healthinsurance.org

’44′ gives 44 words to health reform - State of the Union leaves reform supporters curious as to President's state of mind regarding health reform law

healthinsurance.org contributor — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:56:02 +0000

Some will be disappointed that President Obama barely mentioned health care reform in his State of the Union address last night. In a speech that focused on the military, manufacturing, education, and energy, health care received very few mentions.

what we can learn from The Biggest Loser - individual mandate isn't 'just what the doctor ordered'; it's an order for Americans to visit their doctors

Steve Anderson — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 22:02:55 +0000

Dr. "H" Rob Huizenga of "The Biggest Loser" knows that education equals motivation for folks who need to change unhealthy behavior. The individual mandate could do the same: getting more folks back to doctors for the treatment - and education - that they need. (Photo courtesy of NBCUniversal)

Congress ‘hangs up’ on program created to help those frustrated with health insurance - Texas - state with most uninsured - is among first to prepare for shutdown of consumer assistance program

Jan Greene — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 22:52:07 +0000

These are telephone hotlines providing callers with knowledgeable human beings to help with health insurance problems. Now, sadly, Congress seems to be allowing the program to die an early death, declining to fund it beyond the initial $30 million, which was distributed to 35 states.

book examines battles over health reform - book review: "Remedy and Reaction: The Peculiar Struggle over Health Reform" by Paul Starr

healthinsurance.org contributor — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:16:08 +0000

For anyone who wonders how the battle over health reform came to dominate so much of the nation's attention over the past few years – and whether the battle will ever end – Paul Starr provides answers in Remedy and Reaction: The Peculiar American Struggle over Health Reform.

2011: a very good year for health reform - the ACA improved Americans' access to health coverage this year - in more ways than you may have realized

healthinsurance.org contributor — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 16:51:49 +0000

You will hear a lot of bashing of "Obamacare" during the current political season. But while we wait for full implementation of health reform in 2014, there have been meaningful changes that are helping American families every day.

how health reform’s 10 essential benefits could improve your insurance coverage … - ... and how state "flexibility" will affect your benefits

healthinsurance.org contributor — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 23:21:53 +0000

The fact that the Affordable Care Act defines ten mandatory categories of "essential benefits" provides a "floor" of coverage that can not be taken away. After 2014, no plan offered to individuals or small groups can exclude maternity care, prescription drugs, rehabilitation or habilitation services, or mental health services, to mention a few.

Pollack: ensuring young adults’ coverage now saves us all money down the line - 2.5 million previously uninsured young adults now have health coverage, thanks to Affordable Care Act

healthinsurance.org Guest Blogger — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 21:02:20 +0000

Ensuring young adults are covered now saves us all money down the line and gives parents and their kids the peace of mind that they'll have coverage they can count on when they need it the most.

health reform has eyes of Newt - individual mandate has many fathers, so why do they vilify the one who adopted the child?

Chuck Smith-Dewey — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 04:55:22 +0000

It’s been widely accepted that Mitt Romney is the father of what Republicans have tagged “Obamacare.” The legislation he signed into law in Massachusetts became the blueprint for national health care reform. But there is plenty of paternity credit to go around: the individual mandate – the requirement that all Americans must purchase health insurance [...]

for health insurance consumers, medical loss ratio is gift that will keep on giving - health reform law's MLR rule ensures that consumers' health premiums cover more medical care, less marketing

healthinsurance.org contributor — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 17:42:16 +0000

It is heartening to know that the medical loss ratio rule will keep a lid on the amount of our premiums that can be spent on marketing, salaries, and other non-medical activities going forward. For the 99 percent of us, this 80 percent gift is a gift that will keep on giving.

what has the health reform law done for you, lately? probably more than you think. - 18 months after implementation began, Americans are overlooking laundry list of health care improvements

healthinsurance.org contributor — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 16:01:24 +0000

Most of the health reform act pertaining to the uninsured and restraining health care costs will not be implemented until 2014. But in the last year and a half, there have been some substantial changes in health care that you may not have noticed.

the red herring called HR 3000 - tone deaf Herman Cain invokes imaginary solution for real health care problems

Chuck Smith-Dewey — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 15:58:05 +0000

The Conservative Action Alert Web site starts its article with the observation “There’s an old saying: ‘You can’t fight something with nothing.’” It was gleefully touting a bill introduced by Rep. Tom Price (R-GA), but they could as easily been providing post-debate analysis from last night’s Republican slugfest in Michigan. The strains of “repeal Obamacare” from [...]

