Health Reform in the House | Fact of the Day The House health insurance reform legislation phases out overpayments to Medicare Advantage plans over three years starting in 2011, so that MA plans are paid on a level playing field with traditional fee-for-service Medicare. | | Follow Health Insurance Reform
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At The Time This Daily Dose Was Sent the Hidden Health Tax On Insured Americans Was $32,206,902,437 Under the Microscope Another Positive Poll Last week the Daily Dose featured polls showing increasing support for health insurance reform. Kaiser’s Health Tracking Poll released today shows that trend continuing with a majority of Americans -57 percent- believing that the current economic problems our country is facing make it more important than ever to pass health insurance reform now. In addition, nearly 7 in 10 Americans describe themselves as ‘hopeful’ about health insurance reform. The Truth About Medicare Continued Yesterday we highlighted a The New York Times editorial on how health insurance reform will strengthen benefits for Seniors. Today a USA Today editorial explains why Medicare Advantage plans run by private insurance companies have become an inefficient use of taxpayer dollars. Read the full article below. EDITORIAL: How Medicare Advantage Turned Into A Boondoggle
Private medical insurers couldn’t compete, so now they get a subsidy. [USA Today, 9/29/2009] Read more from the White House on how health insurance reform will protect Medicare.
Read a fact sheet on Medicare and Medicare Advantage.
Health Care Headlines Poll Reflects The Shifting Tides Of American Support For Health Reform
Amid the mercurial American public, support for healthcare reform may have slid over the summer (blame it on the doldrums perhaps, if not individual performances), but now it's fall -- and the support seems to be ticking back up. [L.A. Times, 9/29/2009] Medicare Commission Sails Through Finance Markup – And Gains A Longer Life
So far, a proposal to allow a new Medicare Commission to curb spending growth in the program has survived in the Senate Finance Committee’s health overhaul bill — but with some important tweaks, such as allowing the commission to remain as a permanent entity. [CQ HealthBeat, 9/28/2009]
Read a related article on MedPAC data. Senate Panel Rejects Pair Of Public Options In Health Plan
After a half-day of animated debate, the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday rejected efforts by liberal Democrats to add a government-run health insurance plan to major health care legislation, dealing the first official setback to an idea that many Democrats, including President Obama, say they support.
[New York Times, 9/29/2009] Read the Rockefeller and Schumer amendments. Young Back Health Proposals Amid Potential Costs
Young adults remain some of the strongest supporters of a health-care overhaul, but many acknowledge they don't understand proposals that will likely saddle them with higher costs. [Wall Street Journal, 9/29/2009] Health Care Comparisons Help Show Best Practices, Prices
James Hendron's knees got so bad about two years ago he would break out in a sweat after climbing a flight of stairs. When he took a walk, his family would have to stop and wait for him to catch up.
[USA Today, 9/28/2009] The Lie Machine
GOP operatives are running a secret campaign to kill health care reform, and it's based on Karl Rove's old playbook. [Rolling Stone, 10/1/2009] Medicare Advantage Cuts: Once More With Feeling
Abstracting from the economics wonkery a bit, let me put research findings on Medicare Advantage (MA) payments plainly. [Incidental Economist, 9/28/2009] | 