Finally Friday Edition

I have to do this quickly because I'm missing the wedding of the century!!! But first, the news.

Healthcare costs continue to grow in the US at a rate that exceeds that in other countries. This is not about health insurance premiums. This is not about health reform. This is about how we deliver health care, how much money providers are allowed to make, and the fact that many other countries have universal health care, so the system is far more regulated. But for our higher cost, we do not get the best value; quality lags far behind. This clearly has to change.

Now some Dems are threatening to vote against raising the debt ceiling without serious concessions on the debt and budget. Never mind that it would ruin the global economy if we defaulted on our debt.

Town hall meetings are still lively, as the public tells the GOP not to end Medicare as we know it. Lots of ads are going up on the airways, as well.

There will be a new payment system for hospitals in Medicare, and it will be based, in part, on how patients rate the level of care and services they got. There will be cuts in Medicare to nursing homes, as well, in part to make up for what the feds say was an overpayment this year.

Meanwhile, the GOP is demanding to know how much money the IRS is getting as part of health reform. But the military now will provide health care coverage to dependents up to age 26.

Aetna is scaling back rate hikes. I like Aetna better every day!

The FDA was supposed to define "gluten free" for food labeling 3 years ago, and they're still working on it.

Sleep. We need it. We don't get enough of it. That has to change.

Emergency rooms continue to be busy treating people with nowhere else to go.

And that's today's news. Now, let's go see Kate's dress! Have a great day! Jennifer