[FONT="]by Donna Baver Rovito[/FONT]
[FONT="]Editor, Liability and Health News Update[/FONT]
[FONT="]Author, Pennsylvania's Disappearing Doctors[/FONT]
[FONT="]This LIABILITY AND HEALTH NEWS UPDATE "newsletter" is a free service which I provide, as a volunteer, to help supply medical liability reform and health care reform news and information, legislative updates, and political insight to physicians, patients, liability reform and quality health care advocates. NO ONE pays me to do this.[/FONT][FONT="]
[FONT="]I am not employed by any physician or health care reform advocacy or liability reform organization, political party or candidate, although I volunteer for several. I am a quality health care, physician and patient advocate, breast cancer survivor, physician's spouse, journalist, political noisemaker, mom, and freelance writer. I am not nor will I ever claim to be unbiased (I am....biased, I mean), unlike many in the mainstream media.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Most information in this newsletter is copied and pasted from other sources, and will always be identified with links. Opinions and clarifications are my own, and do not reflect the official position of any physician or patient advocacy organization, tort reform, or health care reform group unless stated as such. My opinions are placed in double parentheses (("my opinion")), italicized and appear in blue. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT="]This Update is emailed to health professionals, physician and patient advocates, and others interested in ensuring access to quality medical care. Join our Google Group to ensure you get all issues ASAP: [/FONT]
[FONT="][FONT="]http://groups.google.com/group/liabilityandhealthnewsupdate[/FONT][/FONT][FONT="]. It also appears on the following BLOG (when I remember to post it): [/FONT][FONT="][FONT="]http://liabilityandhealthnewsupdate.blogspot.com[/FONT][/FONT][FONT="]. [/FONT][FONT="]
[FONT="]If you'd prefer not to receive these periodic updates about health care issues in America, please hit "Reply" and put "Unsub health group" in the subject line and I'll remove your email address immediately.[/FONT]
[FONT="]PLEASE FORWARD THIS IMPORTANT INFORMATION TO EVERY HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL OR PATIENT YOU KNOW, AND SEND ME MORE EMAIL ADDRESSES SO WE CAN GET THIS INFORMATION TO MORE OF THE PEOPLE WHO NEED IT.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT="][email protected] [/FONT]
[FONT="][email protected][/FONT]
[FONT="]http://groups.google.com/group/liabilityandhealthnewsupdate[/FONT]
[FONT="]http://liabilityandhealthnewsupdate.blogspot.com [/FONT]
[FONT="]Commentary[/FONT]
[FONT="]It's almost impossible to keep up with all the news and information surrounding the health care bill. Today alone, I had to clear almost 300 emails - many of which contained important information. I'll do my best to get the most important stuff to you, but probably won't have time to add much commentary. (Of course, I'm sure there are those who won't consider that a BAD thing...)[/FONT]
[FONT="]The biggest question I keep hearing is "But what's IN the bills? In bullet points or 30 seconds, please...." That's a little bit of an exaggeration, but it's virtually impossible to explain the myriad provisions of the bills in just a couple of minutes, or a few paragraphs. Plus, as experts study it more closely, they're discovering new things that no one noticed before the bill passed. I'll pass that information along as it becomes available.[/FONT]
[FONT="]On a more personal note, I've agreed to help coordinate the Health Care Professionals Coalition for Pat Toomey's Senate Campaign - this is independent of any of my other activities regarding liability or health care reform. I don't think I need to explain to most of my readers WHY we should support Pat Toomey in his bid to replace the trial lawyers' good friend Arlen Specter, but in the days to come, I'll be providing a lot of information about Pat and his campaign, and how we can work together to support him.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Doctors, nurses, PA's, anesthetists, dentists, chiropractors, practice administrators, and anyone else engaged in providing health care are all welcome to get involved. [FONT="]Right now, we're looking for physicians who oppose the recently passed health care bill who are willing to speak out against it[/FONT]. [/FONT]
[FONT="]If you're interested, please contact me at [email protected]. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Please be interested. More information will follow.[/FONT]
[FONT="]DBR[/FONT]
[FONT="]Business Week[/FONT]
[FONT="]Health Care Reform: How You Will Fare[/FONT]
[FONT="]Experts weigh its impact on the insured, the uninsured, young adults, seniors and more[/FONT]
[FONT="]By Karen Pallarito[/FONT][FONT="]
HealthDay Reporter[/FONT]
[FONT="]http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/637297.html?chan=rss_topStories_ssi_5[/FONT]
[FONT="]TUESDAY, March 23 (HealthDay News) -- Since the historic passage of the health-care reform bill by the U.S. House of Representatives on Sunday, and its signing into law by President Barack Obama two days later, many Americans are still wondering, "What's in it for me?"[/FONT]
