Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Speaker
John Boehner have reached a deal to keep the government funded for six months,
meaning there will be no threat of a government shutdown when the fiscal year
ends Sept. 30. The funding deal would keep government spending at current
levels through March 2013. Both chambers of Congress will likely vote on the
resolution in September.
This means that funding will continue through the election, avoiding embarrassment to either or both parties. Jennifer
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Tuesday Tidbits
Health insurance for Olympians. Not all you might think it would be.
If your insurer did not meet the medical loss ratio rules (spending 80-85% of premium dollars on health care, they have to pay rebates by August 1. Over $1.3 billion in rebates will have been paid this year. You still don't think health reform is starting to deal with cost?
As in Massachusetts, the idea was a two-phased approach to health reform,with phase I focused on increasing coverage and phase II on cutting costs. Massachusetts is as stage II, and the legislation is now awaiting legislative action. It would key health care spending to a percentage of the gross state product (GDP but for states), create an oversight agency to collect data and help establish health policy. We need to watch this carefully -- what happens in MA may well happen nationally, eventually.
So if states like Texas opt out of health reform's Medicaid expansion, who covers the cost of care for the poor in Texas? The taxpayers of the State of Texas, of course. Even more evidence that the only reason to pass up the Medicaid expansion is spitefulness towards anything President Obama does -- it's certainly not because it's in the economic interest of Texans since the Medicaid expansion would cover at 100% federal funding for the first couple of years, and then gradually decrease to 90% federal funding. Thanks, Samir, for the link.
Still, the GOP is all about cutting Medicaid. They want to convert it to block grants, which would mean drastic cuts in some states. That's because the feds enforce certain coverage requirements; without those requirements, states could cut costs -- and care -- greatly. Not exactly a good thing in my book.
Meanwhile, the insurance industry is trying to get rid of the fees (they say tax) they have to pay to help finance health reform. Highly unlikely to happen with the rest of health reform intact. Yet another reason to worry about repeal under a GOP-led White House and/or Congress.
How can you help to control health care costs? Here are a bunch of tips from Consumer's Reports. Know your coverage. Stay in network if you can. And if you go out of network, do your homework on the cost ahead of time.
A few weeks ago, we learned that Florida closed the only tuberculosis hospital in the state amidst a tuberculosis outbreak. Now, we learn that patients with tuberculosis were sent to a hotel instead. Not a licensed medical facility. No ongoing medical attention. A hotel. How is this not a scandal?
Remember the debt collector that was showing up in ERs wearing scrubs, hassling people about their bills before they even saw a doctor? They settled with Minnesota for $2.5 million. If you ask me, that's a gift.
There were a lot of stories last week coming out of the international AIDS conference that took place in Washington. The stories were optimistic; some even see a cure in sight. We need to be reminded, though, that we're not there yet -- there's still a long way to go.
Women live longer than men, but their brains deteriorate earlier -- possibly due to increased stress.
Gradual exposure to food allergens may overcome allergies. But please, talk to your doctor before you try this. You don't want to send your kid into anaphylactic shock!
Massage may have significant benefits for both physical pain and mental ills. Can you get it covered by insurance? If it's performed by a physical therapist and coded as physical therapy, maybe!
And that's it for now. Have a great day. Jennifer
If your insurer did not meet the medical loss ratio rules (spending 80-85% of premium dollars on health care, they have to pay rebates by August 1. Over $1.3 billion in rebates will have been paid this year. You still don't think health reform is starting to deal with cost?
As in Massachusetts, the idea was a two-phased approach to health reform,with phase I focused on increasing coverage and phase II on cutting costs. Massachusetts is as stage II, and the legislation is now awaiting legislative action. It would key health care spending to a percentage of the gross state product (GDP but for states), create an oversight agency to collect data and help establish health policy. We need to watch this carefully -- what happens in MA may well happen nationally, eventually.
So if states like Texas opt out of health reform's Medicaid expansion, who covers the cost of care for the poor in Texas? The taxpayers of the State of Texas, of course. Even more evidence that the only reason to pass up the Medicaid expansion is spitefulness towards anything President Obama does -- it's certainly not because it's in the economic interest of Texans since the Medicaid expansion would cover at 100% federal funding for the first couple of years, and then gradually decrease to 90% federal funding. Thanks, Samir, for the link.