Obama shoots, he scores! - D.C. Court Of Appeals upholds constitutionality of individual mandate, other 'Obamacare' provisions

Chuck Smith-Dewey — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 22:39:59 +0000

A three-justice panel for the District of Columbia Court of Appeals has handed President Obama and his health care reforms an unexpected and welcome victory. Conservatives thought this would be a slam-dunk for “their team.” They thought, mistakenly, that this conservative-dominated panel would deliver yet another pounding blow to the individual mandate – that provision [...]

know your state health insurance exchange - state exchanges - and major changes - are in the works. is your state building a consumer-friendly marketplace?

Steve Anderson — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 22:37:53 +0000

Whether you’re happy about it or not, your state is, at this very moment, very likely moving to set up a state health insurance exchange. In fact, it’s entirely possible that you have some form of health insurance exchange already in operation.

Mitt Romney: father of health reform? - GOP front-runner will need to run faster to escape evidence of Affordable Care Act paternity

Steve Anderson — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 01:13:40 +0000

We always love when politicians make witty jabs and then later get jabbed back. We love it, especially, when they’re jabbing health reform. Mitt Romney’s feeling a return jab right now. The GOP Presidential contender wisecracked in the spring that President Obama was giving Romney way too much credit for helping set the stage for national health [...]

what would Jesus do … for the uninsured? - … and other questions raised by GOP debate outburst

Steve Anderson — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 18:01:29 +0000

How did we get to this point ... where an audience at a Presidential debate feels comfortable laughing about the fate of a man who represents the millions of uninsured?

questions about the Affordable Care Act? - operators are standing by for calls about health reform

Steve Anderson — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 20:12:37 +0000

Not entirely sure when state health insurance exchanges will take effect? Curious about Grandma's new free preventive services? Call someone who cares.

ruling against individual mandate could be start of citizens’ fight to keep reform gains - health reform may be 'intruding' on Americans' lives, but its provisions are intruding in ways that improve life

Steve Anderson — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 19:34:29 +0000

How ‘ya gonna keep ‘em down on the farm (after they’ve seen Paree?) We love that old post-World War I tune, but we feel like it’s due for an update – and we think it could go something like this: How ‘ya gonna keep ‘em satisfied with the health insurance status quo after they’ve seen [...]

mandated summary of health insurance plan benefits is long overdue - Summary of Benefits and Coverage forms let shoppers see what's covered – and what's not – before they buy

Jan Greene — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 15:57:58 +0000

Premiums, copays and deductibles, oh my! I’ve been writing about health insurance for nearly 20 years and I still get confused trying to figure out the bottom line on my health coverage. In 2012, consumers are supposed to get some new, improved health plan descriptions from insurance companies, thanks to health reform. The proposed six-page [...]

gains in preventive coverage for women should not be buried by controversy - new health care coverage guidelines are all about women ... and not just about birth control

Steve Anderson — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 19:00:34 +0000

It’s all about women. Monday’s announcement by the Obama Administration was a loud, clear, shout out to women across the country. The message: the government wants to do more for women’s health – a lot more. The focus of Monday’s announcement was clearly about prevention and a huge commitment to preventive services for women. Not [...]

fed decision to cover contraceptives was economically sound, and right thing to do

Jan Greene — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 18:13:16 +0000

On Monday, the federal government announced that, starting in 2012, insurers will be required to cover a broad range of preventive services – including contraception – at no cost to patients. It’s not every day that the feds tell insurers what to do, so this is kind of a big deal. Making it easier to [...]

the (tea) party’s over - America needs to move forward on health care reform

Chuck Smith-Dewey — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 18:25:39 +0000

America has always been defined by progress. Yet the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has elements in many states trying to turn back time. Louisiana, with it’s barrel-bottom ranking of the 49th healthiest state to live in, adds to a growing list of states bucking reform as its governor refuses to set up a federally-mandated health insurance exchange, those [...]

should health reform be a carrot or a stick? - states seek a more heavy-handed way to force coverage

Steve Anderson — Thu, 19 May 2011 20:01:19 +0000

Instead of mandating coverage on the front end, the states favor penalizing the uninsured on the back end – punishing those who presumably would be taking a "free ride" on the system.