[FONT="]The new legislation expands coverage to the uninsured, of course, but other consumer groups will also be affected, including seniors, young adults and people with employer-sponsored health insurance.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Most Americans who are currently uninsured will be required by law to buy insurance, typically through one of the new state-run insurance exchanges.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Obama signed the heath-care reform measure into law midday on Tuesday, while a separate bill containing changes and improvements to the legislation is pending Senate action.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Already, Republican opponents have introduced bills to repeal the health-reform package, and state attorneys general are questioning the legality of a new federal mandate requiring most U.S. citizens to carry health insurance coverage.[/FONT]
[FONT="]HealthDay[/FONT][FONT="] consulted experts with very different points of view for their take on how the legislation stacks up for consumers. Here's what they said:[/FONT]
[FONT="]People with employer-sponsored health insurance[/FONT]
[FONT="]Throughout his campaign for health reform, Obama insisted that if you like your health plan, you can keep it.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Sara Collins, vice president of the Affordable Health Insurance Program at The Commonwealth Fund in New York City, said that still holds true for people who get their health insurance coverage through a large employer. "Right now, if you're in an employer-based plan, the world doesn't really change for you," she said.[/FONT]
[FONT="]People who get their benefits through small employers, however, may encounter some upheaval. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated that 8 million to 9 million individuals, mostly lower-wage workers and people who work for smaller employers, could lose their employer-sponsored coverage as a result of the legislation.[/FONT]
[FONT="]The reason: "There will be real economic incentives to move average- and lower-income employees" into newly created health insurance " 'exchanges,' " said John C. Goodman, president of the National Center for Policy Analysis in Dallas, a proponent of free-market reforms.[/FONT]
[FONT="]The uninsured[/FONT]
[FONT="]The legislation expands health insurance to 94 percent of non-elderly Americans. That may not be universal coverage, but it will reduce the ranks of the uninsured by 32 million by 2019, according to the CBO analysis.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Collins described the two ways that people will gain subsidized coverage. One way is by expanding Medicaid eligibility -- up to nearly $30,000 for a family of four. The other way is by subsidizing private coverage through the new insurance exchanges. Families with incomes between $30,000 and $88,000 a year should be eligible for those subsidies.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Young adults[/FONT]
[FONT="]About 30 percent of young adults are currently uninsured, Collins said. To help close the gap in health coverage, lawmakers included a provision in the health-reform package that allows young adults to remain on their parents' health insurance plans up to age 26. That measure, which takes effect this year and enjoys broad bipartisan support, should help close the insurance gap, she noted.[/FONT]
[FONT="]"I have a feeling that the young-adult benefit will be very popular," Collins said. "There's no restrictions on income, so this really addresses what families across the income spectrum really do face with young adults."[/FONT]
[FONT="]Goodman agreed that the coverage extension is good for young adults who are sick, but said that requiring insurers to accept all comers and to charge similar rates regardless of health risk will undermine the individual insurance market.[/FONT]
[FONT="]"If you're a young adult and you're out buying your own insurance, this is going to be a minus for you because premiums are really going to go up," he contended.[/FONT]
[FONT="]People with pre-existing conditions[/FONT]
[FONT="]Beginning this year, people with pre-existing health conditions who have been denied coverage and have been uninsured for six months will be eligible for subsidized coverage through a national high-risk pool program. The pool serves as a temporary fix until the insurance exchanges are up and running, Collins said.[/FONT]
[FONT="]And by 2014, insurers may no longer charge individuals and small businesses higher premiums or deny coverage on the basis of pre-existing conditions.[/FONT]
[FONT="]While health groups hailed the changes, Goodman said the new rules could create problems for insurers if people stay out of the market (and pay penalties for not having insurance) until they are sick. "The fine is quite low compared to the cost of the insurance," he explained.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Medicare beneficiaries[/FONT]
[FONT="]The legislation contains several Medicare enhancements. For example, seniors currently share the cost of preventive services, but beginning in 2011, those tests and treatments will be covered in full.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Medicare Part D's notorious coverage gap -- the so-called "donut hole" -- will also be eliminated by 2020. Currently, many beneficiaries have to foot the bill in the coverage gap, which begins after the enrollee has incurred $2,830 in drug spending and ends only after drug costs exceed $6,440. As part of the new legislation, seniors who reach the coverage gap in 2010 will be eligible for a $250 rebate.[/FONT]