Still, the GOP is all about cutting Medicaid. They want to convert it to block grants, which would mean drastic cuts in some states. That's because the feds enforce certain coverage requirements; without those requirements, states could cut costs -- and care -- greatly. Not exactly a good thing in my book.
Meanwhile, the insurance industry is trying to get rid of the fees (they say tax) they have to pay to help finance health reform. Highly unlikely to happen with the rest of health reform intact. Yet another reason to worry about repeal under a GOP-led White House and/or Congress.
How can you help to control health care costs? Here are a bunch of tips from Consumer's Reports. Know your coverage. Stay in network if you can. And if you go out of network, do your homework on the cost ahead of time.
A few weeks ago, we learned that Florida closed the only tuberculosis hospital in the state amidst a tuberculosis outbreak. Now, we learn that patients with tuberculosis were sent to a hotel instead. Not a licensed medical facility. No ongoing medical attention. A hotel. How is this not a scandal?
Remember the debt collector that was showing up in ERs wearing scrubs, hassling people about their bills before they even saw a doctor? They settled with Minnesota for $2.5 million. If you ask me, that's a gift.
There were a lot of stories last week coming out of the international AIDS conference that took place in Washington. The stories were optimistic; some even see a cure in sight. We need to be reminded, though, that we're not there yet -- there's still a long way to go.
Women live longer than men, but their brains deteriorate earlier -- possibly due to increased stress.
Gradual exposure to food allergens may overcome allergies. But please, talk to your doctor before you try this. You don't want to send your kid into anaphylactic shock!
Massage may have significant benefits for both physical pain and mental ills. Can you get it covered by insurance? If it's performed by a physical therapist and coded as physical therapy, maybe!
And that's it for now. Have a great day. Jennifer
Monday, July 30, 2012
Monday Morning News
The health insurance plan of champions. Maybe. Here's the Olympians' insurance plan.
The GOP says covering the uninsured no longer is the top priority in fixing health care. The goal should be reducing costs. Hmmm. Can't we try to do both?
Oklahoma is not a place that's welcoming health reform with open arms. They've turned down a $54 million grant to set up an exchange, and people say they are not going to buy insurance. They call it a frontier mentality. I call it short-sighted. Say what you will about health reform -- how can there be anything bad in being able to shop for it and compare plans and prices before you buy? How can there be anything bad in at least having the choice of whether to buy health insurance -- a choice too many Americans don't have due to pre-existing conditions or premium prices without subsidies? The system is broken and needs fixing. Why not at least see how the best ideas the smartest people could think of -- both Democrat and Republican -- work before you decide it's a failure?
We have a shortage of primary care doctors, and it's likely to get worse as health reform takes full effect and more people need access to primary care. Indeed, in some parts of the country, the shortage extends to specialists, as well, creating long wait times to see a doctor. Part of the reason is that people are living longer, and the elderly typically need more health care, so there's more demand without a corresponding increase in supply. How do we make medicine an attractive profession when there is so much uncertainty in health care and what it will pay in the future?
Most HIV positive Americans lack regular health care. Considering the fact that HIV is survivable now with regular care, it's tragic that this many people are going without. The health reform law should help, though, by getting more people covered.
Tennessee's Medicaid program cuts benefits for nursing home, instead providing services in the home. Will this turn out to be a good thing, keeping seniors at home longer, or is this just a budget cutter that will harm seniors? Too soon to tell.
How should doctors deliver bad news? I remember after my first surgery, I was so afraid that I would be waking up with an ostomy. When I did wake up and started asking what was under the huge dressing on my abdomen and nobody would tell me. Until a nurse finally said I'd had a colectomy. The only problem is that I had never heard that word before and didn't know that it meant a resection, no ostomy. I kept asking and asking -- it was over 24 hours before I got a straight answer.
I don't think commentary is necessary with this story. Read it for yourself and decide what lessons there are to be learned from this tragedy.
A profile on the Board president of the National Alliance for Mental Illness. A great organization we have the privilege of working with locally here in Connecticut. Is there any other disease that can land you handcuffed in the back of a police car? We know what insurance companies do with mental illness, but it goes far beyond that. If you don't get it, read this article. And watch the commentary on Jesse Jackson Jr., as it is disclosed that he is at the Mayo Clinic being treated for depression and gastrointestinal issues. Will depression be dealt with like any other illness befalling a politician?
