Health Care For America Now

NEWS

Health Care Deform - The New Republic

Afraid of the public option? This is what America will look like without it.

Insured, but Bankrupted by Health Crises - New York Times

Health insurance is supposed to offer protection — both medically and financially. But as it turns out, an estimated three-quarters of people who are pushed into personal bankruptcy by medical problems actually had insurance when they got sick or were injured.

Wal-Mart Says It Backs a Mandate on Insurance - New York Times

Wal-Mart, the nation’s largest private employer, joined hands with a major labor union Tuesday to endorse the idea of requiring large companies to provide health insurance to their workers, a move that gives a boost to President Obama as he is pushing for health legislation on Capitol Hill.

Checking In With Wal-Mart's David Tovar - Kaiser Daily Health News

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the nation’s largest private employer, has endorsed a health care overhaul that includes a requirement that employers make some financial contribution toward the health care of their workers. Yesterday, the Arkansas-based company released a letter (.pdf) to President Barack Obama jointly signed by the heads of the Service Employees International Union and the Center for American Progress, a liberal Washington think tank, that states: “We are for an employer mandate which is fair and broad in its coverage.” The letter does not provide details of how that requirement would work.

Senate health panel readies gov't insurance option - Associated Press

Senators on a key committee are putting the finishing touches on a government health insurance option that they hope will win broad support among Democrats and the public.

Pharmaceutical deal still has question marks - Politico

As details emerge of the pharmaceutical industry’s agreement to kick in $80 billion to help pay for health care reform, the deal is facing increasing skepticism from inside and outside the health care industry.

OPINION

HELP Releases Public Plan Outline - Think Progress

The Senate Health, Education, Labor, Pensions (HELP) committee has released its much anticipated outline of the public health insurance option. Earlier this month, in an effort to find common ground with Republicans and iron out some of the most contentious issues, the committee’s ‘“Affordable Health Choices Act,” omitted language on the employer mandate and the new public option.

Sen. Bernie Sanders and the Coalition of the Unwilling - Ezra Klein

The Coalition of the Willing sounds a bit strange to me. You have a Democratic president and a Democratic majority in the House and 60 votes in the Senate, and the coalition that is determining health-care policy are seven people, including four Republicans?

Private Insurance Begins Its Propaganda War - Change.org

As if it wasn’t bad enough that private, for-profit insurance routinely makes its money by getting between us and our doctor, now they want to get between us and real health care reform. They’ve put a Web site to advocate for keeping things exactly as they are, thank you very much, and they're not afraid to cherry-pick facts like they cherry-pick customers. The propaganda war has begun.