News Headline

Consensus Emerging on Universal Health Care

OurFuture.org Staff — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 10:19:33 -0500

After decades of failed efforts to reshape the nation's health care system, a consensus appears to be emerging in Washington about how to achieve the elusive goal of providing medical insurance to all Americans. The answer, say leading groups of businesses, hospitals, doctors, labor unions and insurance companies — as well as senior lawmakers on Capitol Hill and members of the new Obama administration — is unprecedented government intervention to create a system of universal protection. At the same time, those groups, which span the ideological and political spectrum, largely have agreed to preserve the employer-based system through which most Americans get their health insurance. A federal, single-payer system patterned on those in Europe and Canada, is now virtually off the table.

U.S. 'Not Getting What We Pay For'

OurFuture.org Staff — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 22:38:04 -0500

Talk to the chief executives of America's preeminent health-care institutions, and you might be surprised by what you hear: When it comes to medical care, the United States isn't getting its money's worth. Not even close. "We're not getting what we pay for," says Denis Cortese, president and chief executive of the Mayo Clinic. "It's just that simple." The United States today devotes 16 percent of its gross domestic product to medical care, more per capita than any other nation in the world. Yet numerous measures indicate the country lags in overall health: It ranks 29th in infant mortality, 48th in life expectancy and 19th out of 19 industrialized nations in preventable deaths.

Big Pharma Seeks to Shape Health Plan

OurFuture.org Staff — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 02:47:42 -0500

Major drug makers want their voices heard as U.S. Democrats, traditionally critics of the industry, start crafting plans to expand health insurance coverage and cut the escalating costs of care. Companies are promoting the success of Medicare's prescription drug coverage and potential for pharmaceuticals to save money in the long term. Big Pharma executives are meeting in Washington this week at a gathering of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations. Democrats have attacked drug makers for high prices, excessive advertising and some manufacturers' handling of side effects.

Health Insurers Offer Acceptance, on Condition

OurFuture.org Staff — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 01:05:46 -0500

The health insurance industry said that it would support a health care overhaul requiring insurers to accept all customers, regardless of illness or disability. But in return, the industry said, Congress should require all Americans to have coverage. The proposals, put forward by the insurers’ two main trade associations, have the potential to reshape and advance the debate over universal health insurance just as President-elect Barack Obama prepares to take office. In separate actions, the two trade groups, America’s Health Insurance Plans and the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, announced their support for guaranteed coverage for people with pre-existing medical conditions, in conjunction with an enforceable mandate for individual coverage.

Americans Skipping Care

OurFuture.org Staff — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 11:35:22 -0500

Chronically ill patients in the United States spend more out-of-pocket money, skip needed care, and report more medical errors than patients in seven other industrialized countries, a new survey finds. Results of the survey were published online Nov. 13 in the Commonwealth Fund journal Health Affairs.The survey found striking differences across the eight countries, Cathy Schoen, the Commonwealth Fund's senior vice president, said. "Overall, the United States stands out for chronically ill adults reporting the most negative experiences. They are far more likely to go without care because of cost, including not filling prescriptions, [or] following up on recommended care," she said.

Employers Offer Fewer Health Plans

OurFuture.org Staff — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 11:32:43 -0500

It’s the annual “open enrollment” season in corporate America, when employees choose their medical plans for the coming year. But this time, even if they are fortunate enough to have a job at a company that still offers health benefits, many workers are finding that the buffet of options has been trimmed to a very short menu. And typically the offerings now include a health plan with a financially daunting feature: a high annual deductible that is likely to be $1,100 or more for an individual, and much higher for family coverage. Under conventional insurance, the annual deductible — the amount an employee is obliged to spend on medical care before the insurance begins — may be only about one-third as high.

U.S. Trailing in Chronic Care

OurFuture.org Staff — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 11:17:09 -0500

Chronically ill Americans are more likely to forgo medical care because of high costs or experience medical errors than patients in other affluent countries, according to a new study released. The study comparing the experiences of patients in eight nations reflected poorly on the U.S. health care system. The researchers questioned 7,500 adults in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, Britain and the United States. Each had at least one of seven chronic conditions: high blood pressure, heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, cancer, arthritis and depression. Dutch patients had the fewest complaints, while the Americans had plenty, according to the study by the Commonwealth Fund, a New York-based health policy research group.

Senator Takes Initiative on Health Care

OurFuture.org Staff — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 10:13:01 -0500

Without waiting for President-elect Barack Obama, Senator Max Baucus, the chairman of the Finance Committee, will unveil a detailed blueprint to guarantee health insurance for all Americans by facilitating sales of private insurance, expanding Medicaid and Medicare, and requiring most employers to provide or pay for health benefits. The plan proposed by Mr. Baucus, Democrat of Montana, would eventually require everyone to have health insurance coverage, with federal subsidies for those who could not otherwise afford it. Other Democrats with deep experience in health care are also drafting proposals to expand coverage and slow the growth of health costs. These lawmakers include Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts and Representatives John D. Dingell of Michigan and Pete Stark of California.

Women Face Penalties on Health Coverage

OurFuture.org Staff — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 10:42:29 -0400

Striking new evidence has emerged of a widespread gap in the cost of health insurance, as women pay much more than men of the same age for individual insurance policies providing identical coverage, according to new data from insurance companies and online brokers. Some insurance executives expressed surprise at the size and prevalence of the disparities, which can make a woman’s insurance cost hundreds of dollars a year more than a man’s. Women’s advocacy groups have raised concerns about the differences, and members of Congress have begun to question the justification for them. More and more people are shopping for individual health insurance policies because they have lost jobs that provided coverage.

States Forced to Cut Health Coverage

OurFuture.org Staff — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 20:53:32 -0400

Economic troubles are forcing states to scale back safety-net health-coverage programs — even as they brace for more residents who will need help paying for care. Many cuts affect Medicaid, which pays for health coverage for 50 million low-income adults and children nationwide, including nearly half of all nursing home care. The joint federal-state program is a target because it consumes an average 17% of state budgets — the second-biggest chunk of spending in most states, right behind education.