Posted by: Ella Hushagen on Feb 12, 2009
The Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 was supposed tosweeten the deal for millions of American seniors by adding prescription drugcoverage to Medicare. However, Part D-with its euphemistically-named "donuthole" gap in coverage and its bewildering array of private plans-has, infact, been more of a toothache than a treat for many seniors.
Posted by: Julia Eisman on Feb 11, 2009
"With challenge, comes opportunity"... or so the saying goes. Such is the case right now in Congress as the House andSenate work on a compromise economic recovery plan. The opportunity is thechance to lift the country out of the economic slump that has caused, amongother things, the unemployment rate to jump to its highest level in 17 years-leadingto a loss in economic security and health care security. The challenge, simplyput, is how.
Posted by: Ella Hushagen on Feb 10, 2009
From all across the United States, governors of both partiesare sounding alarms. The recession is shrinking state governments' revenue basewhile boosting demand for crucial state services like Medicaid; states are hittingbudget shortfalls that they can't patch, and they're starting to sink.
Posted by: Erin Kelly on Feb 10, 2009
Imagine losing your job, your steady income, and your healthinsurance. Then imagine that someone in your family gets sick. Next, imaginehaving to choose between buying groceries and paying for health care for yourselfor your loved one. For many Americans, this is not an unlikely scenario, it'sreal life.
Posted by: Ron Pollack on Feb 09, 2009
The professional naysayers about health care reform will nodoubt seize upon Tom Daschle's withdrawal as evidence that the opportunitiesfor health reform have diminished. To be sure, Tom brought all the rightcredentials, commitment, energy, and connections to help promote health carereform. But Tom's withdrawal will not significantly slow down the health reformeffort.
Posted by: Erin Kelly on Feb 06, 2009
We did it!! After President Bush twice vetoed a bill thatwould provide uninsured children in America with quality, affordable healthcare, President Obama stepped up to the plate and made it happen. On Wednesday,February 4, President Obama expandedand renewed the Children's Health Insurance Program which gives anadditional $32.8 billion to states to provide 11 million children with healthcare coverage. No one says it better than the President himself: "It's hard to overstate thetoll this takes on our families: the sleepless nights worrying that someone'sgoing to get hurt, or praying that a sick child gets better on her own. Thedecisions that no parent should ever have to make...." Obama's onlybeen in office three weeks, but he's sending a message loud and clear to theAmerican people: He is serious about health reform.
Posted by: Julia Eisman on Feb 05, 2009
Why is Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen a worrisome choice forSecretary of HHS? The NewRepublic's JonathanCohn has some good analysis.
Posted by: Ron Pollack on Feb 04, 2009
Senator Tom Daschle's withdrawal as the future Secretary ofHealth and Human Services (HHS) is a surprising and unfortunate bump on theroad to health care reform. However, the ultimate success of health care reformrests on the shoulders of President Barack Obama, who has repeatedly expressedhis deep commitment to achieve reform in a timely manner. It also rests withthe five committee chairmen who have jurisdiction over health care -- SenatorsBaucus and Kennedy, as well as Representatives Waxman, Rangel, and Miller --all of whom are similarly committed to meaningful reform.
Posted by: Ron Pollack on Feb 03, 2009
It's times like these that show us just how important our nation'ssafety net is, and just how many holes are in it. As research tells us,and state experience is reinforcing, for every one percent increase inunemployment, the number of uninsured increases by 1.1 percent, and anadditional 1 million people turn to Medicaid and the Children's HealthInsurance Program (CHIP) for assistance. For families with children,Medicaid and CHIP are critically important programs that provide accessto good health care for children.
Posted by: Ella Hushagen on Jan 31, 2009
"We need to be smarter than Mark Twain's cat," Paul Begala warned health care advocates at today's Health Action 2009. "Mark Twain said ‘if a cat sits on a hot stove, he'll never sit on a hot stove again. But, he'll never sit on a cold stove either'".
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Category: Health Care Costs,Medicare,Underinsurance and Medical Debt