The need for price transparency is the hottest conversation right now in the world of consumer directed health care. I hear pleas for more information in my radio interviews, from people writing us through our website, and in talks around the country, most recently yesterday in Milwaukee. Coincidentally, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel carries an article today about Humana getting into the pricing … [Read more...] about Price Transparency
Archives for February 2006
Response to Sebastian Mallaby colum in The Washington Post
Re: "New Name, Same Policy" by Sebastian Mallaby, Feb. 13, '06 To the editors: Health Savings Accounts provide new incentives for people who have been shut out of the system to get health insurance. Consumers can purchase a more affordable, high-deductible health insurance policy that protects them against major medical expenses, and they then can use the savings from … [Read more...] about Response to Sebastian Mallaby colum in The Washington Post
Targeting Health Care
Despite the media's obsession this week with Vice President Cheney's quail hunting accident in Texas, President Bush devoted his week to an intense focus on his new health care proposals. Mr. Bush traveled on Wednesday to Wendy's International in Dublin, Ohio, to praise the chain for being among the first major companies to offer HSAs to its workers. This was the president's first major speech … [Read more...] about Targeting Health Care
Response to Sebastian Mallaby colum in The Washington Post
Re: "New Name, Same Policy" by Sebastian Mallaby, Feb. 13, '06 To the editors: Health Savings Accounts provide new incentives for people who have been shut out of the system to get health insurance. Consumers can purchase a more affordable, high-deductible health insurance policy that protects them against major medical expenses, and they then can use the savings from … [Read more...] about Response to Sebastian Mallaby colum in The Washington Post
Over to Congress
The big news of the week was the release of the administration's budget for 2007. President Bush gives Congress detailed plans for federal spending priorities, and Congress uses this as its starting point to develop legislation, hold committee hearings, and eventually send bills to the floor of the House and the Senate to spend about $2.8 trillion of our money. (This is an astonishing 11 times … [Read more...] about Over to Congress
High on the Drug Benefit
The AARP, the nation's leading organization for senior citizens, has just released a remarkable new study. Apparently, the new Medicare drug benefit provides a better deal for most seniors than importing drugs from Canada, a practice which the organization has long supported. "How is this possible? Everybody knows that Canadian drug prices are usually far lower than American … [Read more...] about High on the Drug Benefit
High on the Drug Benefit
The AARP, the nation's leading organization for senior citizens, has just released a remarkable new study. Apparently, the new Medicare drug benefit provides a better deal for most seniors than importing drugs from Canada, a practice which the organization has long supported. "How is this possible? Everybody knows that Canadian drug prices are usually far lower than American … [Read more...] about High on the Drug Benefit
Strengthening the Free Market in the Health Sector
President Bush has offered a number of new health policy initiatives designed around four goals: making health care more affordable, allowing health insurance to be more portable, making prices more transparent, and making the whole system more efficient. The goal is to strengthen and energize the private health sector to give people more control and choice in a competitive system. … [Read more...] about Strengthening the Free Market in the Health Sector