[FONT="]However, the legislation also slashes subsidies to private health plans that serve seniors -- so-called "Medicare Advantage" plans -- and Goodman said the fallout from those cutbacks could become the Obama administration's worst nightmare.[/FONT]
[FONT="]"Right before they vote in November, seniors will be getting letters from insurers telling them their plan is going to be cancelled and they'll have to go back to traditional Medicare," he predicted.[/FONT]
[FONT="]More information[/FONT]
[FONT="]To read the health-reform legislation and changes approved by the House of Representatives, visit the House Rules Committee.[/FONT]
[FONT="]SOURCES: Sara R. Collins, Ph.D., vice president, Affordable Health Insurance Program, The Commonwealth Fund, New York City; John C. Goodman, Ph.D., president, National Center for Policy Analysis, Dallas[/FONT]
[FONT="]Copyright © 2010 HealthDay. All rights reserved.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Conservatives for Patients' Rights Newsletter - March 29, 2010[/FONT]
[FONT="]Today's Daily Dose [/FONT]
[FONT="]The [FONT="]Wall Street Journal [/FONT]editorializes, "It's been a banner week for Democrats: ObamaCare passed Congress in its final form on Thursday night, and the returns are already rolling in. Yesterday AT&T announced that it will be forced to make a $1 billion writedown due solely to the health bill, in what has become a wave of such corporate losses. This wholesale destruction of wealth and capital came with more than ample warning. Turning over every couch cushion to make their new entitlement look affordable under Beltway accounting rules, Democrats decided to raise taxes on companies that do the public service of offering prescription drug benefits to their retirees instead of dumping them into Medicare. We and others warned this would lead to AT&T-like results, but like so many other ObamaCare objections Democrats waved them off as self-serving or 'political.' [...] The Democratic political calculation with ObamaCare is the proverbial boiling frog: Gradually introduce a health-care entitlement by hiding the true costs, hook the middle class on new subsidies until they become unrepealable, but try to delay the adverse consequences and major new tax hikes so voters don't make the connection between their policy and the economic wreckage. But their bill was such a shoddy, jerry-rigged piece of work that the damage is coming sooner than even some critics expected."
Since confusion still swirls around the health care legislation, this chart [PDF] shows when different aspects of the bill take effect.
"There is an alternative to the Obama health plan. It's called innovation. Economist Glen Whitman and physician Raymond Raad found that, when it comes to basic medical sciences, diagnostics (e.g., MRIs and CT scanners), and therapeutics (e.g., ACE inhibitors and statins), the United States often produces more medical innovations than all other nations combined." Read more from CATO's Michael Cannon here. The health care reform package is expected to contribute to shortages of primary care physicians. "Recently published reports predict a shortfall of roughly 40,000 primary care doctors over the next decade, as physicians are increasingly drawn to the better pay, better hours, and higher profile of many other specialties."
The [FONT="]Richmond Times-Dispatch[/FONT] explains why Obamacare is unconstitutional. "Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli's lawsuit against Obamacare is right on the merits. Nothing in the Constitution grants Congress the power to force every American to purchase a particular consumer good. Although the Founders made it quite clear that the federal government lacked the power to do anything not specifically authorized, many Americans today assume Washington has the power to do whatever is not specifically forbidden."[/FONT]
[FONT="]The ObamaCare Writedowns[/FONT][FONT="]Wall Street Journal[/FONT][FONT="]
It's been a banner week for Democrats: ObamaCare passed Congress in its final form on Thursday night, and the returns are already rolling in. Yesterday AT&T announced that it will be forced to make a $1 billion writedown due solely to the health bill, in what has become a wave of such corporate losses. This wholesale destruction of wealth and capital came with more than ample warning. Turning over every couch cushion to make their new entitlement look affordable under Beltway accounting rules, Democrats decided to raise taxes on companies that do the public service of offering prescription drug benefits to their retirees instead of dumping them into Medicare. We and others warned this would lead to AT&T-like results, but like so many other ObamaCare objections Democrats waved them off as self-serving or "political."
[FONT="]Innovation best alternative to Obamacare[/FONT]
[FONT="]Michael F. Cannon - Orange County Register[/FONT]
There is an alternative to the Obama health plan. It's called innovation. Economist Glen Whitman and physician Raymond Raad found that, when it comes to basic medical sciences, diagnostics (e.g., MRIs and CT scanners), and therapeutics (e.g., ACE inhibitors and statins), the United States often produces more medical innovations than all other nations combined. America's health insurance markets are not following suit, despite the ready availability of innovations that can improve the delivery of care, insure the "young invincibles," and provide secure coverage for the sick. Bringing those innovations to consumers requires tearing down regulatory barriers to competition the very barriers that the Obama plan would stack higher.
