Other People's Money
Expensive hospital: the UCLA Medical Center. Cheap hospital: the Mayo Clinic. UCLA bombards elderly patients at the end of their lives with three times as many specialist visits and days in intensive care units than similar patients treated at the Mayo Clinic. Medicare spends 85% more to treat a dying patient at UCLA versus one at Mayo, according to Dartmouth research.
Forbes by Robert Langreth, 11/12/09
TOP STORIES
Business Roundtable
November 13, 2009
President Obama and Democrats jumped on a report commissioned by Business Roundtable that said reform would lower insurance costs for employers by $3,000 by 2019.
Additional Coverage:
Democrats Herald Report on Health Care Costs - The Wall Street Journal
Anonymous Take on What Happens Next With Health Care
Time Magazine
November 13, 2009
Smart Democrats are thinking we've seen this movie before: Suicide by health care.
The Washington Post
November 13, 2009
While House Democrats spent the week congratulating themselves for squeezing out the midnight passage of their version of health care reform, neutral observers were reminding them: You've left the job half done.
Does Health Care Reform Do Enough on Cost Control?
The Washington Post
November 13, 2009
Washington Post’s Ezra Kelin talks to MIT health economist Jon Gruber about health care reform efforts.
INSURANCE
Goldman to Private Insurers: No Health Care Reform At All Is Best
The Huffington Post
November 13, 2009
A Goldman Sachs analysis of health care legislation has concluded that, as far as the bottom line for insurance companies is concerned, the best thing to do is nothing. A close second would be passing a watered-down version of the Senate Finance Committee's bill.
Health Insurance Companies Urge Staff to Fight Reforms
The Washington Post
November 13, 2009
The nation's largest health insurance carrier is urging its employees to lobby the Senate against reform proposals that would hurt the firm's bottom line.
Number of Insured Varies by Bill
The Wall Street Journal
November 13, 2009
Hospitals and insurance companies warn that if the final Senate bill doesn't cover more people than its earlier drafts, insurance prices will increase and industry pledges to cut costs could fall apart.
TRANSPARENCY/SAFETY
Biz Coalition Out With New Ads
Politico
November 13, 2009
The anti-House bill business coalition, Employers for a Healthy Economy, is up with three new ads today that spank and thank Democratic lawmakers and tries to tank their health reforms.
Children’s Hospitals Object to Proposed Funding Reductions
USA Today
November 13, 2009
The nation's children's hospitals are lobbying Congress to change a provision in the pending health care legislation that industry leaders say will reduce their federal funding by as much as $876 million.
WELLNESS/CHRONIC CARE
RNC to Opt Out of Abortion Coverage
Politico
November 13, 2009
The Republican National Committee will no longer offer employees an insurance plan that covers abortion - RNC's policy has covered the procedure since 1991.
Abortion Upends Health Bill Alliance
The Wall Street Journal
November 13, 2009
The status quo on abortion policy is an uneasy one. The trick for Democratic leaders now is to find a way to convince all sides that the arrangement can survive the biggest health care legislation in memory.
STATE NEWS
Medical Device Makers Fight Health Bill’s Tax Provision
The Boston Globe
November 13, 2009
Massachusetts medical device companies continue to battle a proposed federal tax on device makers as lawmakers work to reconcile differences in the House and Senate versions of national health care overhaul legislation.
MEDICARE/MEDICAID
Reid Weighs Medicare Tax Increase for High Earners
The New York Times
November 12, 2009
Senate majority leader Harry Reid is considering a proposal to increase the Medicare payroll tax on high-income workers to help offset the costs of providing health insurance to millions of Americans.
REFORM EFFORTS
The Senate’s Turn: Can Democrats Close the Health Care Deal?
Time Magazine
November 12, 2009
Now that the House has passed its health care bill, Democrats on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue feel an even greater sense of urgency.
Polls Suggest Health Care a Boon to GOP Candidates Running For Senate
The Hill
November 13, 2009
The health care battle appears to be helping Republicans running for the Senate.
Palin: Health Bill Should Be DOA
Politico
November 12, 2009
“We need to be vigilant in investigating the ramifications of the Pelosi Health Care Bill,” Palin urged supporters. “Some provisions sound so outrageous as to be considered impossible to fathom, but they’re right there in the bill in black and white.”
ACOs Could Complement Reform Initiatives
HealthLeaders Media
November 13, 2009
While accountable care organizations (ACOs) officially don't exist, the concept has been attracting attention as a new way to help reform the health care delivery system by encouraging providers to work together to bend the cost curve and improve quality.
PRESCRIPTION DRUGS
Health Bill Disclosure Bill is Restricted
The Wall Street Journal
November 13, 2009
Health legislation moving through Congress would force drug makers to disclose how much they spend on continuing medical education classes for doctors, sparking some resistance from the industry.