Vermont moves toward single-payer - GMC could be shining example for other states

Arlene Karidis — Thu, 12 May 2011 20:37:43 +0000

Vermont is a signature away from adopting an ambitious plan that would put the state on a path toward a single-payer health care system and ultimately, universal health care for its residents. When State House Bill 202 is signed by Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin on May 26th, it will be a big deal: a big [...]

kill health reform? not on their lives. (pt. 3) - reform law's preventive benefits, expanded coverage succeed in bringing patients back to the care they need

Arlene Karidis — Sat, 07 May 2011 16:37:11 +0000

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the third of a three-part series from health reporter Arlene Karidis. Karidis says the Affordable Care Act is already helping many of the people who need it most, but that for many more Americans the best of the reform legislation is yet to come. A central theme shouted by health reform [...]

state health insurance exchanges - will the GOP cut off its nose twice to spite its face?

Steve Anderson — Tue, 03 May 2011 20:27:03 +0000

Today, we received a reminder from our friends at Families USA that the road to health reform has plenty of potholes ahead. A statement from Families USA condemns House Republican plans to vote on a bill to block the delivery of ACA grants that are intended to help states establish health insurance exchanges – the [...]

kill health reform? not on their lives. (pt. 2) - mental health advocates see health reform law as victory

Arlene Karidis — Mon, 02 May 2011 16:30:50 +0000

Jennifer, a 33-year-old college student, struggles with mental illness. It's been an ongoing battle for Jennifer, who's founder of a nonprofit organization for cancer survivors. Fortunately, ...

kill health reform? not on their lives. (pt. 1) - cancer survivors await pre-existing condition provisions

Arlene Karidis — Sun, 01 May 2011 04:54:30 +0000

There's been a lot of controversy over whether the health reform law was worth the struggle and whether it should ultimately be repealed, but it's plainly evident from my personal ...

who’s afraid of the big, bad Obamacare? - Oklahoma would 'sooner' do without federal dollars

Chuck Smith-Dewey — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 18:53:39 +0000

So it puts Oklahoma in the ridiculous position of refusing the federal help that would provide the state with – wait for it – greater autonomy. I can't see the logic in refusing the grant. Maybe it was ...

Mitt Romney’s rotten Easter - Romneycare was the bipartisan blueprint for national health care reform, but governor needs to deny paternity

Chuck Smith-Dewey — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 19:40:02 +0000

If he wants to pass his party's latest litmus test for Presidential candidates, he has to deny his greatest accomplishment three times. According to current governor, Deval Patrick, "Romneycare" is working "brilliantly" ...

happy birthday ‘obamacare’ - the self-employed, freelancers, independent contractors and mom-and-pops have every reason to celebrate

Chuck Smith-Dewey — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 23:26:07 +0000

If you are on this site, you likely do not have employer-provided health insurance and if so, today is a big day for you: today is the one year anniversary of the passage of the Affordable Care Act, often referred to derisively as “Obamacare.” As Forbes columnist Rich Unger recently pointed out, those foes of [...]

when more is simply more - america's bloated per capita health expenditures are simply the cost of "free" enterprise

Chuck Smith-Dewey — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 19:07:39 +0000

We Americans pay more dollars, and live shorter lives, than our counterparts in most other modern countries. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, in 2008 America spent $7,538 per capita on health care, while the other 33 nations surveyed spent an average of $3,000. The reason is clear: it’s how we pay [...]

gop memo: don’t improve aca too much - republican strategy firm cautions gop house members: fixing health reform law may make it more popular

Steve Anderson — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 22:13:53 +0000

After months of assuring Americans that they don’t hate everything about the recently passed Affordable Care Act – and that there’s room to improve the law – Republican legislators are now being cautioned to change their tune and their strategy. By improving the law too much, the memo says, legislators could make the law more popular.

north carolina seeks to secede from union? - tarheel house wants free pass on individual mandate

Chuck Smith-Dewey — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 16:57:40 +0000

One hundred and fifty years ago, North Carolina defied a U.S. President from Illinois when it became the final state to secede from the Union, resulting in more deaths for its citizens than any other Confederate state. Fast forward to today. The Tarheel State is defying another inspirational President from Illinois who is striving to [...]

health reform isn’t down for the count - reports of health reform's demise greatly exaggerated

Steve Anderson — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 18:56:40 +0000