[FONT="]Lawmakers Face Fallout at Home From Health Vote[/FONT]
[FONT="]Adam Nagourney - New York Times[/FONT]
Representative Alan Grayson, a Florida Democrat who supported President Obamas health care bill, drew shouts of amen as he returned home on Friday. But his supporters did not publicize a speech he delivered Saturday morning, out of fear it would be disrupted by protesters. Representative John Barrow, a Democrat from Georgia who voted against the bill, was embraced as a hero by white constituents. At the same event, distressed black voters assailed him, a problem in a district that is 44 percent African-American.
[FONT="]Majority of Americans Wants Repeal of Health Care Reform Law, Poll Says[/FONT]
[FONT="]Matt Cover - CNS News[/FONT]
A strong majority of Americans want Congress to repeal the recently signed health care reform package, a finding that contradicts claims from the laws chief proponents including President Obama that the public will like the law now that it has been signed. Rasmussen Reports found that 55 percent of voters want to see the law repealed. The poll, taken after the president signed the bill, shows that opposition to it has remained strong. Prior to its passage, 54 percent of voters opposed the legislation. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Health care plan tramples states' and individuals' powers[/FONT][FONT="]Paul Opsommer - Detroit Free Press[/FONT][FONT="]
Not only is a legal challenge to national health care necessary, it was fully expected by even Congresss most ardent supporters because they knew they were wading into unchartered constitutional waters. Congress may be able to tax and spend, but never before has the federal government been able to mandate that you, U.S. citizen, have to buy a particular good because the federal government says so. The provision is on its face unconstitutional, and it will take significant legal obfuscation to show otherwise. The simple fact is that nowhere in the Constitution is the federal Congress given the power to compel citizens to buy specific goods or services, and the 9th and 10th Amendments clarify that the federal government may exercise only those powers granted to it by the states and the people. This is partly why car insurance laws come from the states and not the federal government.
[FONT="]Health overhaul likely to strain doctor shortage[/FONT]
[FONT="]Lauran Neergaard - Associated Press[/FONT]
Better beat the crowd and find a doctor. Primary care physicians already are in short supply in parts of the country, and the landmark health overhaul that will bring them millions more newly insured patients in the next few years promises extra strain. The new law goes beyond offering coverage to the uninsured, with steps to improve the quality of care for the average person and help keep us well instead of today's seek-care-after-you're-sick culture. To benefit, you'll need a regular health provider.
[FONT="]Sen. Lindsey Graham slams health care bill, says it's full of 'a bunch of tricks and gimmicks'[/FONT]
[FONT="]James Gordon Meek - NY Daily News[/FONT]
Sen. Chuck Schumer said the health care reform bill will grow on voters - but a GOP detractor countered Sunday it will hold no appeal come November. "I would predict to you ...that as people learn about what's actually in the bill, six months from now, by election time, this is going to be a plus," Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press." But Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said the back-room finagling "was sleazy."
[FONT="]Florida poll: Healthcare law hurts Obama, Democrats[/FONT]
[FONT="]Marc Caputo - Miami Herald[/FONT]
Florida voters dislike the new healthcare law so much that President Barack Obama and the state's top Democrat, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, are paying a hefty political price, according to a new survey and analysis by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research. Only 34 percent of Florida voters support the new law while 54 percent are against it, according to the poll. Opposition is significantly strong among two crucial blocs: those older than 65 and voters with no party affiliation. Seniors disfavor the bill by a 65-25 percent margin, while independents oppose the law 62-34.
[FONT="]Doctors anxious over health bill[/FONT]
[FONT="]Carly Balwin - Metro[/FONT]
Primary care doctors are not cheering President Barack Obamas health care bill. Unless Congress acts fast, a 21 percent cut in Medicare reimbursements to doctors is scheduled to take place April 1. Under the reform bill, the government will cut $455 billion in Medicare reimbursements to doctors and hospitals. Unfortunately, nobody asked us doctors what we think about health care reform, said Dr. Svetlana Kogan, who runs her own practice, Doctors at Trump Place. With rent and malpractice insurance always going up, and reimbursements going down, private doctors will have to pick up the costs.
