Health Reform in the House | Fact of the Day H.R. 3962 incentivizes the formation of Accountable Care Organizations, which allow hospitals and doctors to work together to manage and coordinate care. | | Follow Health Insurance Reform
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At The Time This Daily Dose Was Sent, Insured Americans Had Paid a “Hidden Tax” of $37,530,884,076 This Year In Additional Premium Costs To Cover Care For The Uninsured. Under the Microscope AMERICANS SUPPORT REFORM’S INVESTMENT IN PREVENTION A new survey released today shows that prevention is one of the most popular components of health reform and that majorities of Americans favor key disease prevention proposals in H.R. 3962, including: - 82 percent of Americans favor a proposal to ensure that public health workers are well trained, have up-to-date laboratories, and are adequately equipped to communicate with the public about health threats.
- 73 percent of Americans favor a proposal to provide for education loan repayment to make sure we have enough public health professionals to combat shortages in health departments and meet health needs.
- 72 percent of Americans favor a proposal to establish a Public Health Investment Fund that would dedicate annual funding to prevention.
Voters favor investing more in prevention, and support an increased focus on this issue. Read the survey summary. [Trust for America’s Health & the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 11/13/2009] DIABETES IN AMERICA & HEALTH INSURANCE REFORM A new report on HealthReform.gov highlights how Americans diagnosed with diabetes, whether insured or not, face significant and sometimes devastating hurdles to receiving timely, affordable treatment in our health care system. Health insurance reform seeks to eliminate these hurdles, through better emphasis on prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, alleviating disparities, or providing greater access to more affordable health coverage.
[White House, 11/11/2009]
Health Care Headlines Reid Mulls Medicare Tax Increase for High Earners
The 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, Senate aides said Thursday. [New York Times, 11/13/2009] Powerful Health Care Groups Offer Optimism On Overhaul
Two powerful health care interest groups yesterday urged lawmakers constructing a sweeping health care overhaul to focus on cost containment and affordability. [Boston Globe, 11/13/2009] Insurer Enlists Employees to Fight Health Reform
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, according to copies of e-mails released Thursday by a liberal advocacy group. [Washington Post, 11/13/2009] Read United HealthCare’s email. Reform Bills Try to Rein In Health Insurance Costs for Older Americans
Companies could no longer charge people excessive amounts based on their age.
Two full months before she recently turned 50, Deborah Sibony, an artist and graphic designer who lives in Berkeley, Calif., received a frosty birthday greeting from her health insurance provider. The cost for her coverage would be going up $100 a month the company told her—simply because she was gaining a year. [AARP Bulletin Today, 11/13/2009] OPINION: A Hard Choice On Health Care
By E.J. Dionne
For some years, Democrats have denounced parodies that cast their party as utterly closed to the views of those who oppose abortion. Last weekend, Democrats proved conclusively that they are, indeed, a big tent -- and many in the ranks are furious. [Washington Post, 11/12/2009] OPINION: GOP Clueless As Families Struggle with Health Care
By Lance Dickie, Seattle Times Editorial Columnist
Democratic passage of historic health-care legislation has Republicans so flummoxed they are talking about term limits again. They have nothing else to say. [Seattle Times, 11/13/2009] | 