Kay, over at Balloon Juice, brings up an excellent point today about coverage of yesterday’s ruling by a federal judge that the health reform law is unconstitutional. Her point, simply, is that the ruling from this particular federal judge – Roger Vinson – isn’t the nail in the casket for the health reform law. The [...]

repeal effort flies in the face of evidence - vote is more than symbolic: it's a waste of congress's time

Steve Anderson — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 20:59:06 +0000

There’s no question in our minds that House Republicans will be successful today in voting to repeal health reform legislation. So what happens after the inevitable yelling and the inevitable House vote for repeal? Nothing. The Senate will not vote for repeal and President Obama will certainly veto anything that even smells like repeal. That, [...]

reform repeal would balloon deficit - gop seeks to subvert law that helps self-employed, encourages small business to expand coverage

Chuck Smith-Dewey — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 21:20:30 +0000

House Republicans took one more step today toward repealing last year’s sweeping health care overhaul, as it approved a rule allowing a repeal bill to proceed to a vote. The vote is purely symbolic because it will never pass the Senate and will never be signed by the President. But since the nonpartisan Congressional Budget [...]

what repeal of health reform means to you - new tool shows consumers in each state what they've gained from health reform law - before it's gone

Steve Anderson — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 17:39:58 +0000

As the old saying – and the song by Cinderella – goes, you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone. We think health reform is like that, and – while we’re not at all certain that the upcoming House Republican effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act will be anything more than political theatre – we [...]

are high-risk insurance pools the answer? - party of small government proposes big-government alternative to health reform's individual mandate

Steve Anderson — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 18:10:12 +0000

We definitely appreciate the idea of high-risk insurance pools. We’ve been promoting the state pools for years, in fact, as a last resort for millions of Americans with pre-existing conditions who can’t get health insurance coverage anywhere else. But while we appreciate the idea of high-risk insurance pools, we know there are problems with implementation [...]

2011 and the future of health reform - year ahead is brighter for the uninsured - and the insured

Steve Anderson — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 20:02:44 +0000

It's hard to feel good about the way Congress finally passed those provisions into law. We're as disheartened about the way Congress functions as we are about the nation's health care system, and we feel that it's definitely due for major reform. But the fact is that the nation has waited far too long for the free market to solve the system's ills – and regardless of the process, the resulting legislation at least moved us forward.

health reform’s individual mandate - a missed message about personal responsibility?

Steve Anderson — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 16:29:13 +0000

We appreciated this assessment of health reform’s controversial individual mandate provision by William Pewen over at the Health Affairs Blog. He makes some predictions about the future of health reform if the mandate is ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, but we’re more interested in his take on the problem with Americans and their health insurance. [...]

bush: the gift that keeps on giving - w's appointee delivers lump of coal to working families, strikes down health reform's individual mandate

Chuck Smith-Dewey — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 20:56:41 +0000

Health reform’s individual mandate provision – the requirement that all taxpayers purchase health insurance beginning in 2014 – has been struck down by a federal judge appointed by none other than President George W. Bush. What is it with America’s continuing suffering inflicted by the former President? The deficit is about to go into hyperdrive [...]

health repealers urged to walk their talk - progressives say those who would undo health reform should give up their own government health insurance

Chuck Smith-Dewey — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 16:16:10 +0000

Here’s an original thought from a quartet of House Democrats: Those conservatives who are pledging to repeal health care reform should first reject their own taxpayer-subsidized health insurance on principle. Rep. Joe Crowley and three others are lining up like-minded co-signers for a letter asking their counterparts across the aisle to do just that. They [...]

health insurers pay big to defeat public option but pushed mandate to require all to buy their products

Chuck Smith-Dewey — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 13:54:10 +0000

A story on Bloomberg reveals that the leading health insurance industry group – America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) –funneled $86.2 million to an effort by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to oppose the recent health care overhaul and the public option. That single contribution amounts to 40 percent of the Chamber’s entire advertising budget for last [...]

are you really ready to enroll in Medicare? - interactive tool helps gauge whether consumers are ready to make medicare enrollment decisions

Steve Anderson — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 13:16:06 +0000

Most folks are confused by all of the health insurance options. But as confusing as that is it doesn't – in our opinion – hold a candle to the dizzying, mind-boggling maze that is the Medicare system.

doctor-lawmaker takes ‘hippocritical’ oath - he campaigned to repeal 'obamacare,' but panics at the prospect of 28 days without government-run health care