We hear a lot about sexual abuse, physical abuse, but what about emotional abuse? In fact, psychological abuse -- demeaning, bullying, humiliating your children -- is the most common form of child abuse. And we don't see it, don't deal with it, don't treat it as abuse.
Eat like the athletes?
That's it for this morning. Have a great day. Jennifer
The GOP says covering the uninsured no longer is the top priority in fixing health care. The goal should be reducing costs. Hmmm. Can't we try to do both?
Oklahoma is not a place that's welcoming health reform with open arms. They've turned down a $54 million grant to set up an exchange, and people say they are not going to buy insurance. They call it a frontier mentality. I call it short-sighted. Say what you will about health reform -- how can there be anything bad in being able to shop for it and compare plans and prices before you buy? How can there be anything bad in at least having the choice of whether to buy health insurance -- a choice too many Americans don't have due to pre-existing conditions or premium prices without subsidies? The system is broken and needs fixing. Why not at least see how the best ideas the smartest people could think of -- both Democrat and Republican -- work before you decide it's a failure?
We have a shortage of primary care doctors, and it's likely to get worse as health reform takes full effect and more people need access to primary care. Indeed, in some parts of the country, the shortage extends to specialists, as well, creating long wait times to see a doctor. Part of the reason is that people are living longer, and the elderly typically need more health care, so there's more demand without a corresponding increase in supply. How do we make medicine an attractive profession when there is so much uncertainty in health care and what it will pay in the future?
Most HIV positive Americans lack regular health care. Considering the fact that HIV is survivable now with regular care, it's tragic that this many people are going without. The health reform law should help, though, by getting more people covered.
Tennessee's Medicaid program cuts benefits for nursing home, instead providing services in the home. Will this turn out to be a good thing, keeping seniors at home longer, or is this just a budget cutter that will harm seniors? Too soon to tell.
How should doctors deliver bad news? I remember after my first surgery, I was so afraid that I would be waking up with an ostomy. When I did wake up and started asking what was under the huge dressing on my abdomen and nobody would tell me. Until a nurse finally said I'd had a colectomy. The only problem is that I had never heard that word before and didn't know that it meant a resection, no ostomy. I kept asking and asking -- it was over 24 hours before I got a straight answer.
I don't think commentary is necessary with this story. Read it for yourself and decide what lessons there are to be learned from this tragedy.
A profile on the Board president of the National Alliance for Mental Illness. A great organization we have the privilege of working with locally here in Connecticut. Is there any other disease that can land you handcuffed in the back of a police car? We know what insurance companies do with mental illness, but it goes far beyond that. If you don't get it, read this article. And watch the commentary on Jesse Jackson Jr., as it is disclosed that he is at the Mayo Clinic being treated for depression and gastrointestinal issues. Will depression be dealt with like any other illness befalling a politician?
We hear a lot about sexual abuse, physical abuse, but what about emotional abuse? In fact, psychological abuse -- demeaning, bullying, humiliating your children -- is the most common form of child abuse. And we don't see it, don't deal with it, don't treat it as abuse.
Eat like the athletes?
That's it for this morning. Have a great day. Jennifer
Friday, July 27, 2012
Spent
Finally, it's Friday. One more day and I get to rest, to make up for traveling instead of resting last week-end. I'm completely spent. I actually walked out of my office at 6 pm last night -- I didn't have another hour in me, not to mention another day. I need to keep my head down, my mouth shut, and just get through this day so I can rest. And have a really good, big, sobbing cry for all I lost this week. But first, the news:
Congressional leadership is trying to cut a federal funding deal that would avert a government shut down before the election. According to The Hill, conservatives feel they have the most to lose in another funding stand-off leading up to the election. They're arguing about whether to extend three months, until the end of the year (the current funding runs out at the end of the fiscal year, which is September) or six months, which would put off hard choices until after the new Congress and, potentially, President are sworn in. Of course, the big fight at the end of the year will be the expiration -- or not -- of the Bush tax cuts. President Obama wants to extend the cuts for people earning under $250,000; the GOP wants to extend them for all income levels.
Health reform has saved seniors more than $4 billion in prescription drug costs. The doughnut hole continues to shrink -- a very good thing.
