March 4: Health Care Reform News
TOP STORIES
Obama Health Care Speech: It’s Time to Act Now
The Huffington Post
March 4, 2010
Appearing before a White House audience of invited guests, Obama firmly rejected calls from Republicans to draft new legislation from scratch. "I don't see how another year of negotiations would help. Moreover, the insurance companies aren't starting over."
Additional Coverage
Obama Calls for ‘Up or Down Vote” on Health Care Bill - The New York Times
Obama Calls for Reconciliation to Prevent Filibuster - The Washington Post
President Launches Last Push on Health Care Overhaul - The Wall Street Journal
Democrats Would Nix Health Care Over Abortion
Reuters
March 4, 2010
A dozen House of Representatives Democrats opposed to abortion are willing to kill President Barack Obama's healthcare reform plan unless it satisfies their demand for language barring the procedure.
INSURANCE
A Health Insurance Mandate With a Choice
The New York Times - Op-Ed
March 4, 2010
The Democrats could let individuals opt out of the new insurance system, without a penalty, by signing a form on their tax return acknowledging that they would then be ineligible for federal health insurance subsidies for a fixed period.
TRANSPARENCY/SAFETY
The Wall Street Journal
March 4, 2010
At least nine of the 39 Democrats who voted "nay" when the House passed overhaul legislation in November are now undecided or withholding judgment.
A Path Forward On How Reconciliation Could Work
The Washington Post
March 4, 2010
A graphic on how reconciliation could work and some of the potential complications.
MEDICARE/MEDICAID
The Wall Street Journal - Op-Ed
March 4, 2010
Next month Medicare physician payments are scheduled to be cut by 22% and deeper thereafter; failing to account for this inevitability takes nearly a quarter-trillion dollars off the ObamaCare books and by itself wipes out the "savings" that the White House continues to take credit for.
Medicare’s Opportunity to Encourage Innovation in Health Care Delivery
NEJM
March 3, 2010
Whatever the fate of current reform proposals, Congress cannot avoid important decisions about Medicare and also needs to support efforts that encourage efficiency improvements in the medical delivery system.
REFORM EFFORTS
Health Care Reform: Where Do We Go From Here?
The NEJM
March 3, 2010
And truly incremental reform seems to be the only viable strategy. This fact and the realization that the United States has to get serious about slowing spending may be, to borrow a phrase from Al Gore, health care’s inconvenient truths.
Senate Moderates Warm to Reconciliation
Roll Call
March 4, 2010
Senate Democratic centrists aren’t saying “yes” just yet, but when it comes to passing a crucial piece of the health care reform puzzle, party leaders have reason to be optimistic that enough of their most fickle Members will put them over the top.
Democrats Hope to Finish Writing Health Bill This Week
Roll Call
March 4, 2010
Several Democratic sources said the goal is to get a completed health reform bill to the Congressional Budget Office for an official cost estimate by Friday, with a hope that CBO could score the bill within a week or so.
The Democrats’ Last Ditch - Reconciliation or Bust
NEJM
March 3, 2010
Democrats now assert that using reconciliation to enact a Democratic health care reform proposal “would be an unprecedented, dangerous and historic mistake.” Nevertheless, Democrats believe it is their only remaining hope for securing approval of President Barack Obama’s major domestic initiative.
The New York Times - Op-Ed
March 4, 2010
It’s up to congressional Democrats to move legislation forward or throw away a once-in-a-generation opportunity to fix this country's broken health care system.
The Republicans Big Lie about Reconciliation
The Washington Post - Op-Ed
March 4, 2010
Republicans, however, don't want to talk much about the substance of health care. They want to discuss process, turn 'reconciliation' into a four-letter word and maintain that Democrats are 'ramming through' a health bill.
W.H. Warns Dems: Don’t Flip- Flop
Politico
March 4, 2010
Two senior administration officials said the White House is telling Democrats reconsidering their support for health care reform that they will pay the price for their original vote no matter what happens, so they should reap the political benefits of actually passing a law.
HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
AMA Teams With UnitedHealth, Dell To Push Electronic Health Records
The Chicago Tribune
March 4, 2010
The American Medical Association has formed a partnership with UnitedHealth Group's Ingenix subsidiary to help physicians adopt and implement electronic health records.
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