December 2009 - Health Beat - The Network of Care

Fact-Check: The Cadillac Controversy

“Cadillac Health Care Plans.” Even the phrase suggests gilt-edged insurance for Greedy Geezers at Goldman Sachs . No wonder the Senate wants to slap a tax on insurers and self-insured employers who offer over-the-top policies beginning in 2013. After...

Published Thu, Dec 31 2009 10:21 AM by Health Beat

“Always Do Right. Gratify Some People, and Astonish the Rest.”

Below, an excerpt from an article in the most recent (December 23 ) New England Journal of Medicine titled “Medicine’s Ethical Responsibility for Health Care Reform — The Top Five List, by Howard Brody, M.D., Ph.D. ” http://healthcarereform.nejm.org/...

Published Sun, Dec 27 2009 8:28 PM by Health Beat

Health Care Reform: The 10 Most Destructive Lies , and the 10 Most Constructive Insights, Suggestions, and Questions of 2009

By Naomi Freundlich and Maggie Mahar This year the rhetoric around health care reform reached historic levels. Barely a week went by without pundits dissecting some new fact, policy detail or wording change implicit in the various reform plans emerging...

Published Thu, Dec 24 2009 10:29 AM by Health Beat

Glass Half-Empty, Glass Half-Full, part 3--Older Americans at Risk

Few observers have commented on how older Americans will fare under the amended Senate health reform legislation, but as things stand, many could be priced out of the health care market. The Senate bill lets insurers in the Exchange charge... Read More...

Published Sun, Dec 20 2009 12:55 PM by Health Beat

Glass Half-Empty, Glass Half-Full—the Senate Has a Bill -- Part 2 of 3

A Close Look at the Details You have to hand it to them: on a Saturday, at the 11th hour, in the midst of a blizzard that shut down the nation’s Capitol, Senate Democrats finally nailed that 60th vote needed... Read More...

Published Sun, Dec 20 2009 11:52 AM by Health Beat

GRITtv with Jacob Hacker, Luke Mitchell—and Joe Lieberman

Yesterday, I appeared on GRITtv with Laura Flanders where Yale political scientist Jacob Hacker, best known as the architect of the public option, Luke Mitchell, senior editor at Harper’s magazine, and I discussed what’s left of health reform legislation...

Published Wed, Dec 16 2009 1:13 PM by Health Beat

Glass Half Empty/ Glass Half Full—Part 1

“Every Decision from Here on In Must Put Patients’ Interests First” Does anyone remember the original goal of healthcare reform? I could type it in my sleep: “to provide high quality, affordable care for all Americans.” Today, the goal has... Read More...

Published Tue, Dec 15 2009 3:15 PM by Health Beat

Questions about the Alternative to the Public Option for Americans Under 55

At the moment, the Senate health-care compromise would replace the public option with a menu of private sector non-profit insurance plans overseen by the Office of Personnel Managment (OPM), the goup that oversees Federal Employees’ Health Benefit Plan...

Published Mon, Dec 14 2009 6:42 PM by Health Beat

Gawande and Berwick on Why Reform Legislation Cannot Lay Out a “Master Plan” – Part 2

Boston surgeon Atul Gawnde and Don Berwick, the president of the Institute for Health Care Improvement, understand that we can create a sustainable, universal U.S. healthcare system only if we reduce costs. And they recognize that by spending less, we...

Published Mon, Dec 14 2009 8:21 AM by Health Beat

Gawande and Berwick On Why Reform Legislation Cannot Lay Out A “Master Plan”

“Where is the plan to make health care affordable?” “I want to see the savings.” “Show me the money: Lay it out in simple language-- on one page.” Critics of health care reform legislation have become increasingly adamant on one... Read More...

Published Mon, Dec 14 2009 7:39 AM by Health Beat

Kaiser Health News Confirms that the Medicare Buy In Will Be Costly. Who Will Pay?

Kaiser has just posted a report which suggests that the Medicare Buy-In will be even more expensive than I thought. It turns out that median family income for Americans 55 to 64 who don’t have insurance is just $22,510. By... Read More...

Published Fri, Dec 11 2009 1:17 PM by Health Beat

Prevention: An Apple-a-Day Isn't Gonna Cut It

There is much to be hammered out before a final health reform bill emerges from Congress. Disputes over the public plan, abortion, financing and when reforms will actually take effect continue to delay progress. But on one thing, apparently, there......

Published Wed, Dec 09 2009 2:31 PM by Health Beat

The Gang of Ten’s “Solution”: This is What Happens When You Give Five People Too Much Power– Part 1

Last night, the news broke that the “Gang of Ten” (the Senators who have been trying to break the deadlock between moderates and liberals) had come up with a two-part alternative to the public option. Under their proposal, Americans 55... Read More.....

Published Wed, Dec 09 2009 12:29 PM by Health Beat

To Health Beat Readers

A family illness has kept me away from the blog for much of the past week. But today, I plan to post--about the Senate compromise, and other matters. Tomorrow, I'll begin catching up with responses to comments. Maggie Read More...

Published Wed, Dec 09 2009 10:43 AM by Health Beat

Newsflash: In the Senate, Liberals and Moderates Begin To Defeat Those Who Oppose Reform

Senate liberals and moderates have closed ranks, defeating many who hoped to use seniors’ fears of Medicare cuts to bury health care reform. As the Assocociated Press (AP) reported: “Unflinching on a critical first test, Senate Democrats closed ranks...

Published Thu, Dec 03 2009 5:47 PM by Health Beat

December 2009 - Health Beat

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