Hospitals receive federal funding to cover the cost of charity care. That fund gets cut in half by health reform. Yet, since illegal immigrants aren't eligible for Medicaid or subsidies to help them buy insurance, they will still seek care in emergency rooms. But there won't be as much federal funding to go around. Hospitals are worried.
But they are doing the right thing by the victims of the Colorado shooting. For those patients who are uninsured and underinsured, hospitals are writing off the charges. You have to give them credit for doing the right thing in this case.
Los Angeles has banned medical marijuana dispensaries, and some say the beneficial effects of pot are overstated.
Did you know that the heat wave could be affecting the way your medication works? I didn't. This explains a lot.
Disability rights advocates have sued Walmart for placing payment machines out of reach of people in wheelchairs and scooters. I'm not a Walmart shopper, so I'm not sure what these payment machines look like -- but I support efforts to ensure accessibility for all.
The Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine says Michelle Obama is focusing too much on exercise and not enough on good nutrition. This got them a little press, but really, hasn't she been talking about growing your own veggies, teaching kids to like veggies, changing school lunches, all along?
And there you go. Have a great day and a great week-end. Jennifer
Congressional leadership is trying to cut a federal funding deal that would avert a government shut down before the election. According to The Hill, conservatives feel they have the most to lose in another funding stand-off leading up to the election. They're arguing about whether to extend three months, until the end of the year (the current funding runs out at the end of the fiscal year, which is September) or six months, which would put off hard choices until after the new Congress and, potentially, President are sworn in. Of course, the big fight at the end of the year will be the expiration -- or not -- of the Bush tax cuts. President Obama wants to extend the cuts for people earning under $250,000; the GOP wants to extend them for all income levels.
Health reform has saved seniors more than $4 billion in prescription drug costs. The doughnut hole continues to shrink -- a very good thing.
Hospitals receive federal funding to cover the cost of charity care. That fund gets cut in half by health reform. Yet, since illegal immigrants aren't eligible for Medicaid or subsidies to help them buy insurance, they will still seek care in emergency rooms. But there won't be as much federal funding to go around. Hospitals are worried.
But they are doing the right thing by the victims of the Colorado shooting. For those patients who are uninsured and underinsured, hospitals are writing off the charges. You have to give them credit for doing the right thing in this case.
Los Angeles has banned medical marijuana dispensaries, and some say the beneficial effects of pot are overstated.
Did you know that the heat wave could be affecting the way your medication works? I didn't. This explains a lot.
Disability rights advocates have sued Walmart for placing payment machines out of reach of people in wheelchairs and scooters. I'm not a Walmart shopper, so I'm not sure what these payment machines look like -- but I support efforts to ensure accessibility for all.
The Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine says Michelle Obama is focusing too much on exercise and not enough on good nutrition. This got them a little press, but really, hasn't she been talking about growing your own veggies, teaching kids to like veggies, changing school lunches, all along?
And there you go. Have a great day and a great week-end. Jennifer
Thursday, July 26, 2012
A Big Day for Connecticut
The essential health benefit package (EHB) is going to be the blueprint for all individual and small group insurance starting January 2014 -- the package of benefits that must be covered. Two advisory committees to the Exchange Board here in Connecticut have studied the issue, and today, our recommendations will be reported to the Board. We worked very hard on this, spending months pouring over data, trying to choose a benefit package that balances affordability with comprehensiveness. For months, we've been told that our recommendation would go to the Board, then the Board would make a recommendation to the Governor, and the state's final decision would then be communicated to the federal government. Since both advisory committees chose the same compromise, you'd have thought that would carry a lot of weight with the Board. However, it appears that the rules of the game are changing, that when we were told we had no more time and no more information, in fact, there was time for a 30 day comment period -- something nobody ever said was going to happen. Is this just a nod to democracy, or is this a pretext for rejecting the advisory committees' recommendations, substituting them for a more restrictive suite of benefits? I have a bad feeling about this. Add to that the expectation that the anti-abortion Family Institute of Connecticut is planning to turn out in force to protest against insurance coverage of abortion, and this promises to be a red letter day. Ugh.
