Health Care For America Now

NEWS

On Health Bill, G.O.P.’s Road Is a New Map - New York Times

When Republicans take President Obama up on his invitation to hash out their differences over health care this month, they will carry with them a fairly well-developed set of ideas intended to make health insurance more widely available and affordable, by emphasizing tax incentives and state innovations, with no new federal mandates and only a modest expansion of the federal safety net.

Sebelius To GOP: 'Don't Get Wrong Impression' About Obama Health Summit - Kaiser Health News

A day after President Barack Obama invited Republicans in Congress to a bipartisan health care summit, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said no one should get the wrong impression.

Top House Republicans throw cold water on health-care summit - Washington Post

Leading House Republicans raised the prospect Monday night that they might refuse to participate in President Obama's proposed health care summit if the White House chooses not to scrap the existing reform bills and start over.

Obama official 'very disturbed' by Anthem Blue Cross rate hikes - LA Times

The insurer should give a 'detailed justification' for its plan to raise premiums on individual policies by as much as 39%, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius says.

Overhaul’s Failure Will Ignite U.S. Health Mergers (Update2) - Bloomberg

Insurers, drugmakers and hospitals will likely slash costs and merge companies to maneuver through a U.S. health-care landscape marked by rising medical expenses and the loss of millions of potential paying customers.

Congressional Democrats point finger of blame at Rahm Emanuel - The Hill

Democrats in Congress are holding White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel accountable for his part in the collapse of healthcare reform.

OPINION

Reason To Act: Reform’s Failure Could Lead To More Health Mergers - Think Progress

Business analysts are predicting that if Congress fails to pass health care reform, health insurers and providers react to skyrocketing health care costs by merging into ever-larger companies. The industry will “seek its own answers to a push by government and the private sector to rein in costs, said Curtis Lane, senior managing director at MTS Health Partners, a New York-based equity fund.” “An aging U.S. population will spur demand for services and, at the same time, boost pressure to control spending, he said“.

Rep. Cantor Explicitly Rejects Bipartisan Compromise On Health Care - Media Matters

Since the beginning of the health care debate, Republican leaders have routinely called on President Obama and congressional Democrats to scrap their ideas and "start over" on a bipartisan basis.  However, the same Republicans have offered little indication they're genuinely interested in ending the stalemate that has brought reform efforts to a halt.  Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN), for example, was recently asked for one specific compromise Republicans would be willing to accept.  His answer? "Well, you know, I was, uh, yeah, yeah, look, uh." Seriously.