Chuck Smith-Dewey — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 18:49:37 +0000

For 28 days, newly elected Rep. Andy Harris will be able to honestly tell the 761,000 people in his state who have no health coverage that he truly can identify with their plight.

insurance company profits up 41 percent - health subcommittee chairman calls insurers to pass excessive profits on to customers by cutting premiums

Chuck Smith-Dewey — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 22:53:58 +0000

Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.) has sent a letter to the top ten for-profit health insurance companies demanding they pass their excessive profits on to their customers by lowering premiums.

medicare open enrollment season starts - officials, media urge seniors to closely review changing options while shopping for medicare coverage this year

Steve Anderson — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 22:51:36 +0000

During the annual Medicare open enrollment period, it's always prudent of seniors to take a look at their existing Medicare coverage and make sure they're getting exactly the coverage they need.

health reform squeezes donut hole - seniors to be happy in 2011 as their RX costs decline

Chuck Smith-Dewey — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 22:30:36 +0000

Many seniors will get a nice surprise in 2011 – the donut hole in prescription drug coverage left in place during a previous round of Medicare tinkering is starting to be filled in by this year's historic health care reform.

Election results should not negate fundamental health reform gains

Steve Anderson — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 18:31:55 +0000

It doesn't take a political wizard to understand that health reform will hit a brick wall as a result of the election results. The brick wall is, of course, ...

data shows some physicians implementing their own medicare reimbursement ‘fix’ - if data could talk, it would say, 'physician, heal thyself'

Steve Anderson — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 20:45:11 +0000

When it comes to physicians and the way they're reimbursed by Medicare, there's plenty to debate – even among physicians.

GOP pollster to party: zip it - 'repeal and replace' could backfire; reforms gaining favor

Steve Anderson — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 13:00:43 +0000

Republicans are dreaming if they think voters will uniformly reject each and every one of the provisions of health reform that have already begun to roll out. A lot of voters, for instance, are going to really like ...

new $2,000 medicare deductible? - robbing tomorrow's seniors to pay for today's tax cuts

Chuck Smith-Dewey — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 15:15:10 +0000

Republican senate hopeful Rand Paul, speaking on FOX News Sunday, suggested that in the near future, seniors should pick up of the first $2,000 of medical expenses that are currently paid for by Medicare. It was no off-the-cuff remark – Paul’s opponent has released a video showing him advancing this idea before a number of [...]

voters waking up - supporting candidates who helped pass health reform

Chuck Smith-Dewey — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 14:40:50 +0000

It’s about time. The sad saw that voters have rejected health care reform has worn out its welcome. A new survey shows that a clear majority of voters is more likely to cast its ballots for the brave souls who helped pass this landmark legislation which protects the self-employed, sick kids and the needs of [...]

keep … uh … MY hands off my health benefits

Steve Anderson — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 21:26:19 +0000

It’s just one more interesting twist in the never-ending health reform saga. On the one hand, a recent poll shows that public support for health reform is sagging – down from 50 percent to 43 percent – as the mid-term elections approach. On the other hand, folks – and by “folks” we also mean state [...]

meet my mother, the death panel

Steve Anderson — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 16:58:28 +0000

Back in the spring and summer of last year, the debate about health reform exploded over an issue that was not, in my estimation, worthy of a firecracker-sized pop. The issue was advanced care planning consultations, and looking back now, it seems to me the most odd point of contention that could have been raised [...]

ceo gives health insurance industry’s fight in recent health reform battle a big, fat F

Steve Anderson — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 19:04:57 +0000

in recent health reform battle a big, fat F" title="ceo gives health insurance industry’s fight
in recent health reform battle a big, fat F" style="float:right;" />We know it’s stating the obvious to say that the health insurance industry was not pleased by the outcome of the battle over health reform that concluded in March. But this article on Bloomberg shows just how bad the battle went, according to industry execs, whose ideas now include jettisoning Karen Ignani from her position as [...]

