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Archive for July, 2009

Less Washington More Wisconsin

The federalization of health benefits is unnecessary for most of us, including those of us in Wisconsin. Let's make sure our legislators don't strip the states of the power to manage real health reform.

Senate Delays Health Vote at Least Until September

Senate majority leader Harry Reid declared yesterday there would be no vote on a health care bill until at the earliest September.

The Problem:Poor Quality and High cost of Health care

The discussion on health care continues to be remarkably silent on the issue of creating better value.How do we know a federal insurance plan is going to provide better value to patients? Nothing in the proposed legislation ensures that it will.

Masschusetts Payment Reform Commission Recommendations

This is an excellent summary of the various payment methods that are being considered by Massachusetts.With their health reform plan costing much more than they expected they have a burning platform.

Some rationality coming from CBO

"We do not see the sort of fundamental changes that would be necessary to reduce the trajectory of federal health spending by a significant amount"..Douglas Elmendorf,director of the congressional Budget Office.

Senate Health committee "Reform" Bill

This was released July 15th.See below for the summary and our comments.

The House Bill

Yesterday the house released it's 1000+ page bill regarding health reform.What's interesting is what is not being discussed about the bill.

More on "Value" from a hospital coalition

A group of about a dozen state hospital associations are fighting to make sure that
a value-based incentive is included in any health reform proposal.
The attached statement is their attempt at defining how value should be rewarded and our comments.