More than 550 amendments were filed late Friday to the Senate Finance Committee’s health-reform bill, but, short of starting over, it will be impossible to make enough changes to turn this dinosaur into a race horse.The committee will begin voting on amendments on Tuesday, with Democrats trying to move it even further to the Left and Republicans hoping to slow the march toward government … [Read more...] about This Dinosaur Just Can’t Be Changed
Archives for September 2009
Medicaid Expansions
When I served on the Medicaid Commission from 2005-2006, one of the messages we frequently heard from Medicaid recipients who testified was that they wanted the dignity of private health insurance. Many felt confined to a Medicaid ghetto where they had the promise of generous medical benefits on paper, but in practice, they had difficulty finding any private physicians who would see them. Too many … [Read more...] about Medicaid Expansions
Medicaid Expansions
When I served on the Medicaid Commission from 2005-2006, one of the messages we frequently heard from Medicaid recipients who testified was that they wanted the dignity of private health insurance. Many felt confined to a Medicaid ghetto where they had the promise of generous medical benefits on paper, but in practice, they had difficulty finding any private physicians who would see them. Too many … [Read more...] about Medicaid Expansions
Innovation, Not Intervention
The State of Utah recently launched a new program that lets employees of small businesses shop for a health insurance plan that best suits them and their families and purchase a policy at affordable rates. Called the Utah Health Insurance Exchange, it demonstrates why state-level policy innovation--not top-down, federal planning--is the key to improving America's health sector.Run by just two … [Read more...] about Innovation, Not Intervention
Innovation, Not Intervention
The State of Utah recently launched a new program that lets employees of small businesses shop for a health insurance plan that best suits them and their families and purchase a policy at affordable rates. Called the Utah Health Insurance Exchange, it demonstrates why state-level policy innovation--not top-down, federal planning--is the key to improving America's health sector.Run by just two … [Read more...] about Innovation, Not Intervention
It's Not Over Yet
Highlights Dance with me Dissent is brewing A concise summary Galen highlights Featured articles Dance with me: Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus spent much of the summer dancing with the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to figure out how to squeeze his health reform bill into its scoring framework and get a positive outcome. Surprise, surprise, he succeeded! The CBO said … [Read more...] about It's Not Over Yet
Sensible Health Reform
To the Editor:“The Body Count at Home,” by Nicholas D. Kristof (column, Sept. 13), provides further evidence that we need to reform the way people get health insurance in the United States.Nikki White, who died of lupus at 32, clearly needed health insurance, but that doesn’t mean we need the government-controlled health system that Mr. Kristof seems to admire.Tying health … [Read more...] about Sensible Health Reform
Sensible Health Reform
To the Editor:“The Body Count at Home,” by Nicholas D. Kristof (column, Sept. 13), provides further evidence that we need to reform the way people get health insurance in the United States.Nikki White, who died of lupus at 32, clearly needed health insurance, but that doesn’t mean we need the government-controlled health system that Mr. Kristof seems to admire.Tying health … [Read more...] about Sensible Health Reform