclear, I started thinking about the wider healthcare ecosystem. As the roll-out date for the new healthcare system approaches, will more employers start making changes like this one? Is it an isolated incident or part of a larger movement toward the exchange program? I need to read Zach Mattson's navigator article again and pay closer attention to the details. I also need to immerse myself in the Affordable Care Act politics brewing in Washington so that I can understand the healthcare situation better.

I spoke with my mom last night and she made an excellent point. Any large change, especially on a national scale, takes time. This transition will be long. There won't be some magical overnight shift to automatic coverage for all (as much as I'd like for that to be the case.) She's right. At it's best, this will be a long, arduous process toward more accessible and affordable care.

Health benefits for part-time BJC HealthCare employees could be cut

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