... Continued in NEXT Post ***
[/FONT]
[FONT="]Editor, Liability and Health News Update[/FONT]
[FONT="]Author, Pennsylvania's Disappearing Doctors[/FONT]
[FONT="]This LIABILITY AND HEALTH NEWS UPDATE "newsletter" is a free service which I provide, as a volunteer, to help supply medical liability reform and health care reform news and information, legislative updates, and political insight to physicians, patients, liability reform and quality health care advocates. NO ONE pays me to do this.[/FONT][FONT="]
[FONT="]I am not employed by any physician or health care reform advocacy or liability reform organization, political party or candidate, although I volunteer for several. I am a quality health care, physician and patient advocate, breast cancer survivor, physician's spouse, journalist, political noisemaker, mom, and freelance writer. I am not nor will I ever claim to be unbiased (I am....biased, I mean), unlike many in the mainstream media.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Most information in this newsletter is copied and pasted from other sources, and will always be identified with links. Opinions and clarifications are my own, and do not reflect the official position of any physician or patient advocacy organization, tort reform, or health care reform group unless stated as such. My opinions are placed in double parentheses (("my opinion")), italicized and appear in blue. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT="]This Update is emailed to health professionals, physician and patient advocates, and others interested in ensuring access to quality medical care. Join our Google Group to ensure you get all issues ASAP: [/FONT]
[FONT="][FONT="]http://groups.google.com/group/liabilityandhealthnewsupdate[/FONT][/FONT][FONT="]. It also appears on the following BLOG (when I remember to post it): [/FONT][FONT="][FONT="]http://liabilityandhealthnewsupdate.blogspot.com[/FONT][/FONT][FONT="]. [/FONT][FONT="]
[FONT="]If you'd prefer not to receive these periodic updates about health care issues in America, please hit "Reply" and put "Unsub health group" in the subject line and I'll remove your email address immediately.[/FONT]
[FONT="]PLEASE FORWARD THIS IMPORTANT INFORMATION TO EVERY HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL OR PATIENT YOU KNOW, AND SEND ME MORE EMAIL ADDRESSES SO WE CAN GET THIS INFORMATION TO MORE OF THE PEOPLE WHO NEED IT.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT="][email protected] [/FONT]
[FONT="][email protected][/FONT]
[FONT="]http://groups.google.com/group/liabilityandhealthnewsupdate[/FONT]
[FONT="]http://liabilityandhealthnewsupdate.blogspot.com [/FONT]
[FONT="]**************************[/FONT]
[FONT="]Commentary[/FONT]
[FONT="]It's almost impossible to keep up with all the news and information surrounding the health care bill. Today alone, I had to clear almost 300 emails - many of which contained important information. I'll do my best to get the most important stuff to you, but probably won't have time to add much commentary. (Of course, I'm sure there are those who won't consider that a BAD thing...)[/FONT]
[FONT="]The biggest question I keep hearing is "But what's IN the bills? In bullet points or 30 seconds, please...." That's a little bit of an exaggeration, but it's virtually impossible to explain the myriad provisions of the bills in just a couple of minutes, or a few paragraphs. Plus, as experts study it more closely, they're discovering new things that no one noticed before the bill passed. I'll pass that information along as it becomes available.[/FONT]
[FONT="]On a more personal note, I've agreed to help coordinate the Health Care Professionals Coalition for Pat Toomey's Senate Campaign - this is independent of any of my other activities regarding liability or health care reform. I don't think I need to explain to most of my readers WHY we should support Pat Toomey in his bid to replace the trial lawyers' good friend Arlen Specter, but in the days to come, I'll be providing a lot of information about Pat and his campaign, and how we can work together to support him.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Doctors, nurses, PA's, anesthetists, dentists, chiropractors, practice administrators, and anyone else engaged in providing health care are all welcome to get involved. [FONT="]Right now, we're looking for physicians who oppose the recently passed health care bill who are willing to speak out against it[/FONT]. [/FONT]
[FONT="]If you're interested, please contact me at [email protected]. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Please be interested. More information will follow.[/FONT]
[FONT="]DBR[/FONT]
[FONT="]**************************[/FONT]
[FONT="]Business Week[/FONT]
[FONT="]Health Care Reform: How You Will Fare[/FONT]
[FONT="]Experts weigh its impact on the insured, the uninsured, young adults, seniors and more[/FONT]
[FONT="]By Karen Pallarito[/FONT][FONT="]
HealthDay Reporter[/FONT]
[FONT="]http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/637297.html?chan=rss_topStories_ssi_5[/FONT]
[FONT="]TUESDAY, March 23 (HealthDay News) -- Since the historic passage of the health-care reform bill by the U.S. House of Representatives on Sunday, and its signing into law by President Barack Obama two days later, many Americans are still wondering, "What's in it for me?"[/FONT]