UPDATE: The Exchange Board has taken the matter of the EHB under advisement, with a vote expected at their August meeting. The 30 day comment period is for approval of the PROCESS for selecting an EHB. Board members did ask about cost data, and one Board member in particular was concerned about selecting a plan that includes all statutory coverage mandates. However, as was explained, those statutory mandates can only be changed by the General Assembly. There were some anti-choice folks in the audience, but only one gave public comment. So all in all, it was a less eventful meeting than anticipated -- and that's a really GOOD thing!
Meanwhile, here's proof of the harm that will be done by states that refuse the Medicaid expansion. Medicaid eligibility lowers the death rate. Give more people access to health care and you save lives -- plain and simple. And so if you withhold a Medicaid expansion that costs the state nothing in the first few years, and never goes below 90% federal funding, you are sentencing some people to death. Nothing short of a life and death choice.
Minorities may have more to gain from health reform. Higher rates of uninsurance is fertile ground for a huge advance when affordable insurance is available to all.
But here's a great step forward -- the federal government and private insurers are going to team up to put a dent in health care fraud. By sharing and comparing claims data, they can find patterns of fraud and waste -- and bring in huge savings. About time.
A group of doctors have filed a citizens petition with the FDA asking for new rules for prescribing pain meds. We've all read about the overdoses and the selling of prescription drugs on the street. But these sorts of restrictions have threatened the health and well-being of millions of patients with chronic pain. There has to be a balance.
Do we in America use too much health care? If so, is it driven by a medical system that profits off of over-use of its services? Or is it driven by patients who hear about the latest and greatest treatment and can't wait to get their hands on it? Tough but important questions.
If you have insurance, you're less likely to have advanced stage surgical cancer than if you're uninsured. You still think health reform's goal of universal coverage is folly?
Can we cure HIV? Scientists who gathered in Washington DC this week believe we are on the way. I love the thought that, some day, we'll think back on the dark days of HIV/AIDS knowing that nobody will ever have to suffer with this awful disease again.
Do you talk about your illness? Here are some thoughts on whether to tell or not. As you know, I have always talked about mine, thinking that I could raise awareness and make it less scary for others to talk about their illnesses. But it's important to be clear on what you're hoping for from others if you do tell.
There you go. Stay tuned for an update on what happens in Connecticut today. Since we're one of the states that's moving along on health reform implementation, what happens here today may affect what happens elsewhere. So let's hope the powers that be for once resist the temptation to tinker with a democratic process to obtain the outcome they want. Jennifer
UPDATE: The Exchange Board has taken the matter of the EHB under advisement, with a vote expected at their August meeting. The 30 day comment period is for approval of the PROCESS for selecting an EHB. Board members did ask about cost data, and one Board member in particular was concerned about selecting a plan that includes all statutory coverage mandates. However, as was explained, those statutory mandates can only be changed by the General Assembly. There were some anti-choice folks in the audience, but only one gave public comment. So all in all, it was a less eventful meeting than anticipated -- and that's a really GOOD thing!
Meanwhile, here's proof of the harm that will be done by states that refuse the Medicaid expansion. Medicaid eligibility lowers the death rate. Give more people access to health care and you save lives -- plain and simple. And so if you withhold a Medicaid expansion that costs the state nothing in the first few years, and never goes below 90% federal funding, you are sentencing some people to death. Nothing short of a life and death choice.
Minorities may have more to gain from health reform. Higher rates of uninsurance is fertile ground for a huge advance when affordable insurance is available to all.
But here's a great step forward -- the federal government and private insurers are going to team up to put a dent in health care fraud. By sharing and comparing claims data, they can find patterns of fraud and waste -- and bring in huge savings. About time.
A group of doctors have filed a citizens petition with the FDA asking for new rules for prescribing pain meds. We've all read about the overdoses and the selling of prescription drugs on the street. But these sorts of restrictions have threatened the health and well-being of millions of patients with chronic pain. There has to be a balance.
Do we in America use too much health care? If so, is it driven by a medical system that profits off of over-use of its services? Or is it driven by patients who hear about the latest and greatest treatment and can't wait to get their hands on it? Tough but important questions.
If you have insurance, you're less likely to have advanced stage surgical cancer than if you're uninsured. You still think health reform's goal of universal coverage is folly?
Can we cure HIV? Scientists who gathered in Washington DC this week believe we are on the way. I love the thought that, some day, we'll think back on the dark days of HIV/AIDS knowing that nobody will ever have to suffer with this awful disease again.
