January 26: Health Care Reform
TOP STORIES
Decision Looms on Advancing Health Care Bill
The New York Times
January 26, 2010
Seeking to avert the collapse of major health care legislation, the White House and Democratic leaders in Congress are deciding whether to use a procedural maneuver known as budget reconciliation allowing the President and his party to muscle the legislation through Congress with a simple majority vote in the Senate.
Congressional Frustration With Obama Mounts Over Health Care Impass
The Huffington Post
January 26, 2010
Frustration is mounting among Capitol Hill Democrats over what they say is the White House's lack of direction in how to resolve a potentially crippling impasse in health care reform negotiations.
Daschle: House Dems Should ‘Do the Right Thing’ Pass the Senate Bill
The Hill
January 26, 2010
Daschle said it would require “political courage” to take up the Senate legislation, but that this was better than doing nothing.
In Health Debate, A Struggle to Balance State and Federal Roles
The New York Times
January 26, 2010
The question of equality, or inequality, among states and how to devise a national solution for a problem that varies sharply from state to state is a major reason President Obama's overhaul of the health care system is on the brink of collapse.
INSURANCE
Health Reform Would Spend $5B to Create High-Risk Pools for Uninsurable
HC Pro
January 26, 2010
Both House and Senate health reform proposals would nationally standardize the widely varied "high-risk pools" that provide health insurance to 200,000 people.
TRANSPARENCY/SAFETY
House Goes After White House Negotiations Records
United States Government Official Documents
January 26, 2010
On Wednesday, the House Energy and Commerce Committee will mark up a resolution requesting that the Obama administration transmit to the House of Representatives copies of documents, records, and communications in their possession relating to certain agreements regarding health care reform.
Genetic Tests Give Consumers Hint About Disease Risk; Critics Have Misgivings
The Washington Post
January 26, 2010
Advocates of direct-to-consumer genotyping say these services can guide people toward appropriate preventive medical care - others criticize the companies for overselling their supposed insights and producing reports that untrained consumers might easily misunderstand.
What Do Americans Want From Health Reform? Not Much Change
Healthpopuli
January 25, 2010
Ensuring that all Americans have health insurance has fallen below other more pressing health reform issues such as tax credits for small business, health insurance exchanges, and front-burner health insurance regulations.
Poll Shows Growing Fears on Health Care Overhaul
Yahoo News
January 25, 2010
Fears about President Barack Obama's health care overhaul increased significantly in December, according to a new poll released from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
WELLNESS/CHRONIC CARE
A Mixed Report on American Health
The New York Times
January 26, 2010
Numbers released last month by the National Center for Health Statistics revealed the percentage of people who reported having excellent or very good health declined to 66.6 percent in 2009, down from 69.1 percent in 1998.
STATE NEWS
Mediators See a Catch in Texas Law on Negotiating Health Bill
The Dallas News
January 26, 2010
A new Texas law allows patients to see a mediator for unexpected hospital bills, but some mediators are reluctant to participate as the law requires them to decide whether a physician or hospital is acting in "bad faith".
MEDICARE/MEDICAID
CBO: Senate Reform Bill Would Extend Life of Medicare Part A Payments
HC Pro
January 26, 2010
If Congress enacts the Senate health care reform bill (HR 3590), the legislation could extend the life of the Medicare Hospital Insurance (HI) trust fund, Medicare Part A, well beyond fiscal 2017.
Trend: Doctors More Reluctant to Take Medicare Patients
Fierce Healthcare
January 25, 2010
The perfect storm featuring a shortage of primary-care physicians, lower payments to the specialty and a reluctance to take on Medicare patients means the patient log jam may grow as Medicare patients join the uninsured to see physicians.
REFORM EFFORTS
Which Way Through the Mine Field?
Politico
January 26, 2010
Democrats have precious few options left to pass health care reform and one of their top choices is drawing fire from some of their biggest supporters, complicating an already tough situation.
Reform Progress Unlikely By SOTU
Politico
January 26, 2010
Senate Democratic leaders said Monday that they don’t expect to have a decision on how to move forward with health care reform in time for President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address on Wednesday.
NEW ADMINISTRATION
Is Obama Moving to the Middle?
The Washington Post
January 26, 2010
More than a decade ago, a first-term Democratic president who failed to achieve his biggest priority, health-care reform, decided to recast himself as a fiscal hawk, committing to spending discipline and eventually cutting a deal with Republicans to balance the budget - is President Obama planning to follow that blueprint?
EMPLOYERS
Small Business Owners Think Health Reform Would Make Matters Worse
Healthleaders Media
January 25, 2010
An overwhelming majority of small business owners say they do not offer health insurance to their employees, and most believe they will be hurt financially by health care reform.
MISCELLANEOUS
ABC News
January 25, 2010
Complete transcript of President Obama’s January 25th interview with Diane Sawyer.
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