‘no’ may not mean ‘no’ for health insurers under new health reform provisions

Steve Anderson — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 21:53:48 +0000

under new health reform provisions" title="‘no’ may not mean ‘no’ for health insurers
under new health reform provisions" style="float:right;" />When you start talking about the recently passed health reform legislation, there’s a good chance you’re headed for an argument. But it’s hard to see how anyone – other than health insurance companies – could argue against the consumer protection provisions announced by the Obama Administration yesterday. Anyone who’s fought it out with an insurance [...]

a country with real death panels

Steve Anderson — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 16:37:40 +0000

This story in The New York Times reminded us of the old saw about the guy who felt bad about not having shoes until he met a man with no feet. I’d say that in this story, the United States would be the guy with no shoes – millions of uninsured and skyrocketing health care [...]

everything you always wanted to know about health reform … but didn’t know you could ask

Steve Anderson — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 19:03:26 +0000

Say what you will about the recently passed health reform legislation – good or bad – but you can’t say that its supporters are withholding information about what’s ahead. With mid-term elections around the corner, the Obama Administration is readying a Lollapalooza of a dog-and-pony show to highlight its accomplishments to date – and the [...]

new high-risk insurance pool program for states isn’t “risky business”

Steve Anderson — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 23:00:26 +0000

for states isn’t “risky business”" title="new high-risk insurance pool program
for states isn’t “risky business”" style="float:right;" />Tomorrow, many states will start taking applications for insurance coverage through the temporary high-risk insurance pools established through this year’s historic health reform legislation. As the Associated Press points out, it’s a “huge investment” by the federal government. It’s no secret that many critics believe the pools are a huge mistake. Though the funding for [...]

health reform is being hated less.

Steve Anderson — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 00:12:01 +0000

If you listen to John Boehner, health reform is not only completely abhorrent to the critics who pummeled it for months on end, but it’s now also uniformly despised by everyone, everywhere. In reality, health reform is probably viewed negatively (ranging from “completely loathed” to “not really certain what it will do”) by about half [...]

the U.S. is number seven, but it appears we’re trying harder

Steve Anderson — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 20:13:05 +0000

but it appears we’re trying harder" title="the U.S. is number seven,
but it appears we’re trying harder" style="float:right;" />Like Avis, the United States is apparently not Number One – not in health care performance at least – when compared against a bunch of other countries. And they’re countries that repeatedly got a really bad rap during the health care debate as being examples of poor quality, inefficiency, and – worst of all – [...]

obama: go back on health reform? let’s not and say we didn’t.

Steve Anderson — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 18:06:13 +0000

let’s not and say we didn’t." title="obama: go back on health reform?
let’s not and say we didn’t." style="float:right;" />President Obama likes his health reform legislation. Go figure. And today, he also gave consumers more reasons to like the legislation – namely a bunch of consumer protections the administration is calling the “patient bill of rights.” How about reversing course? The POTUS said – in a nutshell – “Let’s not and say we didn’t.” [...]

find out what health reform has done for you lately.

Steve Anderson — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 17:05:57 +0000

Seriously. Ask, “What have you done for me lately?” Do it today – submit your questions about health reform progress to About.com. Maybe if you ask nicely, Katherine Sebelius will actually answer your question during a live event streamed tomorrow at 3 p.m. (Eastern) at Whitehouse.gov/live. Questions that probably WON’T get answers: “Why are you [...]

health insurers really, really like you.

Steve Anderson — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 15:27:48 +0000

This headline from The Los Angeles Times had to be a day brightener for President Obama yesterday. The POTUS spent an awful lot of time predicting that health insurance carriers would be falling all over themselves to compete for new customers after passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. And according to Kristen [...]

republicans prepare to raise their voice against health reform this fall; Democrats ready to lend them a bullhorn

Steve Anderson — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 16:37:37 +0000

You know that old saying about how even bad PR is good PR? Well, The Nation has a pretty decent argument for its validity. Seems like the more Republicans turn up their messages about the recently passed legislation, the more they’re turning off listeners to their arguments. November will be interesting. That’s for sure.

out of the mouth of George W.’s babe, Barbara

Steve Anderson — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 19:56:46 +0000

We don’t read Personal Liberty Digest every day. OK. We don’t read it ever. But thanks to Digg, we found this interesting story noting a Bush Family opinion about recently passed health reform legislation. It’s interesting to us because George W.’s daughter, Barbara Bush, went on record saying she’s pleased the Democrat-backed legislation passed this [...]

another day. another study on … uh … soda taxes?

