February 3: Health Care Reform
The ultimate in two-tier health care
Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny Williams has flown to the United States to have unspecified heart surgery that he could not get at home. That sound you hear from the U.S. is right-wing critics of single-payer health care jostling for air time to mock Canada's "socialist" medicare system…
In fairness nobody should be surprised or offended that Williams now chooses to put his own health ahead of such rhetoric. Nor is he the first Canadian politician to do so. Robert Bourassa, too, went to the U.S. for care. So did Jean Chrétien, who in 1999 even used government aircraft for two trips to Minnesota's Mayo Clinic.
The Gazette, 2/2/2010
Additional coverage:
THE INFLUENCE GAME: Health lobbying gears down
Notice you're not bombarded anymore by TV ads about President Barack Obama's health care overhaul plan? Drugmakers, business organizations and other interest groups in the health care battle have dialed down expensive lobbying campaigns as they assess how last month's stunning Republican capture of a Senate seat from Massachusetts has altered Washington's political landscape…
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., says she has been hearing from the Mayo Clinic and doctors in her state. The insurance industry has distributed reports on Capitol Hill arguing that states that require coverage for those already sick have seen rates skyrocket. AARP, representing seniors, wrote lawmakers last week saying, "We have come too far to halt progress on health care reform."
Washington Post by Alan Farm, 2/2/2010
Top stories
Stumping for Jobs Plan, Obama Pushes Health Bill
The New York Times
Feb. 3, 2010
While President Obama promoted the new job-creation program he described as his No. 1 priority, he refused to abandon his embattled healthcare legislation, vowing to "punch it through" resistance in Congress.
Hoyer Walks Back Week-End Prediction
Politico
Feb. 2, 2010
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) told reporters on Tuesday that he doesn't "think time's running out" for Congress to do health care reform - but he's not making any predictions about when things will get back on track.
Democrats Change Health-Care Tack
The Wall Street Journal
Feb. 3, 2010
With their sweeping healthcare reform bill on hold, House Democrats plan to revive a sliver of the legislation that would repeal an antitrust exemption for insurance companies. Related: Nancy Pelosi's New Health Care Plan, Politico
Insurance
The Debate Over Selling Insurance Across State Lines
Kaiser Health News
Feb. 3, 2010
With health care legislation stalled, Republicans are touting their own remedies, including allowing Americans to buy health coverage across state lines. Critics -- including consumer watchdog groups and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners -- say the provision would erode many state government consumer protections, leave policyholders with inadequate coverage and could actually lead to higher premiums for some people.
Transparency/Safety
Pregnancy-Related Death Rate on the Rise
San Francisco Chronicle
Feb. 3, 2010
The mortality rate of California women who die from causes directly related to pregnancy has nearly tripled in the past decade, prompting doctors to worry about the dangers of obesity in expectant mothers and about medical complications of cesarean sections. The problem may be occurring nationwide. The Joint Commission issued an alert to hospitals on Jan. 26, stating: "Unfortunately, current trends and evidence suggest that maternal mortality rates may be increasing."
Wellness/Chronic Care
10 Steps to Reform Insurance While Covering Chronic Conditions
HealthLeaders Media
Feb. 3, 2010
The government should initiate "small scale reforms" to its healthcare insurance system to overcome potentially devastating obstacles in serving an aging and chronically ill baby-boomer population, says one of the leaders in the healthcare consumerism movement, John C. Goodman, president and CEO of the National Center for Policy Analysis.
State news
Florida: Medicaid Choices Could Narrow
Health New Florida
Feb. 2, 2010
This could be the year the state of Florida eliminates its popular MediPass program, which gives more than half a million Medicaid recipients, mostly aged and disabled Floridians, an alternative to HMOs. Hints of its demise showed up in the governor's budget and letters from a powerful lawmaker.
MN: Medically Vulnerable are Anxious, Confused
Minneapolis Star-Tribune
Feb. 2, 2010
As a political battle rages over Gov. Tim Pawlenty's decision to eliminate Minnesota’s General Assistance Medical Care program -- part of his plan to balance the state budget -- more than 35,000 people are caught in the crossfire.
Changes Would Add Costs to IowaCare, Official Says
The Des Moines Register
Feb. 3, 2010
Iowa legislators should expect many more patients to sign up for a healthcare program for the poor if the state makes the program more convenient to use, a top administrator said.
Laying The Foundation For Catalytic Change
Health Affairs
February 2010
In an interview with Health Affairs’ Editor-in-Chief Susan Dentzer, California Health Care Foundation President and CEO Mark D. Smith discusses the Foundation's accomplishments since its founding, serving as a catalyst for advances in health care access, quality improvement, and technology in California. Smith also contemplates health system challenges facing both the nation and California during a time of economic instability and where he hopes to take the Foundation in the coming years.
Medicare/Medicaid
Medicare, Medicaid are 2011 Budget Gorillas at HHS
Fierce Healthcare
Feb. 2, 2010
Mandatory outlays for the Medicare and Medicaid programs far outweigh discretionary spending in President Barack Obama's proposed 2011 budget for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Medicare and Medicaid funding totals $489.3 billion and $264.5 billion, respectively, while discretional funding comes in at a measly $82.8 billion.
Medicare Pay Cuts to Doctors: A Five-Year Fix?
The Wall Street Journal – Health blog
Feb. 3, 2010
Medicare payments to doctors were supposed to fall by 21% at the start of this year, but Congress passed a last-minute, two-month patch to block the cuts. The Senate recently passed a pay-as-you-go law that would require balancing all new spending with tax increases or spending cuts, but the legislation included a loophole that states Congress can allocate an additional $82 billion for physician payments without having to find new sources of revenue or savings. The move could be enough to block scheduled pay cuts for five years.
Reform efforts
The Influence Game: Health Lobbying Gears Down
AP/Yahoo News
Feb. 3, 2010
Drugmakers, business organizations and other interest groups in the health care battle have dialed down expensive lobbying campaigns as they assess how last month's stunning Republican capture of a Senate seat from Massachusetts has altered Washington's political landscape.
Poll: Health Care Bill Won't Help Democrats
Politico
Feb. 3, 2010
Democrats will face nearly the same political environment this fall whether or not they pass health care reform legislation, according to a new poll out Tuesday.
Health Information Technology
Port-Clinton News-Herald
Jan. 29, 2010
Two Ohio hospitals--Magruder Hospital in Port Clinton and Fisher-Titus Medical Center in Norwalk--soon will be among the top 5 percent of the most automated, fully digital hospitals in the United States, reports the Port Clinton News Herald. The hospitals will implement wireless, all-digital patient care systems from Cerner Corp. that will give caregivers "instant access to real-time patient information," says Fisher-Titus President Pat Martin.
Miscellaneous
Involving Nurses in Shared Decision-Making
HealthLeaders Media
Feb. 3, 2010
We should listen to nurses, said the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation recently, which teamed with Gallup to survey opinion leaders from a variety of industries on nursing's influence. While noting that nursing is one of the most trusted professions, this trust does not translate into action, the survey found. But some organizations ensure nursing's voice is heard and that nurses are involved in all decisions through shared governance.
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