[FONT="]The new legislation expands coverage to the uninsured, of course, but other consumer groups will also be affected, including seniors, young adults and people with employer-sponsored health insurance.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Most Americans who are currently uninsured will be required by law to buy insurance, typically through one of the new state-run insurance exchanges.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Obama signed the heath-care reform measure into law midday on Tuesday, while a separate bill containing changes and improvements to the legislation is pending Senate action.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Already, Republican opponents have introduced bills to repeal the health-reform package, and state attorneys general are questioning the legality of a new federal mandate requiring most U.S. citizens to carry health insurance coverage.[/FONT]
[FONT="]HealthDay[/FONT][FONT="] consulted experts with very different points of view for their take on how the legislation stacks up for consumers. Here's what they said:[/FONT]
[FONT="]People with employer-sponsored health insurance[/FONT]
[FONT="]Throughout his campaign for health reform, Obama insisted that if you like your health plan, you can keep it.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Sara Collins, vice president of the Affordable Health Insurance Program at The Commonwealth Fund in New York City, said that still holds true for people who get their health insurance coverage through a large employer. "Right now, if you're in an employer-based plan, the world doesn't really change for you," she said.[/FONT]
[FONT="]People who get their benefits through small employers, however, may encounter some upheaval. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated that 8 million to 9 million individuals, mostly lower-wage workers and people who work for smaller employers, could lose their employer-sponsored coverage as a result of the legislation.[/FONT]
[FONT="]The reason: "There will be real economic incentives to move average- and lower-income employees" into newly created health insurance " 'exchanges,' " said John C. Goodman, president of the National Center for Policy Analysis in Dallas, a proponent of free-market reforms.[/FONT]
[FONT="]The uninsured[/FONT]
[FONT="]The legislation expands health insurance to 94 percent of non-elderly Americans. That may not be universal coverage, but it will reduce the ranks of the uninsured by 32 million by 2019, according to the CBO analysis.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Collins described the two ways that people will gain subsidized coverage. One way is by expanding Medicaid eligibility -- up to nearly $30,000 for a family of four. The other way is by subsidizing private coverage through the new insurance exchanges. Families with incomes between $30,000 and $88,000 a year should be eligible for those subsidies.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Young adults[/FONT]
[FONT="]About 30 percent of young adults are currently uninsured, Collins said. To help close the gap in health coverage, lawmakers included a provision in the health-reform package that allows young adults to remain on their parents' health insurance plans up to age 26. That measure, which takes effect this year and enjoys broad bipartisan support, should help close the insurance gap, she noted.[/FONT]
[FONT="]"I have a feeling that the young-adult benefit will be very popular," Collins said. "There's no restrictions on income, so this really addresses what families across the income spectrum really do face with young adults."[/FONT]
[FONT="]Goodman agreed that the coverage extension is good for young adults who are sick, but said that requiring insurers to accept all comers and to charge similar rates regardless of health risk will undermine the individual insurance market.[/FONT]
[FONT="]"If you're a young adult and you're out buying your own insurance, this is going to be a minus for you because premiums are really going to go up," he contended.[/FONT]
[FONT="]People with pre-existing conditions[/FONT]
[FONT="]Beginning this year, people with pre-existing health conditions who have been denied coverage and have been uninsured for six months will be eligible for subsidized coverage through a national high-risk pool program. The pool serves as a temporary fix until the insurance exchanges are up and running, Collins said.[/FONT]
[FONT="]And by 2014, insurers may no longer charge individuals and small businesses higher premiums or deny coverage on the basis of pre-existing conditions.[/FONT]
[FONT="]While health groups hailed the changes, Goodman said the new rules could create problems for insurers if people stay out of the market (and pay penalties for not having insurance) until they are sick. "The fine is quite low compared to the cost of the insurance," he explained.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Medicare beneficiaries[/FONT]
