Cold War lesson can help cut wasteful Medicare spending
As the Cold War came to an end and the Soviet Union collapsed, the United States had to adjust significantly to new and dangerous threats to our national security.
In doing so, our country learned valuable lessons about how to restructure the military in order to cut waste and streamline our forces. I believe we can now apply this lesson to fixing the broken American health care system, allowing us to cut waste in medical spending while simultaneously improving the quality and value of health care…
This provision of the bill, which is backed by Mayo Clinic, requires the independent, nonpartisan Institute of Medicine evaluate why Medicare is paying more in some areas for lower-quality results. The highly-respected, non-government medical experts working at the institute must make recommendations to replace the current fee-for-service payment model in Medicare with a model that promotes the delivery of high quality, evidence-based, patient-centered care.
La Crosse Tribune, Opinion by U.S. Rep. Tim Walz, 12/29/09
Top stories
Legality of Health Insurance Mandate Questioned
The Miami Herald
Dec. 30, 2009
Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum directed his staff Tuesday to investigate the legality of requiring people to buy health insurance or face a penalty, a provision included in the federal healthcare reform bills before Congress.
Health Cuts With Little Effect on Care
The New York Times
Dec. 30, 2009
In Richmond, Va., where hospital beds are fewer, health care looks like the rest of the country’s, but cheaper.
Transparency/Safety
F.D.A. to Seek New Standards on Human Test Data
The New York Times
Dec. 30, 2009
The Food and Drug Administration will seek tougher standards for data from tests by medical device makers.
State news
Blue State Govs. Rip Senate Health Bill
Politico
Dec. 30, 2009
The governors of the nation’s two largest Democratic states are leveling sharp criticism at the Senate health care bill, claiming that it would leave their already financially strapped states even deeper in the hole.
Miami-Based Jackson Health System's Cash Pot Falls to Dangerous Levels
The Miami Herald
Dec. 30, 2009
Even after plans to reduce staff and close units, Miami-based Jackson Health System is getting close to its bare minimum for cash-on-hand. As of Oct. 31, Miami-Dade's public hospital system had 20.8 days of cash to pay its bills, including payroll.
Medicare/Medicaid
The Wall Street Journal
Dec. 30, 2009
Medicare advocates say a growing number of older adults are getting ensnared in the program's complex rules, as more seniors return to work or put off leaving their jobs.
Reform efforts
Ten Things to Watch in the Health-Care Reform Conference
The American Prospect
Dec. 29, 2009
It's not just about abortion and the public option. Every decision Congress faces while merging the Senate and House health bills will give it the opportunity to make reform better.