Welcome Back Edition!

Another Monday -- and a gloomy one here in CT, where we are getting soaked.  Had a good trip to Chicago, although this old body just doesn't like all that standing and walking and lifting and ... you know.  Anyway, I'm not going to do a full blog post, but there were a couple of things I saw over the week-end that I thought you'd be interested in. 

Here's an interview with Dr. Otis Brawley, who wrote a new book called How We Do Harm: A Doctor Breaks Ranks About Being Sick in America.  He blames much of the failure of the system on the big players in the system, but also says patients are "gluttonous" about getting more care, more tests, more drugs -- and I'm just not sure I'm buying that.  I think most sick people are like me -- we'd like as little contact with the medical system as is humanly possible considering our illness.  Anyway, it's interesting and thought-provoking. 

And here's an intriguing article about Mitt Romney's health care plan -- the headline says it may be more revolutionary than President Obama's.   It's a move away from employer-sponsored health insurance to giving people tax credits to buy insurance.  Since insurance costs more than the tax credits, the expectation is that this plan would increase the number of uninsured Americans.  It also would convert Medicare to vouchers and Medicaid to block grants.  I suspect I don't have to tell you what I think about this.

Many states are delaying taking steps to implement health reform until after the Supreme Court rules.  However, by that time, most state legislatures will be out of session -- so they will be way behind in setting up Exchanges.  They're going to have to make fast decisions whether to run their own Exchange or allow the feds to do it for them.  A real quandry.

Some states are considering lowering the cost of physical, occupational and speech therapy.

And that's it for a quick, abbreviated recap.  Have a great day!  Jennifer