After a leave of absence due to family medical issues and moving back home, it is good to be back blogging here on a daily basis and I look forward to resuming where I left off at the end of October. I have personally stayed up to date reading the daily posts by the bloggers on this site when I had access to the Internet and I feel that this staff of writers are dedicated and very thorough in what they do. I hope I contribute as much as they do in the days to come.

With all of that in mind, I want to make a brief input on making a move when family medical issues make it necessary. It ways heavy on your mind and can be very stressful. Employment issues, time that you personally can donate, uprooting your own household, and the needs of parents, all can put a heavy burden on your mind. Staying destressed as much as you can for your own personal health is a must. I personally found prayer, lots of conversations with my friends and family, making a list of important issues to consider on both sides of the fence, and taking personal down time to be alone and unwind to be very helpful.

Many people have to make the decision on when is the time to be more involved in their parents lives, exactly what is best for everyone, and how you can accomplish what is needed. Health insurance or the lack of cuts down on a lot of options and medicare and medicaid sometimes do not take care of all the needs. You are not alone and reaching out to friends, pastors, doctors, and support groups can be the best thing that you can do for yourselves. Find out all of the benefits that medicaid and medicare offer in assistance for stay at home patients and use them.

Health care coverage for working Americans is like a brittle tree in a hard wind -- and the larger limbs are beginning to snap. Between the years 2000 to 2005, 6.8 million more people became uninsured according to the latest report from the U.S. Census Bureau's Housing and Household Economic Statistics Division. Current data estimates 46.6 million people are without health insurance coverage. As employer-based health insurance continues to fade, government programs are taking up the slack -- up to a point. But given the lack of funding, there is only so much that can be offered.

In a statement issued by the Center for American Progress, "These problems did not just happen: they resulted from flawed economic and health policies which force Americans to work more for less. When it returns after Labor Day, this Congress should act to mitigate these problems by passing a straightforward minimum wage increase and extend health funding for programs like the State Children's Health Insurance Program. Moreover, policy makers should recognize the need for major change, such as providing affordable health care to all Americans and taking action to address growing income inequality."

Some are calling for a government-based universal health care system that guarantees health care coverage for all Americans. Others are suggesting a mix of private and public health care coverage. What ever the solution, there certainly needs to be one.

We can start with a shift in perspective and change in expectation. If you are working full-time for a company, presumably your efforts are helping that company make a profit. Health insurance coverage should not be viewed as a luxury benefit, nor should the largest burden of health insurance premiums be shouldered by the employee whose earnings just meet living expenses. Yet, this is happening every day in this country. The hard wind continues to batter the brittle tree.

Personally, I am not sold on a government-run, government-backed universal health plan simply because I have covered too many horror stories about rationed care in other industrialized countries. It seems a combination of programs might be the solution but the government and our elected officials certainly need to be held accountable for implementing programs that insure all Americans.

American Public Health Association Georges Benjamin is quoted by United Press International as saying, ""This is the worst news we've had all year. Our nation is not secure if we're not healthy."

NeedyMeds is a pharmaceutical prescription assistance programs resource guide for people who need help with the cost of medicine and other healthcare expenses. Founded in 1997 by a physician and home health social worker, NeedyMeds is an established and comprehensive online patient assistance programs database featuring over 350 different companies and programs offering more than 2600 different drugs and describes 200 state programs for low-income patients who might not be able to afford medications.

According to NeedyMeds, the website, which now averages 6,500 visitors each day and will soon reach a hallmark of seven million visitors in total, continues to add new programs such as Assistance for Specific Diseases and Conditions, Application Assistance, State Sponsored Programs and Medicaid Sites.

I cannot personally vouch for NeedyMeds, as I have not used them as a resource, but I am always on the look out for resources that might be of benefit to our readers. If you are in need of assistance in affording your medications, visit the NeedyMeds online guide and database. If you do use them, come back and let us know your experiences with NeedyMeds.