Published on Friday, April 1, 2011 by The Rachel Maddow Show
Just about any discussion of how to slow the growth of healthcare costs boils down to a question of rationing. So it will be too with the proposed Medicare and Medicaid changes that House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) plans to include in the fiscal 2012 budget proposal he unveils this week. But Ryan thinks about the healthcare cost problem in a different way than many folks in Washington do, so his version of rationing will trigger a different kind of debate.
http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/health/articles/2011/04/05/city_town_health_care_plans_most_costly_report_says/
Vermont to Improve Health Reform With Single Payer Plan
Drugs’ Cost and Safety Fuel a Fight
By GARDINER HARRIS
After weeks of controversy, federal health officials announced last week that they would not stop pharmacies from making a cheaper alternative to a costly drug given to prevent premature birth. And separately, they investigated the deaths of nine Alabama hospital patients who received a nutritional supplement contaminated with bacteria.
The two events seemed unrelated, but both revolved around a century-old struggle between pharmacists and the government over who is best equipped to safeguard the nation’s drug supply. And both raise questions about what price the country is willing to pay for that protection. It is the drug industry equivalent of the battle between food trucks and restaurants.
The supply of dollars and the demand for healthcare
April 4, 2011 | 12:24 pm
Just about any discussion of how to slow the growth of healthcare costs boils down to a question of rationing. So it will be too with the proposed Medicare and Medicaid changes that House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) plans to include in the fiscal 2012 budget proposal he unveils this week. But Ryan thinks about the healthcare cost problem in a different way than many folks in Washington do, so his version of rationing will trigger a different kind of debate.
The end of progressive government?
By E.J. Dionne Jr., Sunday, April , 7:53 PM
So far, our nation’s budget debate has been a desultory affair focused on whether a small slice of the federal government’s outlays should be cut by $33 billion or $61 billion, or whatever.
But Americans are about to learn how much is at stake in our larger budget fight, how radical the new conservatives in Washington are, and the extent to which some politicians would transfer even more resources from the have-nots and have-a-littles to the have-a-lots.
And you wonder: Will President Obama welcome the responsibility of engaging the country in this big argument, or will he shrink from it? Will his political advisers remain robotically obsessed with poll results about the 2012 election, or will they embrace Obama’s historic obligation — and opportunity — to win the most important struggle over the role of government since the New Deal?
G.O.P. Blueprint Would Remake Health Policy
By ROBERT PEAR
WASHINGTON — The proposal to be unveiled by House Republicans on Tuesday to rein in the long-term costs of Medicaid and Medicare represents a fundamental rethinking of how the two programs work, an ambitious effort by conservatives to address the nation’s fiscal challenges, and a huge political risk.
City, town health plans most costly, report says
Health insurance plans to cover city and town employees cost 37 percent more than similar plans for workers at private companies, mostly because municipal employees pay minimal copayments or deductibles when they get care, according to a new statewide survey.
http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/health/articles/2011/04/05/city_town_health_care_plans_most_costly_report_says/
Steward bringing Lowell hospital into fold
But doctors, rival bidder object to Saints Medical acquisition
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2013: last date for exchange laws | |
| While lawsuits and a potential government shutdown create a lot of uncertainty for implementing health reform, CCIIO Director Steve Larsen and NAIC’s Brian Webb said that implementation is proceeding on track during Tuesday’s Pro Health event hosted by David Nather at the Newseum. http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=03B0A793-6E28-4F07-BF4D-79076EBAC249 Understanding Rep. Ryan's Plan For MedicareHouse Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., left many details to Congress when he unveiled Tuesday his plan to make major changes to Medicare as part of a fiscal 2012 budget resolution. He says his overall objective is to convert Medicare into a premium support program for which the government will spend a specific amount for beneficiaries' care, a fundamental shift from the current fee-for-service program. Backers of premium support say it is similar to the health insurance program for federal workers but others say it may not meet seniors’ needs. Insurers are eager for the additional business but wonder if payments will be adequate to cover the cost of care. Here is a guide to some of the issues and questions raised by Ryan's plan, which faces enormous political hurdles given expected Democratic opposition. |
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