Do you talk about your illness? Here are some thoughts on whether to tell or not. As you know, I have always talked about mine, thinking that I could raise awareness and make it less scary for others to talk about their illnesses. But it's important to be clear on what you're hoping for from others if you do tell.
There you go. Stay tuned for an update on what happens in Connecticut today. Since we're one of the states that's moving along on health reform implementation, what happens here today may affect what happens elsewhere. So let's hope the powers that be for once resist the temptation to tinker with a democratic process to obtain the outcome they want. Jennifer
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Popping In
Good morning! Sorry I've been AWOL -- I'm just exhausted, so I've been sleeping a little later, moving a little more slowly, this week, and trying to stay on top of things here in Connecticut. It's also a really slow time in the political world -- people on vacation, the Olympics about to start, the August recess around the corner. So this is a good time to take a break from the blog here and there. But there are a few items worth noting, so here you go:
Due to the Supreme Court ruling regarding the Medicaid expansion, roughly 3 million fewer people will become insured in 2014. This number represents the number of poor people who will not have the benefit of the Medicaid expansion because their Governor opposes health reform. We should all be outraged. For a state to turn down 100% federal funding out of spiteful hatred of President Obama, sacrificing the poor in the bargain, is wrong in every way. The Attorney General of Virginia, who's been leading the charge against health reform, says states should not even set up exchanges. He says a federal exchange can't impose penalties for failing to purchase insurance -- a point that, legally, is wrong. But even so, what's so wrong with making it easier for consumers to shop for and buy insurance? According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, repealing health reform would cost $109 billion. How is that a good thing, according to the deficit hawks?
Thirteen states are cutting Medicaid to balance their budgets. Here in Connecticut, officials are trying to tighten eligibility requirements for low income adults, but thankfully, due to our legislative leaders, it's a tough sell to the legislative committee that would have to approve it.
Is it good that patients can now get their own test results, or should we be concerned that patients may misinterpret the results? Or even worse, scare patients to death?
Believe it or not, that's all I can find that's noteworthy. No news is good news, right? I hope so. Have a great day! Jennifer
Due to the Supreme Court ruling regarding the Medicaid expansion, roughly 3 million fewer people will become insured in 2014. This number represents the number of poor people who will not have the benefit of the Medicaid expansion because their Governor opposes health reform. We should all be outraged. For a state to turn down 100% federal funding out of spiteful hatred of President Obama, sacrificing the poor in the bargain, is wrong in every way. The Attorney General of Virginia, who's been leading the charge against health reform, says states should not even set up exchanges. He says a federal exchange can't impose penalties for failing to purchase insurance -- a point that, legally, is wrong. But even so, what's so wrong with making it easier for consumers to shop for and buy insurance? According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, repealing health reform would cost $109 billion. How is that a good thing, according to the deficit hawks?
Thirteen states are cutting Medicaid to balance their budgets. Here in Connecticut, officials are trying to tighten eligibility requirements for low income adults, but thankfully, due to our legislative leaders, it's a tough sell to the legislative committee that would have to approve it.
Is it good that patients can now get their own test results, or should we be concerned that patients may misinterpret the results? Or even worse, scare patients to death?
Believe it or not, that's all I can find that's noteworthy. No news is good news, right? I hope so. Have a great day! Jennifer
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Better Late Than Never?
Sorry I'm late this morning. I slept an extra hour, which really is a good thing. But let's get right to to the news.
As you know, when Congress was unable to agree on a plan to raise the debt limit and prevent a global economic crisis when the United States defaulted on its debt, they created a super-committee to figure it out. When the super-committee was unable to get anywhere, automatic cuts were scheduled to kick in in 2013. Now, people are unhappy with the automatic cuts -- the GOP is fretting over defense cuts, and the Dems are fretting over cuts to social programs. This one's going to be painful for us all. The GOP wants to scuttle the deal now, but the President says they made their bed and now they need to lie in it. I agree -- but I hate that poor, sick Americans are going to suffer even further for Congress's misdeeds. Head Start, AIDS programs, child care all on the chopping block. I don't know where this is going, but I find it hard to imagine a happy ending.
Meanwhile, the House Appropriations Committee voted to defund health reform. If you can't repeal it, defund it. But whatever you do, make sure those "unfortunate people" with pre-existing conditions don't get what they need.
