Health Reform in the House | Fact of the Day Cutting obesity rates in half would reduce total medical spending by the elderly Medicare population by roughly 10 percent in 2030.
(Congressional Budget Office) | Health Resources |
Under the Microscope WEEKLY ADDRESS: Myths & Morality in Health Insurance Reform
In his Weekly Address last Saturday, President Obama debunked the myths around health insurance reform, and discussed the public option proposal in which many of them are rooted -- but he focused his address on the stark moral and historical turning point at which we find ourselves: "This is our chance to march forward. I cannot promise you that the reforms we seek will be perfect or make a difference overnight. But I can promise you this: if we pass health insurance reform, we will look back many years from now and say, this was the moment we summoned what’s best in each of us to make life better for all of us. This was the moment we built a health care system worthy of the nation and the people we love. This was the moment we earned our place alongside the greatest generations. And that is what our generation of Americans is called to do right now." [The White House, 8/22/2009] Listen to the audio, download for your audio player, or read the transcript of the weekly address. Read coverage of the Weekly Address in The Wall Street Journal, Roll Call, The Hill, and on CNN.
Health Care Headlines Competition Lacking Among Private Health Insurers
One of the most widely accepted arguments against a government medical plan for the middle class is that it would quash competition — just what private insurers seem to be doing themselves in many parts of the U.S.
[Associated Press, 8/23/2009] No Deadline for House Health Care Vote, Says Hoyer
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer on Friday said there is no deadline for the House to vote on contentious legislation to overhaul the health-care system. [Wall Street Journal, 8/21/2009] Bipartisan Negotiators Plan More Cost-Cutting in Senate Overhaul Bill
Bipartisan overhaul negotiators on the Senate Finance Committee agreed via teleconference Thursday night to put an increased emphasis on affordability of care and reducing health costs in any bill they produce.
[CQ Today, 8/21/2009] Hope for Bipartisan Deal Lingers, but Reconciliation Talk Increases
Senators from both parties are holding out hope for a bipartisan health care bill, but with a deal still elusive Democrats are eyeing an unpopular proposal to pass reform legislation under budget rules that would require the measure to get only 51 votes. [Roll Call, 8/23/2009]
Read a related article and about Republicans moving the goal posts. Keeping Kids Insured
As Washington wrestles with health-care reform, states have been busy passing their own laws to allow many young adults to remain longer on a parent's health insurance. [Wall Street Journal, 8/23/2009] The Real Issues of End-of-Life Care
Opponents of health-care reform have latched onto the [end-of-life care] provision, claiming it would lead to forced euthanasia or "death panels" to decide whether lifesaving care for the elderly is cost-effective — despite the fact that the bill says nothing about either of these frightening issues. [Time, 8/17/2009] EDITORIAL: Doing Nothing is Not an Option
If costs keep growing at their current rate, healthcare will consume 20% of all spending in the U.S. by 2018. Nevertheless, critics of "Obama-care" argue that the country can't afford the reform bills moving through Congress. [L.A. Times, 8/24/09] EDITORIAL: The Uninsured
One of the major goals of health care reform is to cover the vast numbers of uninsured. But how vast, really, is that pool of people? [New York Times, 8/23/2009] EDITORIAL: The 'Dr. Death' Distortion
Ezekiel Emanuel, one of President Obama's top health advisers, is a respected bioethicist who opposes euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. When the Supreme Court was considering the constitutionality of state laws that prohibit physician-assisted suicide, Dr. Emanuel was an outspoken opponent of the practice. [Washington Post, 8/22/2009] |