Steve Anderson — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 17:23:15 +0000

on … uh … soda taxes?" title="another day. another study
on … uh … soda taxes?" style="float:right;" />Remember back during the health reform debate when politicians were throwing around ideas for funding health reform and the ideas included taxes on soft drinks and other yummy – I mean – unhealthy food and drink? Well, researchers at Harvard – home of hasty pudding (which I imagine is yummy and unhealthy) – decided to [...]

insurance exchanges take a page from the used-car “superstores”

Steve Anderson — Tue, 18 May 2010 23:07:17 +0000

from the used-car “superstores”" title="insurance exchanges take a page
from the used-car “superstores”" style="float:right;" />The thing I always hated about buying a car was the grueling trek from dealership to dealership to dealership, hoping to find the right make and model with the right features. Mostly, I detested the inevitable struggle to get the car salesman to reveal the real bottom-line price of the car I wanted. Yuck. Buying [...]

knowledge is not only power, but protection against health insurance schemes and scams

Steve Anderson — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 22:31:40 +0000

The health reform legislation passed in March by Congress is giving Americans plenty to look forward to over the next decade, but according to recent reports from law enforcement and anti-fraud groups, the legislation will also give Americans plenty to look out for. Within weeks of the legislation’s passage, consumers began reporting a wave of [...]

rep. eric cantor: “blame the victim”

Chuck Smith-Dewey — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 13:19:37 +0000

In the circus surrounding the Tea Party reaction to the health insurance reform bill, Republican Congressman Eric Cantor is stepping in as a ringmaster. In the midst of death threats against nearly a dozen Democrats who voted for the bill, Cantor is blaming the victims, saying they are using these threats as political fodder. Cantor, [...]

why health reform supporters’ mood rings are turning blue

Steve Anderson — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 20:14:36 +0000

mood rings are turning blue" title="why health reform supporters’
mood rings are turning blue" style="float:right;" />An interesting poll surfaced yesterday, revealing that – in the days since health reform legislation was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and signed into law by President Obama – more Americans have taken a favorable view of the legislation than they did before the vote. Nearly 50 percent of those polled now say [...]

Biggest pro-life vote in history

Chuck Smith-Dewey — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 04:53:24 +0000

Our statement has nothing to do with the last-minute deal cut between the White House and Rep. Bart Stupak (D- Mich.). Here’s why the historic vote authorizing health insurance reform is the biggest pro-life vote in history: Fifty-five thousand Americans die every year because of lack of health insurance coverage. Those are deaths that no [...]

the right side of history

Chuck Smith-Dewey — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 17:51:58 +0000

The Democratic party is closing in on being on the right side of history with its upcoming vote on health care reform. It would be better if we could say Congress will be on the right side of history, but the way things have played out, the Republicans in the House and Senate have sat [...]

toe-may-toe … toe-mah-toe …

Steve Anderson — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 05:50:05 +0000

Throughout the health care debate, it’s been fascinating to watch opposition responses to each bit of reform-related news. The complete inability of opponents of Democratic reform proposals to see anything positive in the legislation has been simply stunning. How determined were opponents of reform? Determined enough to threaten that legislation promising free assistance to those [...]

will you be one of 2.4 million Americans bankrupted each year by medical bills?

Steve Anderson — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 21:56:49 +0000

bankrupted each year by medical bills?" title="will you be one of 2.4 million Americans
bankrupted each year by medical bills?" style="float:right;" />As politicians go round and round talking about how health reform legislation will increase or decrease the deficit, or how a win on this bill will help or hurt Democrats, I think it’s worth mentioning again that there’s one really huge number that matters: 62. Sixty-two is the the percentage of U.S. personal bankruptcies in [...]

Health insurance crises prove the sky IS falling

Steve Anderson — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 17:01:08 +0000

We thought this editorial cartoon in the Kansas City Star was pretty good – and not just because we agree with them on that whole Global Warming thing. We also got a chuckle because it hit so close to home in terms of the ongoing health reform debate. We’d rewrite the caption to read, “If [...]

Who would Jesus insure?

Chuck Smith-Dewey — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 18:33:45 +0000

The headline in the StarTribune says “Health care for poor may get axe.” Minnesota’s Governor Tim Pawlenty, a 2012 Presidential hopeful, is set to veto a bill that would pay health care costs for 85,000 of the state’s poorest and sickest residents. The bill he is threatening to kill is a stripped-down version of a [...]

allow me to translate

Steve Anderson — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 20:44:35 +0000

There’s a lot of debate today over what President Obama was saying to his supporters last night when he described what he thinks needs to happen with the health reform legislation from here on in. The point he made that seems to be drawing the most speculation is this passage: “That’s why I think it’s [...]

