Health Beat

A "Menu of Ideas" For Cutting Medicare and Medicaid; Will Any Be Appetizing?

The short-lived reprieve for Medicare and Medicaid is over. The no-longer sacrosanct government health programs will most definitely face cuts of some sort by this coming November when the new 12-person congressional “Super Committee” is charged with...

Published Tue, Aug 09 2011 3:34 PM by Health Beat

When Consumers Delay or Forgo Care, Insurers Profit

The poor economy has led to rising and persistent unemployment, belt-tightening and a lower standard of living for many Americans. But this cutting back hasn’t been bad for everyone. As consumers put off medical care like doctor visits and surgery......

Published Thu, Jul 28 2011 1:48 PM by Health Beat

If Doctors Lead, Will Health Care Costs Follow?

Can doctors and other health care providers be the driving force in achieving cost-effective health care? In their commentary in the New England Journal of Medicine, Stanford professors Victor Fuchs and Arnold Milstein, call this the “$640 billion question...

Published Wed, Jul 13 2011 2:31 PM by Health Beat

Will Conservatives Repeal Health Care Reform? No.

Earlier this month Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) spoke for more than a few conservatives when he declared “We’ve been working to dismantle Obamacare. We have to fight this terrible law that’s a threat to liberty itself.” Over at the New... Read More...

Published Thu, Jul 01 2010 6:05 PM by Health Beat

To all readers:

To all readers: Yesterday (Monday March 29) some readers experienced problems when trying to leave comments on HeathBeat. TypePad is now monitoring the situation and seems to have fixed it. But if anyone continues to have a problem, please e-mail... Read...

Published Tue, Mar 30 2010 10:40 AM by Health Beat

Who Is Responsible for What Is Missing in the Health Reform Plan: Lobbyists, Politicians, or the Folks Who Watch Fox? –Part 1

No doubt you have seen some of the numbers about the assault that corporate lobbyists mounted to try to block health care reform: In 2009 spending on health-care-related lobbying and TV advertising topped $700 million. The Center for Public Integrity...

Published Wed, Apr 14 2010 2:22 PM by Health Beat

Letting States Opt Out of Health Reform Is a "Dangerous Idea"

Senators Scott Brown (R-MA) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) have introduced a bill that would let states apply in 2014 for waivers to allow them to get federal funding for health reform schemes that opt out of such integral provisions of... Read More...

Published Tue, Nov 23 2010 2:21 PM by Health Beat

Post-Election Analysis--Expect Few Changes in Reform Legislation

Today, unemployment threatens the hopes and lives of millions of Americans. Recent graduates can’t find jobs. Families that need two paychecks are living on one. Households that depended on one paycheck have none. More than nine million Americans who...

Published Thu, Nov 04 2010 1:01 PM by Health Beat

Filed under: Health Care Policy, Current Affairs

The Next Priority for Health Care: Federalize Medicaid

Summary: Below, excerpts from a policy brief written by Greg Anrig Century Foundation vice-president for policy and programs, for the New America Foundation's Next Social Contract Initiative and the Century Foundation. In this paper, Anrig proposes...

Published Fri, Sep 17 2010 1:26 PM by Health Beat

Filed under: Medicaid

50,000 to 90,000 American Women Incorrectly Diagnosed with *** Cancer Annually-- A Story in the NYT That Women and Their Doctors Should Read

As regular Health Beat readers know, over the past three years, Naomi Freundlich, and I have written about the risks as well as the benefits of mammograms more than once on this blog. Nevertheless, I want to call attention to... Read More...

Published Fri, Jul 23 2010 4:40 AM by Health Beat

Filed under: Cancer

The President’s Proposal – Everything Depends On . . .

You might be wondering why I haven’t written about the President’s HealthCare bill. The reason is that I have very little to say. This, I realize, is unusual. But the truth is that the president’s proposal is very similar to... Read More...

Published Mon, Feb 22 2010 2:38 PM 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

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

More on Mammograms--and Conservative Opposition to “Comparative Effectiveness” Research

As Naomi has pointed out below, the news about mammograms is not brand-new information based on one study that just can out. The recommendations that the Preventive Services Task Force (PSTF) has released is based on research that experts have... Read...

Published Fri, Nov 20 2009 1:38 PM by Health Beat

Rethinking October’s Focus on Mammography

October is National *** Cancer Awareness Month and the sea of pink has reached tidal-wave proportions. Every conceivable product from yogurt to running shoes to breakfast cereal now sports the ubiquitous pink ribbon. This month some NFL players will wear...

Published Wed, Oct 07 2009 9:35 AM by Health Beat

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