News & Comment
Blogs and Opinion
Getting Health Care Costs Down by Richard Bernstein, iht.com | February 13, 2008
A friend's medical costs serve as a reminder of why medical costs are so much higher in America than in most other advanced industrial countries, and what, if anything, can be done about it. read more »Making Health Care Affordable and Universal by Laura Tyson, Huffington Post | February 12, 2008
We are currently trapped in a vicious circle. The rising cost of health care and health insurance drives more Americans into the ranks of the uninsured. The increase in the growing numbers of the uninsured fuels the rise in health care costs and shifts those costs to insured. Breaking free of this vicious circle requires that all Americans have health insurance. read more »Katrina on the Potomac by Terrance Heath, OurFuture.org | February 8, 2008
There are natural disasters and man-made disasters. There are those who look upon the aftermath of disaster and see things as they should be. We call them conservatives. read more »Iniquities and Inequities of War by Ray McGovern, | February 1, 2008
The iniquities of war have widened the inequities in our society, stretching the gap between the haves and the have-nots. Nowhere is this more obvious than the access to excellent health care. A recently discovered challenge to my health brought this home to me like a ton of bricks. read more »A Health Law With Holes by Robert Kuttner, prospect.org | January 30, 2008
Massachusetts' experience with health care reform illustrates the problem of an individual mandate absent comprehensive reform: It makes a social failure the problem of the individual. read more »A Very Basic Failure by Terrance Heath, OurFuture.org | January 30, 2008
Everyone has heard at least one "health care nightmare" story. These stories naturally provoke outrage. But what happened to an anonymous 68-year-old man is categorized as "news of the weird news," even though it's as much about our failed health care system as the familiar "nightmare" stories. read more »No Medication for Kids, No Stimulation For the Economy by Bill Scher, OurFuture.org | January 23, 2008
As expected, today the conservative minority in the House obstructed the public will, sustained President Bush's veto of bipartisan legislation and denied four million kids health insurance. read more »The Lessons of '94 by Ezra Klein, prospect.org | January 23, 2008
Ezra Klein writes that our health care system, as currently composed, cannot go on forever. It will wreck our economy, collapse our businesses, and render both private and public insurance unaffordable. And so, it will stop. Reform is not a question of if, but when, and how. read more »As Recession Looms, Another SCHIP Veto by Bill Scher, OurFuture.org | January 22, 2008
Tomorrow, the conservative minority in the House is expected to sustain President Bush's second veto of expanding the State Children's Health Insurance Program. read more »Missing the Boat on Health Care by John P. Geyman, tikkun.org | January 22, 2008
In their rush to build consensus for universal coverage, leading Democratic candidates avoid taking on the real culprit—a failing private health insurance industry. read more »
The Latest
Lobbies Backing Health Care Reforms, boston.com | December 3, 2008
Powerful special interest groups that helped torpedo healthcare reform 16 years ago are now advocating significant changes in the nation's health insurance and delivery system. They are participating in regular discussions about how to expand health coverage and lower costs, key commitments that President-elect Barack Obama made in his campaign. read more »
Consensus Emerging on Universal Health Care, Los Angeles Times | December 1, 2008
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. read more »
U.S. 'Not Getting What We Pay For', The Washington Post | November 30, 2008
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. read more »
Big Pharma Seeks to Shape Health Plan, Reuters | November 20, 2008
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. read more »
Health Insurers Offer Acceptance, on Condition, The New York Times | November 20, 2008
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. read more »
Americans Skipping Care, The Washington Post | November 18, 2008
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. read more »
Employers Offer Fewer Health Plans, The New York Times | November 17, 2008
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. read more »
U.S. Trailing in Chronic Care, Reuters | November 13, 2008
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. read more »
Senator Takes Initiative on Health Care , The New York Times | November 12, 2008
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. read more »
Women Face Penalties on Health Coverage, The New York Times | October 31, 2008
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. read more »