It’s now or never, democrats.

Steve Anderson — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 18:06:40 +0000

We don’t like the phrase, “It’s now or never,” especially when it comes to the health reform battle. If legislation doesn’t succeed now, it doesn’t mean the nation’s health care system can never be improved. Even with a complete failure by the Democrats, the system could conceivably gradually evolve into something better over time with [...]

Health reform: Dead? or not dead?

Steve Anderson — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 21:07:07 +0000

The current status of the health reform legislation in the nation’s capital reminds of us the popular quizzes that challenge players to speculate as to whether celebrities are dead yet. If you asked opponents of health reform, they’d surely tell you that – like the failed health reform efforts of 1994 – the current Democratic proposals [...]

let’s NOT start over on health reform

Steve Anderson — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 18:00:53 +0000

In the days following last week’s special election in Massachusetts, it wasn’t surprising at all to hear opponents of health reform announcing that America had – loudly and clearly – told Congress to start over on health reform. But here’s the thing: If the Democrats had barely eked out a win, opponents would have said [...]

the ‘american dream’: coming soon to america?

Chuck Smith-Dewey — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 16:12:48 +0000

“It’s all about the health benefits.” I personally have heard it dozens of times from friends and family, who make it painfully clear that they’re not banging on the door of Corporate America because they’re dying to work in a cubicle. They tell me they’re reluctantly looking for gigs in big business because that’s where [...]

is the senate bill really unfit for consumption?

Steve Anderson — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 20:02:18 +0000

Jonathan Cohn of the New Republic said today what a lot of liberals have been saying about the Senate bill. Basically, it’s been stretched and pulled like a gob of saltwater taffy as it morphed into something barely acceptable to barely enough Democrats, but also largely disappointing to a large contingent of other liberals (and [...]

Joe Lieberman continues to play Grinch Who Stole Health Reform

Steve Anderson — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 16:42:02 +0000

Grinch Who Stole Health Reform" title="Joe Lieberman continues to play
Grinch Who Stole Health Reform" style="float:right;" />Anyone who thought passage of a health reform bill in 2009 would be easy, given the Democratic majority in Congress, was deluded. To think that all of Congressional Democrats – and the Independents they court – would vote in lock step was just plain fantasy. But even Democrats who knew reform legislation would be all [...]

Is public option about to be flushed?

Steve Anderson — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 18:30:23 +0000

Pundits, including the Wall Street Journal, are calling it the “Grand Compromise.” It’s an agreement Senate Democrats struck late yesterday on health reform legislation that will allow those who oppose the public option to say that it’s out, while proponents of the public option can claim that it’s still in the bill – sort of. [...]

when it comes to reform legislation, size really does matter.

Steve Anderson — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:25:41 +0000

size really does matter." title="when it comes to reform legislation,
size really does matter." style="float:right;" />One of the things that has bugged us for months and months is health care opponents’ preoccupation with the number of pages in the health care bills that have been introduced in the House and Senate. The most recent bill to emerge is the Senate bill unveiled by Harry Reid yesterday and SURPRISE … it’s [...]

‘being uninsured can kill you’: no-brainer? or brainer?

Steve Anderson — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:18:50 +0000

no-brainer? or brainer?" title="‘being uninsured can kill you’:
no-brainer? or brainer?" style="float:right;" />We weren’t the tiniest bit surprised by a new study on emergency care that revealed that patients who lacked health insurance were almost two times more likely to die from car accidents and other traumatic injuries than patients who had health plans. Our response: Duh. And, apparently, Kevin Drum, who blogs over at Mother Jones, [...]

how would health reform help or hurt? - five from Montana and how reform would affect them

Steve Anderson — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:15:23 +0000

There are plenty of stories out there about the nightmares already faced in the nation’s existing health care system. But folks really want to know how coverage will look after health reform legislation is passed. (We’re assuming it will be.) That why we liked this story, which examines what the current legislative proposals would mean [...]

so we’re back to the dreaded filibuster thing?

Steve Anderson — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:34:03 +0000

As we pointed out the other day, there’s a lot of heavy lifting ahead for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and the brave folks who are committed to enduring the process of getting health reform legislation through the Senate and beyond. Opponents have promised to filibuster the bill if it includes a public option. Some [...]