Health On The Hill – November 23, 2009
Over the weekend, the Senate voted 60 to 39 to begin debate on health reform legislation, which will begin after the Thanksgiving break. Panelists discuss what’s ahead.
All Coverage
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Opinion Column
Getting The Bugs Out Of Health Reform
When it comes to making medical care not only cheaper but also better, reducing hospital infections is among the easiest changes to make–something reform really should be able to do, even in this political universe of such limited possibility.
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Congress Targets Senior Abuse
About 11 percent of people ages 60 and older suffer from some kind of abuse every year. But as a part of health care overhaul legislation, lawmakers are taking steps that would for the first time establish a federal beachhead in fighting such abuse.
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Evidence-Based Medicine: Hard For Some To Swallow
Patients often find it difficult to base medical decisions on study results. This story comes from our partner
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A Consumers’ Guide To The Health Reform Bills
The Senate and House health bills differ in important ways. We ask and answer questions consumers might have about the bills.
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Plastic Surgeons Cry Foul Over ‘Botax’ Proposal In Senate Health Bill
Levies on liposuction, breast augmentation and other cosmetic procedures would generate billions of dollars to help cover the uninsured.
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CBO Releases Estimate On Senate Bill
Read or download the Congressional Budget Office and Joint Committee on Taxation’s estimates of the the Senate Democrats’ health bill, called “The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.”
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Health On The Hill – November 19, 2009
Last night, Senate Majority leader Harry Reid unveiled a health care reform bill that he plans to soon bring to the Senate floor. The bill would cost an estimated $849 billion dollars over 10 years, and cover about 31 million uninsured. Mary Agnes Carey discusses the major provisions of the bill.
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With Senate Health Bill, Reid Tries To Balance Many Interests
Majority Leader Harry Reid added new taxes and modified major provisions of health bills passed by two Senate panels in a health bill unveiled Wednesday night.
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Health Reform Sparks Debate On Future Of Children’s Health Program
Some say moving kids from the Children’s Health Insurance Program to health exchanges would add stability, but others fear they could lose benefits and their families could face higher co-payments for coverage.
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Doctors Fear Reform Angst Is Tainting Medicare Payment ‘Fix’
Physicians’ lobby says fixing the 12-year-old formula that sets Medicare payments would prove lawmakers’ commitment to reform health care.
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Opinion Column
Fear of Flu: Shifting the Goalposts
Are fears about kids and the swine flu overblown?
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Why A Little City In Wisconsin Is The Best Place To Die
Nearly all adults who die in La Crosse, Wisconsin, have filled out “advance directives” – explicit instructions on what treatments they do and don’t want at the end of life. The medical ethicist who started the program says “We believe it’s part of good patient care.”
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New Technology Helps Elderly Stay Healthy At Home
Devices that measure blood pressure and other health information may help the elderly and people with chronic conditions stay in touch with doctors while remaining at home. The technology could cut health spending by catching problems before they escalate into crises.
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Transcript: Health On The Hill – November 16
KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey and other experts discuss recent and upcoming activities on the Hill — part of a weekly series of video reports.
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Video: Health On The Hill – November 16, 2009
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., may unveil his health care overhaul plan this week. A podcast is also available.
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Opinion Column
Will People Buy Government Long-Term Care Insurance?
A key question about the CLASS Act remains: How many will buy the coverage even if it is broadly available?
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Crusading Professor Challenges Dartmouth Atlas On Claims Of Wasteful Health Care Spending
Dr. Richard “Buz” Cooper doesn’t mince words as he challenges highly-respected research asserting that hospitals and doctors waste up to $700 billion a year on unnecessary testing and treatment. He says the Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care doesn’t adequately account for the health care needs of poor people.
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Reaction To Cooper’s Challenge Against Dartmouth Atlas
Some argue the Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care, which found wide geographic differences in how medicine is practiced, overstates the amount of potential waste because its methods don’t fully factor in the heavy medical needs of very poor people. Here are some views on the debate.
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In Rural Kentucky, A Surprising Twist On The Health Debate
The people in Southeastern Kentucky have the poorest health in the country. Yet the area is rich with medical facilities. Health reform bills are unlikely to change much: One doctor says: “We have to transform the way we take care of people.”
