Fears of health monopoly as Congress urges collaboration
The health care overhaul proposals before Congress encourage hospitals and doctors to join forces and create networks that would do a better job of coordinating patient care…
President Obama and Democratic leaders have held up integrated care systems like the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota as models for providing more efficient care. Most health policy specialists say such systems have vast potential to improve safety and quality and reduce costs by using linked computers and standardized treatments.
Boston Globe by Lisa Wangsness, 10/25/09
Additional Mayo Clinic health reform coverage:
Top stories
Senate on Verge of Health Bill
The Wall Street Journal
Oct. 26, 2009
Top Senate Democrats are close to finalizing their health bill and could unveil a measure as soon as early this week that would include stiffer penalties on employers who fail to provide health coverage.
Democrats Are Optimistic That Public Option Will Be Approved
The New York Times
Oct. 25, 2009
Several Democratic senators voiced optimism that Congress would pass a health care bill containing at least the germ of a government-run insurance program.
AP Sources: Health Bill May Cut Employer Mandate
AP/The Washington Post
Oct. 25, 2009
Businesses would not be required to provide health insurance under legislation being readied for Senate debate, but large firms would owe significant penalties if any worker needed government subsidies to buy coverage on their own, according to Democratic officials familiar with talks on the bill.
Insurance
Insurers Poised to Reap Benefits from Healthcare Overhaul
The Los Angeles Times
Oct. 26, 2009
As President Obama's push for a healthcare overhaul moves toward its final stages, the health insurance industry is on the verge of seeing a plan enacted that largely protects its financial interests.
Can 'Bundled' Payments Help Slash Health Costs?
USA Today
Oct. 26, 2009
Combined, "bundled" payments are getting close attention during the healthcare debate as a way to encourage hospitals and doctors to work together to hold down costs and improve care.
Wellness/Chronic Care
Managing Disease Without Insurance
The New York Times
Oct. 23, 2009
Americans without health insurance are less likely to know if they have diabetes or high cholesterol than those with coverage, and they’re less likely to keep their high blood pressure under control than the insured.
Reform efforts
Next Phase in Health-Care Debate: The Art of the Deal
The Washington Post
Oct. 26, 2009
With a growing sense that Democrats may have the votes to pass health-care reform, many participants are now attempting to shape the components of landmark legislation rather than to defeat it.
The Washington Post
Oct. 25, 2009
As the proposed $900 billion health-care legislation inches toward the finish line, a critical unknown is whether people would comply with a mandate on individuals to carry insurance, one of the Democrats' primary tools to significantly increase the number of Americans who have coverage.
Dems Push for Benefits to Start by 2010
Politico
Oct. 25, 2009
Democrats are pushing Senate leaders and the White House to speed up key benefits in the health reform bill to 2010, eager to give the party something to show taxpayers for their $900 billion investment in an election year.
Healthcare System Wastes $850 Billion Annually
HealthLeaders Media
Oct. 26, 2009
A new independent study released this morning appears to support President Barack Obama's claims that the nation's $2.3 trillion healthcare system is fraught with waste.
Employers
General Motors Will Move to High-Deductible Insurance Plans
The Wall Street Journal
Oct. 23, 2009
General Motors will offer only high-deductible health insurance to its salaried workers starting next year, the latest sign of the way employers are looking to shift some of the burden of rising health costs to workers.
Small Business Faces Sharp Rise in Costs of Health Care
The New York Times
Oct. 25, 2009
As Congress nears votes on legislation that would overhaul the health care system, many small businesses say they are facing the steepest rise in insurance premiums they have seen in recent years.
Health Information Technology
Electronic Medical Records Not Seen as a Cure-All
The Washington Post
Oct. 25, 2009
Bipartisan enthusiasm has obscured questions about the effectiveness of health information technology products, critics say.