[FONT="]The legislation contains several Medicare enhancements. For example, seniors currently share the cost of preventive services, but beginning in 2011, those tests and treatments will be covered in full.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Medicare Part D's notorious coverage gap -- the so-called "donut hole" -- will also be eliminated by 2020. Currently, many beneficiaries have to foot the bill in the coverage gap, which begins after the enrollee has incurred $2,830 in drug spending and ends only after drug costs exceed $6,440. As part of the new legislation, seniors who reach the coverage gap in 2010 will be eligible for a $250 rebate.[/FONT]
[FONT="]However, the legislation also slashes subsidies to private health plans that serve seniors -- so-called "Medicare Advantage" plans -- and Goodman said the fallout from those cutbacks could become the Obama administration's worst nightmare.[/FONT]
[FONT="]"Right before they vote in November, seniors will be getting letters from insurers telling them their plan is going to be cancelled and they'll have to go back to traditional Medicare," he predicted.[/FONT]
[FONT="]More information[/FONT]
[FONT="]To read the health-reform legislation and changes approved by the House of Representatives, visit the House Rules Committee.[/FONT]
[FONT="]SOURCES: Sara R. Collins, Ph.D., vice president, Affordable Health Insurance Program, The Commonwealth Fund, New York City; John C. Goodman, Ph.D., president, National Center for Policy Analysis, Dallas[/FONT]
[FONT="]Copyright © 2010 HealthDay. All rights reserved.[/FONT]
[FONT="]**************************[/FONT]
[FONT="]Today's Daily Dose [/FONT]
[FONT="]The [FONT="]Wall Street Journal [/FONT]editorializes, "It's been a banner week for Democrats: ObamaCare passed Congress in its final form on Thursday night, and the returns are already rolling in. Yesterday AT&T announced that it will be forced to make a $1 billion writedown due solely to the health bill, in what has become a wave of such corporate losses. This wholesale destruction of wealth and capital came with more than ample warning. Turning over every couch cushion to make their new entitlement look affordable under Beltway accounting rules, Democrats decided to raise taxes on companies that do the public service of offering prescription drug benefits to their retirees instead of dumping them into Medicare. We and others warned this would lead to AT&T-like results, but like so many other ObamaCare objections Democrats waved them off as self-serving or 'political.' [...] The Democratic political calculation with ObamaCare is the proverbial boiling frog: Gradually introduce a health-care entitlement by hiding the true costs, hook the middle class on new subsidies until they become unrepealable, but try to delay the adverse consequences and major new tax hikes so voters don't make the connection between their policy and the economic wreckage. But their bill was such a shoddy, jerry-rigged piece of work that the damage is coming sooner than even some critics expected."
Since confusion still swirls around the health care legislation, this chart [PDF] shows when different aspects of the bill take effect.
"There is an alternative to the Obama health plan. It's called innovation. Economist Glen Whitman and physician Raymond Raad found that, when it comes to basic medical sciences, diagnostics (e.g., MRIs and CT scanners), and therapeutics (e.g., ACE inhibitors and statins), the United States often produces more medical innovations than all other nations combined." Read more from CATO's Michael Cannon here. The health care reform package is expected to contribute to shortages of primary care physicians. "Recently published reports predict a shortfall of roughly 40,000 primary care doctors over the next decade, as physicians are increasingly drawn to the better pay, better hours, and higher profile of many other specialties."
The [FONT="]Richmond Times-Dispatch[/FONT] explains why Obamacare is unconstitutional. "Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli's lawsuit against Obamacare is right on the merits. Nothing in the Constitution grants Congress the power to force every American to purchase a particular consumer good. Although the Founders made it quite clear that the federal government lacked the power to do anything not specifically authorized, many Americans today assume Washington has the power to do whatever is not specifically forbidden."[/FONT]
[FONT="]The ObamaCare Writedowns[/FONT][FONT="]Wall Street Journal[/FONT][FONT="]
It's been a banner week for Democrats: ObamaCare passed Congress in its final form on Thursday night, and the returns are already rolling in. Yesterday AT&T announced that it will be forced to make a $1 billion writedown due solely to the health bill, in what has become a wave of such corporate losses. This wholesale destruction of wealth and capital came with more than ample warning. Turning over every couch cushion to make their new entitlement look affordable under Beltway accounting rules, Democrats decided to raise taxes on companies that do the public service of offering prescription drug benefits to their retirees instead of dumping them into Medicare. We and others warned this would lead to AT&T-like results, but like so many other ObamaCare objections Democrats waved them off as self-serving or "political."
