NYTimes: When a dozen consumers gathered over the weekend to discuss health care at the behest of President-elect Barack Obama, they quickly agreed on one point: they despise health insurance companies.
NEWS
Obama Transition Team Hopes To Complete Stimulus Bill Draft By Dec. 25; Democrats Say Health Care Funding Could Account For One-Fifth Of Package – Medical News Today
The transition team for President-elect Barack Obama seeks to complete a two-year economic stimulus "blueprint" by Dec. 25 to allow Democratic congressional staff members to draft legislation by the new year, the New York Times reports (Calmes, New York Times, 12/19).
Mass.health plan has national appeal – Boston Globe
Lisa Wangsness, December 19, 2008 WASHINGTON - Key players in the debate over how to provide healthcare coverage for the nation's 47 million uninsured say they view Massachusetts' landmark 2006 law as an important model for what Washington could do and how to get it done.
Advocates Weigh In on FDA Leader – Wall Street Journal
Health groups, some backed by the drug industry, have joined the heated lobbying battle in Washington over the next commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, sending a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary-designate Tom Daschle urging him to pick a person familiar with the industry.
When the transition team Change.org asked the American people to provide the best ideas for change in 2009–the erstwhile Jason Rosenbaum suggested the idea, "Pass a health care plan that provides quality, affordable health care for everyone in 2009, so we can start to get our economy and our country back on track."
Not surprisingly, this was one of the most popular ideas submitted. In fact, it's #4! I think it should be number one. Please go to Change.gov Change.org and vote for quality, affordable health care for all:
We know that almost every one in America is affected by the health care crisis, and we are very happy to see that the incoming administration understands this as they have demonstrated with the appointment of Tom Daschle and his Health Care Community Discussions. I hosted a discussion this week, and I was particularly moved by the statement of one of the participants that really boiled the whole conversation about health care down to its essence. Karima from VA summed it all up saying, “I don’t really care how it happens. I just think that when people are sick they should be able to go to the doctor and not worry about the cost.”
Let the Obama Administration know that we want quality, affordable health care for all now–and we are making it our priority too.
NOTE: There was some confusion here about Change.gov and Change.org. We apologize for the mix up.
Budget Office Sees Hurdles in Financing Health Plans - NYTimes
The Congressional Budget Office said Thursday that many of the health care proposals championed by President-elect Barack Obama and other Democrats would carry a high price tag and would generate only modest savings.
Matthew Herper On Health Care - Forbes
Drug companies, health insurers and hospitals have all been talking about changing the way they do business. Now they actually have to or else.
Rebecca Ruiz On Health Care - Forbes
There's a large corner of Capitol Hill that's obsessed with pushing health care reform through Congress in 2009.
How Healthcare Fares During A Recession - NPR
It's hard enough being a doctor, let alone running your own practice. As patients face ever tightening budgets, some people skip important screenings and tests over insurance worries.
ABC News’ Teddy Davis Reports: Advocates of a government alternative to private health insurance fired the first shot of the new battle to reform the nation’s health-care system on Wednesday.
Liberals Call Govt. Health Option Non-Negotiable - ABC The Note
Advocates of a government alternative to private health insurance fired the first shot of the new battle to reform the nation’s health-care system on Wednesday, saying that efforts to water down this key component of Barack Obama’s health-care plan should be rejected by members of Congress.
Obama's health-care calculations - Market Watch
Dangerously crowded emergency rooms. High and rising costs. Eroding standards of care. Disjointed health care that buries patients and doctors in paperwork. Declining employer-sponsored insurance coverage.
The Institute for America’s Future and renowned health care and economics expert, Jacob Hacker, released a report today called: “The Case for Public Plan Choice in National Health Reform.” The report explains how the public plan option levels the playing field to allow for access and affordability by reducing costs, without reducing the innovation that can come from the private market. The Key Findings (pdf) of the report state:
A health care system that contains costs and drives value must include a good public plan if the broad goals of reform—universal insurance and improved value—are to be achieved. Private insurance and public insurance have distinct strengths and weaknesses, and thus should be encouraged to compete side by side to attract enrollees on a level playing field that rewards plans that deliver better value and health to their enrollees. Public insurance has a better track record at reining in costs, while preserving access; it has pioneered key quality and payment innovations that have often set the standard for private plans; it is essential to set a standard against which private plans must compete to drive value and can be a source of stability for people. Private plans are a source of new benefit options, and continuing pressure for innovation in benefit design and care management strategies.
