November 16: Health Care Reform News
Top stories
Crusading Professor Challenges Dartmouth Atlas On Claims Of Wasteful Health Care Spending
Kaiser Health News
Nov. 16, 2009
A report on Dr. Richard “Buzz” Cooper's contrarian views on the Dartmouth Atlas.
Senate Begins Tackling Health Bill
The New York Times
Nov. 16, 2009
With a Thanksgiving recess looming, the Senate this week will take steps to open debate on its own health care bill even though it remains unclear whether Senator Harry Reid, the Nevada Democrat and majority leader, has the votes to overcome even an initial procedural hurdle.
Report: Bill Would Reduce Senior Care
The Washington Post
Nov. 15, 2009
A plan to slash more than $500 billion from future Medicare spending -- one of the biggest sources of funding for President Obama's proposed overhaul of the nation's health-care system -- would sharply reduce benefits for some senior citizens and could jeopardize access to care for millions of others, according to a government evaluation released Saturday.
Drug Makers Raise Prices in Face of Health Care Reform
The New York Times
Nov. 16, 2009
Critics say the industry is trying to establish a higher price base before Congress passes legislation that tries to curb drug spending in coming years.
Health Bill Foes Solicit Funds for Economic Study
The Washington Post
Nov. 16, 2009
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and an assortment of national business groups opposed to President Obama's health-care reform effort are collecting money to finance an economic study that could be used to portray the legislation as a job killer and threat to the nation's economy, according to an e-mail solicitation from a top Chamber official.
Insurance
Health Insurers Could Be Allowed to Bypass Some Key Reforms
The Washington Post
Nov. 15, 2009
Nobody wants to spend a lot of time and energy -- and taxpayer money -- and end up where they started. But that's what could happen with one of the principal elements of health reform, the "exchange" or "gateway."
Transparency/Safety
Study Raises Questions About Cholesterol Drug’s Benefit
The New York Times
Nov. 16, 2009
A study shows the heavily marketed Zetia was inferior to an old standby drug, niacin, in reducing buildup in the carotid artery.
State news
House Health Bill Includes Medicaid Relief for States
The Washington Post
Nov. 16, 2009
Wedged in the House health-care bill is $23.5 billion that looks a lot more like new federal stimulus spending than anything to do with national health-care reform. The barely debated pot of money would allow Congress to continue pumping billions in new short-term aid to states to cover Medicaid costs that have increased with rising unemployment in the past year.
Governor Says Vt. Reforms Could Be Health Care Model
NPR
Nov. 15, 2009
An NPR report on health care in Vermont, which includes an interview with the state's Republican governor Jim Douglas, who chairs the National Governors Association. Douglas says Vermont's own state-initiated reforms called Blueprint for Health, which focuses on preventative and coordinated care, could provide a national model.
Health Care Reform: Insurance Market Faces Shift in Power
The Chicago Tribune
Nov. 16, 2009
Under the healthcare bill passed by the U.S. House, insurance policies largely geared to those without coverage would be offered on an exchange, or insurance marketplace, to help consumers purchase health plans, many using newly created federal subsidies. Legislation before the U.S. Senate would have exchanges regulated at the state level with insurance directors having a say in what policies are sold while monitoring health plan performance and quality. Analysts say proposed legislation should make the products offered more standardized, while giving regulators more say.
Healthcare Bills Could Jeopardize States' Consumer Protection Laws
The Los Angeles Times
Nov. 16, 2009
Healthcare overhaul bills working their way through Congress could jeopardize laws in California and other states that require insurers to pay for treatments such as AIDS testing, second surgical opinions, and reconstructive surgery for breast cancer patients. The federal legislation could also make it virtually impossible for states to enforce other consumer protection laws, such as the right to appeal if an insurer denies coverage for a particular treatment.
Medicare/Medicaid
Govt: Medicare Paid $47 Billion in Suspect Claims
AP/Google News
Nov. 15, 2009
The government paid more than $47 billion in questionable Medicare claims including medical treatment showing little relation to a patient's condition, wasting taxpayer dollars at a rate nearly three times the previous year.
Reform efforts
Roll Call
Nov. 16, 2009
Roll Call profiles the members of Congress who will matter most in the health care reform endgame.
Health Reform's Hidden Land Mines
Politico
Nov. 16, 2009
President Barack Obama and Democrats in Congress stand to reap the political rewards if they can pull off health reform, by achieving near-universal coverage, toughening regulations on private insurers and transforming the way health care is delivered. But Democrats have glossed over nagging details of just how limited reform’s reach would be for some Americans.
AP Poll: Fine Print in Health Care Prompts Worries
AP/Google News
Nov. 16, 2009
A new AP poll (conducted by Stanford University with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation) found that the fine print in health bills worries some Americans.
Where Two Contentious Issues Intersect
The Washington Post
Nov. 16, 2009
The question of access to care for some immigrants, and who should pay for it, could well become one of the most contentious sticking points in the coming weeks as members of Congress sit down to reconcile the health-care bill passed by the House on Saturday with the yet-to-emerge Senate version.
In House, Many Spoke With One Voice: Lobbyists’
The New York Times
Nov. 14, 2009
The official record of the historic House debate on overhauling healthcare, the speeches of many lawmakers echo with similarities—and that was often no accident. Statements by more than a dozen lawmakers were ghostwritten, in whole or in part, by Washington lobbyists working for Genentech, one of the world's largest biotechnology companies.
Health Information Technology
Little Benefit Seen, So Far, in Electronic Patient Records
The New York Times
Nov. 16, 2009
A new study shows that electronic health records have so far not improved health care quality or cost. The reason may be that the technology is not being fully exploited.
Miscellaneous
Law Seeks to Ban Misuse of Genetic Testing
The New York Times
Nov. 16, 2009
The law would prohibit the use of genetic information in hiring decisions or in determining coverage.
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