[FONT="]Innovation best alternative to Obamacare[/FONT]
[FONT="]Michael F. Cannon - Orange County Register[/FONT]
There is an alternative to the Obama health plan. It's called innovation. Economist Glen Whitman and physician Raymond Raad found that, when it comes to basic medical sciences, diagnostics (e.g., MRIs and CT scanners), and therapeutics (e.g., ACE inhibitors and statins), the United States often produces more medical innovations than all other nations combined. America's health insurance markets are not following suit, despite the ready availability of innovations that can improve the delivery of care, insure the "young invincibles," and provide secure coverage for the sick. Bringing those innovations to consumers requires tearing down regulatory barriers to competition the very barriers that the Obama plan would stack higher.
[FONT="]Lawmakers Face Fallout at Home From Health Vote[/FONT]
[FONT="]Adam Nagourney - New York Times[/FONT]
Representative Alan Grayson, a Florida Democrat who supported President Obamas health care bill, drew shouts of amen as he returned home on Friday. But his supporters did not publicize a speech he delivered Saturday morning, out of fear it would be disrupted by protesters. Representative John Barrow, a Democrat from Georgia who voted against the bill, was embraced as a hero by white constituents. At the same event, distressed black voters assailed him, a problem in a district that is 44 percent African-American.
[FONT="]Majority of Americans Wants Repeal of Health Care Reform Law, Poll Says[/FONT]
[FONT="]Matt Cover - CNS News[/FONT]
A strong majority of Americans want Congress to repeal the recently signed health care reform package, a finding that contradicts claims from the laws chief proponents including President Obama that the public will like the law now that it has been signed. Rasmussen Reports found that 55 percent of voters want to see the law repealed. The poll, taken after the president signed the bill, shows that opposition to it has remained strong. Prior to its passage, 54 percent of voters opposed the legislation. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Health care plan tramples states' and individuals' powers[/FONT][FONT="]Paul Opsommer - Detroit Free Press[/FONT][FONT="]
Not only is a legal challenge to national health care necessary, it was fully expected by even Congresss most ardent supporters because they knew they were wading into unchartered constitutional waters. Congress may be able to tax and spend, but never before has the federal government been able to mandate that you, U.S. citizen, have to buy a particular good because the federal government says so. The provision is on its face unconstitutional, and it will take significant legal obfuscation to show otherwise. The simple fact is that nowhere in the Constitution is the federal Congress given the power to compel citizens to buy specific goods or services, and the 9th and 10th Amendments clarify that the federal government may exercise only those powers granted to it by the states and the people. This is partly why car insurance laws come from the states and not the federal government.
[FONT="]Health overhaul likely to strain doctor shortage[/FONT]
[FONT="]Lauran Neergaard - Associated Press[/FONT]
Better beat the crowd and find a doctor. Primary care physicians already are in short supply in parts of the country, and the landmark health overhaul that will bring them millions more newly insured patients in the next few years promises extra strain. The new law goes beyond offering coverage to the uninsured, with steps to improve the quality of care for the average person and help keep us well instead of today's seek-care-after-you're-sick culture. To benefit, you'll need a regular health provider.
[FONT="]Sen. Lindsey Graham slams health care bill, says it's full of 'a bunch of tricks and gimmicks'[/FONT]
[FONT="]James Gordon Meek - NY Daily News[/FONT]
Sen. Chuck Schumer said the health care reform bill will grow on voters - but a GOP detractor countered Sunday it will hold no appeal come November. "I would predict to you ...that as people learn about what's actually in the bill, six months from now, by election time, this is going to be a plus," Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press." But Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said the back-room finagling "was sleazy."
[FONT="]Florida poll: Healthcare law hurts Obama, Democrats[/FONT]
[FONT="]Marc Caputo - Miami Herald[/FONT]
Florida voters dislike the new healthcare law so much that President Barack Obama and the state's top Democrat, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, are paying a hefty political price, according to a new survey and analysis by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research. Only 34 percent of Florida voters support the new law while 54 percent are against it, according to the poll. Opposition is significantly strong among two crucial blocs: those older than 65 and voters with no party affiliation. Seniors disfavor the bill by a 65-25 percent margin, while independents oppose the law 62-34.
[FONT="]Doctors anxious over health bill[/FONT]
[FONT="]Carly Balwin - Metro[/FONT]
Primary care doctors are not cheering President Barack Obamas health care bill. Unless Congress acts fast, a 21 percent cut in Medicare reimbursements to doctors is scheduled to take place April 1. Under the reform bill, the government will cut $455 billion in Medicare reimbursements to doctors and hospitals. Unfortunately, nobody asked us doctors what we think about health care reform, said Dr. Svetlana Kogan, who runs her own practice, Doctors at Trump Place. With rent and malpractice insurance always going up, and reimbursements going down, private doctors will have to pick up the costs.
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