Daily Health Care News - 3/8/10
Posted on March 8th, 2010 by Jason Rosenbaum in News Clips
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NEWS
Obama Wields Analysis of Insurers in Health Battle - New York Times
To bolster the case for a far-reaching overhaul of the health care system, the Obama administration is seizing on a new analysis by Goldman Sachs, the New York investment bank, recommending that investors buy shares in two big insurance companies, the UnitedHealth Group and Cigna, because insurance rates are up sharply and competition is down.
Obama to appeal for public support on health care - AP
On Tuesday, a coalition of labor unions and activist groups under the umbrella of Health Care for America Now are planning what they've billed as a "massive protest" at the health insurance industry's annual Washington policy conference.
Individual health-care premiums to soar up to 60% - Chicago Sun Times
Individual health-insurance rates in Illinois will rise this year up to 60 percent, according to Michael McRaith, director of insurance for Illinois.
How Blue Cross Became Part Of A Dysfunctional Health Care System - Jon Cohn
When Alma Dickson slipped on an icy sidewalk in Dallas, Texas, she knew she was hurt. But she wasn’t sure that she could pay for the medical care she needed. The year was 1929 and Dickson, a schoolteacher, didn’t make enough money to pay for x-rays and treatment on her own. But Dickson had recently signed up for something new: A plan under which she paid a monthly premium in exchange for a promise of care at a local Dallas hospital. Dickson went, had her broken ankle set, and left without paying a penny.
Abortion could be health bill deal breaker in House - Politico
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi keeps insisting that the abortion fight isn’t relevant in the health care debate.
OPINION
Reconciling With the Past - New York Times
WITH President Obama and Congressional Democrats intent on one last push for health care reform, the main Republican talking point is outrage over the likely use of the reconciliation process to pass a separate House-Senate compromise. The Republicans’ best hopes of killing health reform rest on the use of a filibuster in the Senate. But bills considered under reconciliation cannot be filibustered and therefore can pass the Senate by a simple majority vote.
Why Democrats Shouldn’t Negotiate With Stupak Over Abortion - Think Progress
Several news reports are suggesting that Democrats have begun negotiating with Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI) over his objections to the Senate’s abortion provisions (found on, as he likes to point out, on pages 2069-2078 of the Senate health care bill). To dissuade Stupak and his 10-12 anti-abortion colleagues from their paranoia about the government funding abortions, the House would have to pass a completely separate bill before accepting up the Senate legislation.
Staying to Finish the Fight - Mike Lux
When the health care debate began lo these many (many, many, many) moons ago, I felt sure of some things based on my experience with the health care reform battle in the Clinton White House. I was certain that it would take far longer than was being projected; that the bill would have lots of compromises that would make me unhappy; that the process would be messy, ugly, convoluted, bitter and highly partisan; and that every single step of the way would be wrenchingly hard.
Is the American public aware that all the industrialized nations have universl healthcare? These include all of Europe, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, Israel. Their health care cost per capita is about half of ours. They have better outcomes.
Have we communicated this message?
I am so sick of Democrats waivering on healthcare. I voted for Democrats for the first time in 40 years because of what the Republicans have done to the working class of America. It seems that the Democrats can't stay together long enough to govern. We need healthcare reform now and we need a single payer system not a golden platter for the insurance and drug companies to feed from. This is a country founded on what is good for the people not what is good for the CEO's. I have never seen such a lack of spine in all my life. I want to join your group and go on rallies to make my voice heard.