If nothing else, the acrimonious debate over health care reform has contributed some potent new expressions to the American political vocabulary.
You heard weeks ago about "death panels." And the vaguely named "public option," which has nothing to do with finding a suitable men's room at the shopping mall.
Submitted by nechfamily on Thu, 12/24/2009 - 4:58am
Published by Think Progress written by Faiz Shakir, Amanda Terkel, Matt Corley, Benjamin Armbruster, Zaid Jilani, Lee Fang, andAlex Seitz-Wald
Billionaire brothers David and Charles Koch are the wealthiest, and perhaps most effective, opponents of President Obama's progressive agenda. They have been looming in the background of every major domestic policy dispute this year. Ranked as the 9thrichest men in America, the Koch brothers sit at the helm of Koch Industries, a massive privately owned conglomerate of manufacturing, oil, gas, and timber interests. They are best known for their wealth, as well as for their generous contributions to the arts, cancer research, and the Smithsonian Institute. But David and Charles are also
Senator Bernie Sanders gave a speech that laid out the benefits of single payer/Improved Medicare for All as he withdrew his amendment 2837. He also told his colleagues that he believes that eventually single payer will become the law of the land because it is the only system that actually solves the cost problems in health care. Here is the video. http://www.c-span.org/Watch/watch.aspx?MediaId=HP-A-27367
Senate amendment #2837, Medicare for All, is sponsored by Senator Bernard Sanders and co-sponsored by Senators Sherrodd Brown and Roland Burris. It is on the floor of the house and might be voted on today (12 15 2009) An original copy of the bill was unavailable.
As different health reform bills wend their way through assorted congressional committees, policy-makers of every ilk are looking into possible sources of monies. Ideally, the mechanisms used to finance the health care system should meet the following criteria:
Collectively, they should be sufficient to cover costs for the foreseeable future. Strategies that yield one-time savings may make the package more politically attractive, but cannot be relied upon as a continuing source of support if the system is to be sustainable.
They should follow principles of basic justice, those with greater incomes contributing proportionately more than those with lesser resources. This means that the financing should be progressive rather than regressive. It would then have a redistributive effect, narrowing the prevailing income inequalities that have widened over time.
They should encourage efficient and effective delivery of care.
They should promote appropriate health-seeking behaviors. This means avoiding noxious practices and encouraging prevention and prompt care.
Milk and lemon both taste good in tea. But mix them together and it’s a curdled mess. Similarly, the latest Senate health reform compromise combines two appetizing elements — a Medicare expansion and tighter insurance regulations –- to create a noxious brew.
Submitted by lorin_editor on Wed, 12/09/2009 - 3:02pm
Published by Huffington PostIyah Romm and Sylvia Thompson, M.D.
As Massachusetts physicians-in-training, we've had a sneak preview of the future of health care in the United States. Across the country health policy-makers are looking to our state as a model. As in Massachusetts, the U.S. Senate and House bills preserve the role of private health insurers, while subsidizing coverage for the poor and near-poor, and imposes an individual mandate requiring everyone else to purchase insurance or pay a fine. Coverage has increased in Massachusetts, with five percent or less of residents now uninsured. The Connector, an Expedia-like marketplace of insurance plans, has offered residents a choice of coverage and is the archetype of a national exchange. When national reform proposals have been criticized for not bending-the-cost curve, proponents have pointed to the cover-now, pay-later strategy in Massachusetts, which is now considering a global-payment cost control proposal to curb unprecedented spending.
Submitted by nechfamily on Mon, 12/07/2009 - 11:38pm
Andrew P. Wilper, MD, MPH, Steffie Woolhandler, MD, MPH, Karen E. Lasser, MD, MPH, Danny McCormick, MD, MPH, David H. Bor, MD and David U. Himmelstein, MD
At the time of this research, all authors were with the Department of Medicine at Cambridge Health Alliance, affiliated with Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA.
In the Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale, The Emperor’s New Clothes, two weavers promise an Emperor a new suit of clothes invisible to those unfit for their positions or incompetent. When the Emperor parades before his subjects in his new clothes, they all pretend they see the new finery, fearing exposure as the incompetents that they are. It takes a child to cry out, “But he isn’t wearing anything at all!”
Original Publisher 
Billionaire brothers David and Charles Koch are the wealthiest, and 
Senate amendment #2837, Medicare for All, is sponsored by Senator Bernard Sanders and co-sponsored by Senators Sherrodd Brown and Roland Burris. It is on the floor of the house and might be voted on today (12 15 2009) An original copy of the bill was unavailable. 
As different health reform bills wend their way through assorted congressional committees, policy-makers of every ilk are looking into possible sources of monies. Ideally, the mechanisms used to finance the health care system should meet the following criteria:
Milk and lemon both taste good in tea. But mix them together and it’s a curdled mess. Similarly, the latest Senate health reform compromise combines two appetizing elements — a Medicare expansion and tighter insurance regulations –- to create a noxious brew.
As Massachusetts physicians-in-training, we've had a sneak preview of the future of health care in the United States. Across the country health policy-makers are looking to our state as a model. As in Massachusetts, the U.S. Senate and House bills preserve the role of private health insurers, while subsidizing coverage for the poor and near-poor, and imposes an individual mandate requiring everyone else to purchase insurance or pay a fine. Coverage has increased in Massachusetts, with five percent or less of residents now uninsured. The Connector, an Expedia-like marketplace of insurance plans, has offered residents a choice of coverage and is the archetype of a national exchange. When national reform proposals have been criticized for not bending-the-cost curve, proponents have pointed to the cover-now, pay-later strategy in Massachusetts, which is now considering a global-payment cost control proposal to curb unprecedented spending.
24,694 (2005, total deaths in IL.), 1,626 ( Uninsured died in IL)
Andrew P. Wilper, MD, MPH, Steffie Woolhandler, MD, MPH, Karen E. Lasser, MD, MPH, Danny McCormick, MD, MPH, David H. Bor, MD and David U. Himmelstein, MD
In the Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale, The Emperor’s New Clothes, two weavers promise an Emperor a new suit of clothes invisible to those unfit for their positions or incompetent. When the Emperor parades before his subjects in his new clothes, they all pretend they see the new finery, fearing exposure as the incompetents that they are. It takes a child to cry out, “But he isn’t wearing anything at all!”