HCAN Campaign Director, Richard Kirsch, voiced his support for the report’s conclusion: “Creating a high quality, affordable public plan alternative to private insurance is absolutely essential to achieving comprehensive health care reform solutions that will work for all of us in 2009.” Rep. Pete Stark stated his strong support for the choice of a public plan and HCAN agrees that a health care solution that does not include a public plan would be a non-starter. President-elect Obama also talks about the choice of a public option as a critical part of his plan, saying again and again in his speeches that every American should have a choice of a public plan similar to the health care that every Member of Congress gets.
However, we have seen signs that there will be debate on this issue. Advocates of real health care reform need to make sure that this critical part of the solution is not bargained away in a misguided attempt to placate those who see health care reform as a business opportunity, not a matter of the health of our families and our neighbors. This would be a tragic mistake.
Many of you who have been following Congressional politics for some time now will remember that in recent years, “Mr. Hastert was an advocate of governing the House by a ‘majority of the majority’ – a standard he thought best served the interests of his Republican members and, by extension, the nation.” By that standard on the list of Congressional supporters for the HCAN Statement of Common Purpose, we have a ‘majority of the majority’ supporting the public plan choice. We hope this will allay the fears of anyone who believes that real change can’t happen, because, in fact, this train is already pulling out the station.
Obama faces a crush of demands from interest groups - USA Today
Al Gore wants quick action on climate change. Sen. Edward Kennedy says health care reform can't wait. Labor unions want a bill making it easier to organize.
Insurers Seek Presence at Health Care Sessions - NYTimes
When supporters of President-elect Barack Obama hold house parties to discuss ways of fixing the health care system over the next two weeks, they may find some unexpected guests.
Cancer Doctors Fear Chemo Drug Shortage - Forbes.com
The inability of two drug makers to produce a generic cancer medicine endangers both patients and research.
Alarming Numbers For Black Men And Colorectal Cancer - NPR
Dr. Ottis Brawley, chief medical officer at the American Cancer Society, sponsored the research and discusses the findings disparity.
GAO Report Finds That Medicare Advantage Plans Can Cost Beneficiaries More Than Traditional Medicare - Kaiser Daily Reports
Medicare Advantage private fee-for-service plans can cost beneficiaries more out-of-pocket than the traditional fee-for-service program, according to a recent Government Accountability Office report, CQ HealthBeat reports.
Geography Has Role in Medicare Cancer Coverage - NYTimes
The medical tool’s catchy name, CyberKnife, evokes digital accuracy. But the way the federal Medicare system treats CyberKnife seems anything but precise.
Here is a little sampling of all the great work that is going on in the field with the HCAN campaign.
First, Representative-elect Himes in Connecticut made a public commitment to the principles for health care reform from the HCAN Statement of Common Purpose. You can watch his moving statement on video here from Connecticut Citizen Action Group:
Then, I got these photos from Progress Ohio where they are gathering forces from the around the state to fight for health care in 2009.
Progress Ohio Meeting
And finally, from Denver, Colorado our partners at SEIU are organizing health care workers from around the country to participate in health care community discussions with the transition team. Watch the video from Dr. L. Toni Lewis, President CIR/SIEU:
Keep up the great work guys! This is how will achieve change that works.
Noam N. Levey - By choosing former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle to head his healthcare reform effort, President-elect Barack Obama got more than an old congressional hand with a policy book on his resume.
Primary Care's Primary Advocate - Forbes.com
David Whelan - Forbes talks with Dr. Kevin Pho of KevinMD.com about health policy matters as President Obama takes office.Kevin Pho, an internal medicine doctor in Nashua, N.H., has a busy medical practice. But he's also become an influential voice as the country embarks on another round of health reform under President Obama and "health czar" Thomas Daschle. Pho runs KevinMD.com, the most popular doctor blog.
The push for paperless prescriptions is about to get a boost: Starting in January, doctors who e-prescribe can get bonus pay from Medicare.