Health Reform’s Missing Ingredient
“MY guiding principle is, and always has been, that consumers do better when there is choice and competition,” President Obama said last week in an address to Congress on health care reform. It’s a good principle, one that may determine the ultimate success or failure of reform, but unfortunately it’s not really guiding the Senate bill unveiled on Wednesday or any of the other health reform legislation now under consideration in Congress … To stay competitive, insurers would need to follow the example of places like the Mayo Clinic and offer good, low-cost coverage.
New York Times by Ron Wyden, 09/17/09
TOP STORIES
Affordability is Major Challenge for Reform
The Washington Post
September 18, 2009
The Baucus plan attempts to make insurance more affordable through a variety of mechanisms, including lowering premiums for everyone who purchases coverage directly from an insurer rather than through their employer.
Baucus will Tinker with Health Bill to Mollify Critics
The Wall Street Journal
September 18, 2009
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus said he expects to make adjustments to his health care plan, in a bid to solidify support for the bill.
Additional Coverage:
Baucus Pleases Few with Health Care Bill - The Washington Post
Congress Veers Left on Health Care
The Wall Street Journal
September 18, 2009
The Baucus bill has been rejected by Democrats.
Mandatory Insurance is Unconstitutional
The Wall Street Journal
September 18, 2009
Federal legislation requiring that every American have health insurance is part of all the major health care reform plans now being considered in Washington - such a mandate is profoundly unconstitutional.
STATE NEWS
Massachusetts is a Health Care Model
The Wall Street Journal
September 18, 2009
The state’s system insures 97% of its residents.
SCHIP
Many Children in CHIP Receive Little or No Care
Healthleaders Media
September 18, 2009
Nearly one-third of children enrolled in SCHIP receive no or very little care, while 72% of the program's spending is concentrated on 10% of children with chronic conditions.
MEDICARE/MEDICAID
Is Medicare a Model to be Followed or Avoided?
The Wall Street Journal
September 18, 2009
Letters to the editor re: Medicare.
REFORM EFFORTS
The New York Times - Op-Ed
September 17, 2009
Max Baucus’s plan for health care reform needs to change, and the direction in which it changes will determine whether it is a bill worth passing.
Health Care Reform and the President’s Faithful Helpers
The Wall Street Journal
September 18, 2009
Claiming that the opposition is "bearing false witness" by spreading misinformation about his health care plan, President Barack Obama has asked religious leaders to become the latest conscripts in the battle over health care reform.
Left and Right Plot on Baucus Bill
Politico
September 18, 2009
A day after Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus released a health care bill, Democrats and Republicans retreated to their separate corners as both parties plotted their strategy to shape the legislation.
New Tax in Senate Health Plan Draw Bipartisan Fire
The New York Times
September 18, 2009
Senators of both parties said they would seek significant changes in a Democratic proposal to tax generous high-cost health insurance policies.
President Obama to Speed up Tort Reform
The Washington Post
September 18, 2009
President Obama moved to accelerate a $25 million program aimed at softening the pinch of medical malpractice lawsuits.
Rockefeller Stands Up for Liberals on Health Care
The New York Times
September 18, 2009
After months in which the White House had seemed to ignore liberals as it courted centrists to join the president's signature cause, liberal lawmakers have finally attracted the administration's attention.
Conservatives Use Liberal Playbook
Politico
September 18, 2009
In health care reform, Conservatives are coming for Democrats on their blind side - the left - and evidence is everywhere.
NEW ADMINISTRATION
Plan for a Kennedy Successor Advances
The New York Times
September 17, 2009
The Massachusetts House of Representatives on Thursday approved legislation allowing Gov. Deval Patrick to appoint an interim successor to Senator Edward Kennedy.
EMPLOYERS
9 in 10 Employers Will Reduce Benefits if Health Reform Increases Their Costs
Health Populi
September 18, 2009
It's cost above everything when it comes to U.S. employers and health reform.
Labor Department Wants Exemption for GM Health Plan
The Washington Post
September 18, 2009
The Labor Department said it is seeking an exemption for General Motors' new retiree health care plan that would carry out the automaker's plans to transfer company securities into the health care trust.