September 15: Health Care Reform News
Mayo's Cortese addresses future of health care
Possibilities, not politics, guided talk of health care reform Monday as leaders from across the nation gathered for a symposium hosted by the Mayo Clinic Center for Innovation…
Offering his vision of the future, Mayo Clinic President and CEO Denis Cortese spoke about the need to unite what are currently three separate dimensions of health care -- research, care delivery and finance -- with the purpose of providing the best value.
"This is why health care reform needs to be done right," Cortese said. "This will make the work you do worth it."
Post-Bulletin by Christina Killion Valdez, 09/14/09
Top stories
Reform Bill Will Address GOP Fears
The Washington Post
Sept. 15, 2009
The chairman of the Senate Finance Committee said Monday that he will propose an overhaul of the nation's health-care system that addresses a host of GOP concerns, including blocking illegal immigrants from gaining access to subsidized insurance, urging limits on medical malpractice lawsuits and banning federal subsidies for abortion.
Related coverage:
Bipartisan Baucus Plan May Leave Democrats Cold, AP
New Objections to Baucus Health Care Proposal, The New York Times
Baucus Crafts Health Care Plan, But Senate Democrats Have Concerns , The Wall Street Journal
Health care bill has steep hill to climb
USA Today
Sept. 14, 2009
A USA TODAY/Gallup Poll taken after the president's dramatic address to a joint session of Congress last week shows Americans almost evenly divided over passing a health care bill and inclined to think it would make some of the system's vexing problems worse, not better.
Obama Plans Sunday Health Care Blitz
CBS News
Sept. 15, 2009
President Obama will appear on five Sunday morning political talk shows this weekend in order to make his case for health care reform.
Insurance
Insurance Premiums Still Rising Faster Than Inflation and Wages
New York Times
Sept. 15, 2009
President Obama may not have much trouble persuading the nearly 160 million people who have health insurance through their employers that the system needs to be fixed, if a new survey of employer health benefits is any indication. Click here to link to the Kaiser Family Foundation survey, “Employer Health Benefits 2009 Annual Survey.”
Rx for Money Woes: Doctors Quit Medicine
CNN Money
Sept. 15, 2009
Some physicians, fed up with the costs of their practice, are ready to hang up their stethoscopes and shift careers.
Transparency/Safety
Is All That Scanning Putting Us At Risk?
The Boston Globe
Sept. 14, 2009
Because the cumulative radiation from medical imaging tests is a cancer concern, some doctors have begun to urge alternatives.
Wellness/Chronic Care
Study: Cutting Salt Intake Would Save $18B a Year in Health Costs
USA Today
Sept. 15, 2009
If Americans would cut their sodium intake to the level recommended by health and nutrition experts, the country would save about $18 billion in annual health care costs and quality of life would improve for millions of people, says a Rand Corp. study. The estimated value of improved quality of life (living healthier longer): $32 billion annually.
Unraveling Why Patients Don’t Take Their Meds
Wall Street Journal
Sept. 14, 2009
Patients’ failure to comply with their drug regimens isn’t just dangerous for their health — it’s another source of waste in the health-care system.
State news
Some Govs Say Medicaid Growth Could Hammer Budgets
The Boston Globe
Sept. 14, 2009
States with high levels of poverty and unemployment have been struggling with growing Medicaid budgets during the recession, and some governors worry their financial burdens could get worse as Congress works on a comprehensive health care bill.
Primary Care Doctor Shortage Continues in Mass.
The Boston Globe
Sept. 14, 2009
Fewer physician specialties are facing critical shortages than in past years, but primary care physicians are still in short supply, according to a new survey of the state's doctors released today that has implications for the national debate on extending health care coverage to more Americans.
San Francisco Test-Drives A Public Option
NPR
Sept. 15, 2009
Called Healthy San Francisco, the program for the uninsured isn't health insurance but instead offers care in clinics and covers admissions to hospitals located in the city.
Reform efforts
A Look at Health Care Plans in Congress
AP/Boston Globe
Sept. 15, 2009
A look at the major health care plans pending in Congress, including the House Democratic bill, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee bill, the Baucus plan and the House Republican outline, plus President Obama's proposal.
Medical-Device Makers Scramble to Avert New Fees in Health Bill
The Wall Street Journal
Sept. 15, 2009
The $100 billion medical-device industry is scrambling to reverse billions of dollars in fees proposed by the Senate Finance Committee, but it faces trouble because its reluctance to offer concessions alienated some lawmakers.
Politics Trumps Policy in Health Debate
Politico
Sept. 15, 2009
The left-vs.-right battles that dominate American politics — and that President Barack Obama has sought desperately to avoid — are about to move center stage in the health care debate.
Physician Views on the Public Health Insurance Option and Medicare Expansions
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Sept. 15, 2009
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation survey shows physicians support reform plan that includes both public and private options.
50 Million New Patients? More Primary Docs a Must
AP/Google
Sept. 14, 2009
To keep up with the demand for primary care doctors, the country will need to add another 40,000 to the existing 100,000 doctors over the next decade or face a soaring backlog, according to Dr. Ted Epperly, president of the Kansas-based American Academy of Family Physicians.
Miscellaneous
Mayo's Cortese Addresses Future of Health Care
The Rochester Post-Bulletin
Sept. 14, 2009
Offering his vision of the future, Mayo Clinic President and CEO Denis Cortese spoke about the need to unite what are currently three separate dimensions of health care -- research, care delivery and finance -- with the purpose of providing the best value.
One Injury, 10 Countries: A Journey in Health Care
The New York Times
Sept. 14, 2009
A review of T. R. Reid’s new book, “The Healing of America: A Global Quest for Better, Cheaper, and Fairer Health Care,” in which he chronicles a trip around the world with a sore shoulder – and in the process, teaches readers a lot about the health care system in the United States.
Checking In With Dr. Abraham Verghese On The Importance Of The Bedside Manner
Kaiser Health News
Sept. 15, 2009
An interview with Dr. Abraham Verghese, a professor and senior associate chair at Stanford University’s School of Medicine and a best-selling author, who often writes about the magic of the doctor-patient relationship. In the health care debate, he offers a distinct voice that champions the art of medicine.
Study Gives High Marks To Retailers' Clinics
The Washington Post
Sept. 15, 2009
Walk-in medical clinics run by CVS, Wal-Mart and other retailers provide care for routine illnesses that is as good as, and costs less than, similar care offered in doctors' offices, hospital emergency rooms and urgent care centers, according to a new Rand Corp. study.
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