Image: healthcare reform is implemented. Therefore, it is important that he or she is the best person for the job.
Some doubt that President Obama’s nomination of Dr. Donald M. Berwick is the right choice, including the premier industry trade group. America’s Health Insurance Plans declined to sign a letter that supported his selection.
Republicans are also worried that Berwick prefers a government-run National Health Service, similar to the one in Great Britain. They plan to bring up the threat of health plan rationing of care once again during the confirmation hearings.
Tags: democrats, department of medicare and medicaid services, dr. donald m. berwick, health insurance, healthcare reform, medicaid, medicare, national health service, obama, rationing, republicans
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Contrary to President Obama’s proclamations that healthcare reform wouldn’t force people to give up existing employer-based health insurance they liked, there are indicators that employers may change those policies after all. Republicans are accusing him of lying to get the bill passed.
A leaked draft version of the regulations for group health insurance coverage states that plans that existed before the passage of the law must comply with some of its provisions, such as co-payment-free preventative care doctors’ visits, covering adult dependents until age 26, and an appeals process for disputed medical claims.
Most employees would consider these additional benefits a net positive (making good plans better), but companies are dreading the additional cost that any modifications to their health coverage entails. They may pass that cost onto employees, although the bill aims to discourage that.
Tags: employer-based health insurance, group health insurance, healthcare reform, obama, obama administration, republicans
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The news isn’t great for Democrats who supported the healthcare reform overhaul: a majority of likely voters in the November midterm elections still aren’t big fans of the legislation. Republicans counting on an electoral sweep shouldn’t be too happy either; the wholesale repeal of the bill they have been pushing for isn’t very popular either.
Then, what does the American public want? According to a poll by the Wall Street Journal and NBC News, a majority would vote for a candidate that is willing to give the law a chance to work, but fix and improve it. Independent voters are especially open to that strategy by a 57%-40% margin. Although they’re still skeptical that the law will have a positive impact and make affordable health insurance more widely available, just 42% prefer the hypothetical candidate that would go back to the drawing board and repeal the current legislation.
Indeed, last month’s special election in Pennsylvania seems to confirm this viewpoint. The Democratic candidate, who expressed similar views (he would have voted against the bill, but looks to make improvements to what is now law), defeated the Republican candidate who sought total repeal.
Tags: 2010 elections, affordable health insurance, democrats, health insurance, health insurance reform, healthcare reform, healthcare reform repeal, midterm elections, republicans
Posted in Reform & Regulation | No Comments »
Recently, the federal government sent out an informational pamphlet to millions of Medicare beneficiaries. What’s the problem with that?
The issue is that some people believe that the mailing crosses the line from information into propaganda. The pamphlet talks about how the positive impact the healthcare reform law is predicted to have on its recipients.
Republicans in Congress want the Government Accountability Office to investigate whether the cost of printing and sending the document was legitimate. They contend that the the information about medical insurance in it is biased and inaccurate.
Tags: congress, democrats, gop, government accountability office, health insurance, healthcare reform, medical insurance, medicare, medicare advantage, republicans
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The Barack Obama administration’s affordable health insurance reform efforts are very controversial. Republicans are especially opposed. Many believe that it is a socialist policy.
Interestingly, a modern Republican president went even further. In 1974, President Richard Nixon proposed comprehensive reform to the health insurance system (which shows how long this debate has been going!). Similar to the recently passed law, it included an individual mandate. However, it also included a government-run public option, which so-called “Obamacare” doesn’t.
Nixon was paranoid about Communist infiltrators during that time, ironic for a man whom many current Tea Party members would probably consider socialist on the health care issue. His attempt at healthcare reform was unsuccessful, primarily since he was soon forced to resign due to the Watergate scandal.
Tags: democrats, health insurance, health insurance mandate, healthcare reform, individual mandate, nixon, obama, public option, republicans, richard nixon
Posted in Issues and Opinion | No Comments »
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