In their guest column, Teresa Heinz Kerry and Jeffrey Lewis complain that the new Medicare drug plan has turned out to be even more confusing and more inefficient than its critics predicted ("Drug plan proves a bitter pill for seniors," Feb. 24). But seniors should not give up. One reason they are confused is because they have more and better choices than anyone anticipated when … [Read more...] about Drug Plan Worth Try
Drug Plan Worth Try
In their guest column, Teresa Heinz Kerry and Jeffrey Lewis complain that the new Medicare drug plan has turned out to be even more confusing and more inefficient than its critics predicted ("Drug plan proves a bitter pill for seniors," Feb. 24). But seniors should not give up. One reason they are confused is because they have more and better choices than anyone anticipated when … [Read more...] about Drug Plan Worth Try
Price Transparency
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
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