The Governor of Maine not only wants to reject the Medicaid expansion; he plans to cut thousands of people from the Medicaid rolls, believing that the Supreme Court decision allows him to do so. The health reform law prohibits cutting Medicaid eligibility and the Supreme Court did not address that part of the law at all. But setting aside the constitutional questions, ARE YOU NUTS?!!! Why would a state want to take away health care for the very poor? What do they plan to do when those people get sick and can't get care?
Most Americans believe that the Supreme Court's decision in the health reform case was based on the Justices' personal politics more than the law. The thing is that personal politics, biases, proclivities inform all of our judgments one way or the other. Supreme Court Justices are no different. That's part of why it matters so much who's on the Court. If it were a totally objective process, you could just use a computer to get a decision! Justice Scalia denies that decisions are politically motivated, though. And in case you were worried, he says he and Chief Justice Roberts are getting along just fine despite the Chief Justice's decision on health reform.
Here's a bit of a surprise. Bill Frist, former GOP Senator and also a doctor, says Exchanges are innovative, market-driven, and constructive and the GOP should stop opposing them. They used to listen to him -- I wonder if they will do so now.
Lack of exercise kills as many people as smoking. Oh, boy.
The study of the human genome continues to spawn new understanding on a path to new treatments. One large study has given researchers some hints about colon cancer that may lead to new treatments. Very exciting.
However, another study is questioning surgery for early detected prostate cancer, finding that people who have surgery don't do a lot better than those who don't.
Regular, moderate consumption of alcohol may reduce women's risk of rheumatoid arthritis? Really? I don't know that I'm ready to bank on this one.
And that's it for today. Have a great day! Jennifer
As you know, when Congress was unable to agree on a plan to raise the debt limit and prevent a global economic crisis when the United States defaulted on its debt, they created a super-committee to figure it out. When the super-committee was unable to get anywhere, automatic cuts were scheduled to kick in in 2013. Now, people are unhappy with the automatic cuts -- the GOP is fretting over defense cuts, and the Dems are fretting over cuts to social programs. This one's going to be painful for us all. The GOP wants to scuttle the deal now, but the President says they made their bed and now they need to lie in it. I agree -- but I hate that poor, sick Americans are going to suffer even further for Congress's misdeeds. Head Start, AIDS programs, child care all on the chopping block. I don't know where this is going, but I find it hard to imagine a happy ending.
Meanwhile, the House Appropriations Committee voted to defund health reform. If you can't repeal it, defund it. But whatever you do, make sure those "unfortunate people" with pre-existing conditions don't get what they need.
The Governor of Maine not only wants to reject the Medicaid expansion; he plans to cut thousands of people from the Medicaid rolls, believing that the Supreme Court decision allows him to do so. The health reform law prohibits cutting Medicaid eligibility and the Supreme Court did not address that part of the law at all. But setting aside the constitutional questions, ARE YOU NUTS?!!! Why would a state want to take away health care for the very poor? What do they plan to do when those people get sick and can't get care?
Most Americans believe that the Supreme Court's decision in the health reform case was based on the Justices' personal politics more than the law. The thing is that personal politics, biases, proclivities inform all of our judgments one way or the other. Supreme Court Justices are no different. That's part of why it matters so much who's on the Court. If it were a totally objective process, you could just use a computer to get a decision! Justice Scalia denies that decisions are politically motivated, though. And in case you were worried, he says he and Chief Justice Roberts are getting along just fine despite the Chief Justice's decision on health reform.
Here's a bit of a surprise. Bill Frist, former GOP Senator and also a doctor, says Exchanges are innovative, market-driven, and constructive and the GOP should stop opposing them. They used to listen to him -- I wonder if they will do so now.
Lack of exercise kills as many people as smoking. Oh, boy.
The study of the human genome continues to spawn new understanding on a path to new treatments. One large study has given researchers some hints about colon cancer that may lead to new treatments. Very exciting.
However, another study is questioning surgery for early detected prostate cancer, finding that people who have surgery don't do a lot better than those who don't.
Regular, moderate consumption of alcohol may reduce women's risk of rheumatoid arthritis? Really? I don't know that I'm ready to bank on this one.
And that's it for today. Have a great day! Jennifer
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