Highlights Spin and Confusion Quick Takes Featured Articles The White House and its allies cheered on Monday when President Obama announced that six health groups had pledged to reduce the growth of health spending by 1.5 percent a year for the next 10 years. The president called it a "watershed event," saying that this could save as much as $2 trillion over a decade. But when the … [Read more...] about Health Care Brouhaha
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Setting the Eagle Free
Jack Kemp was a visionary leader with an enduring passion for liberty and an unfailing love for the American dream, and the airwaves have been filled this week with testimonials about him and his transformative ideas. I first met Jack Kemp in the 1970s, when he still was a relatively unknown member of Congress and I was a Washington correspondent for the San Diego Union. Jack had played … [Read more...] about Setting the Eagle Free
Flu Fears
Highlights Flu Facts Specter's Switch Baucus Criticizes CMS Featured Articles John Barry's excellent book, The Great Influenza, provides a dramatic and detailed account of the extraordinary mistakes that were made, including many by governments, that led to the most deadly pandemic in recorded history in 1918. At least 30 million and possibly as many as 100 million people around the … [Read more...] about Flu Fears
Putting Patients First
Highlights Reform Schedule Comparative Effectiveness Patient Advocates And Also… Featured Articles Reform Schedule: Senators Baucus and Kennedy sent a letter to President Obama this week saying their committees plan to vote on comprehensive health reform legislation in early June, which means legislation could be sent to the full Senate for a vote soon afterward. This is an … [Read more...] about Putting Patients First
Public Plan
Highlights The Public Plan Video Contest More Signatures Guatemala Featured Articles The Public Plan: The hottest topic in the health reform debate is over the question of whether or not the government should form a new health plan that would compete with private insurance. The reason this is such a big battle is because it is the fight over the future of health care in the United States: … [Read more...] about Public Plan
Sign the Petition
Would the health reform prescriptions being offered by President Obama and congressional leaders help patients? It seems a fitting question to ask since Mr. Obama has assured Americans they will be able to keep their doctor and their current coverage if they are satisfied and will have even more choices. Our Health Policy Consensus Group took that as a challenge to ask whether the policy … [Read more...] about Sign the Petition
The 80% Rule
Highlights Reform Agenda Natasha Richardson Comparative Effectiveness Friedman on Capitalism Featured Articles So much is happening on the health reform front in Washington this week that our heads are spinning, with legislators jockeying for control over procedures, timing, and the content of reform legislation. Here's my take. A number of key provisions in the legislation are … [Read more...] about The 80% Rule
Where's the Money?
The New York Times carried a front page story on Sunday that said the Obama administration "is open to taxing health benefits." Forget the incessant 2008 Obama campaign ads. This is 2009, and they are searching for money to pay for a major overhaul of our health sector. It is important to modernize the tax treatment of health insurance, and we have long supported reform. But we fear … [Read more...] about Where's the Money?