[…] Yes, we would all have to purchase health insurance under the proposed reform bills. But if we want guaranteed issue universal coverage, and we don’t want the government running the health care system, there isn’t really a way around the requirement that everyone obtain coverage. And yes, we’ll need some additional tax revenues in order to help subsidize health insurance coverage for families who would otherwise be unable to afford it. But I can’t see how these things translate into the federal government running the health care system.
Archives for January 2010
Americans More Concerned About The Economy Than Health Care
[…] A good deal of President Obama’s state of the union address last night was focused on his plans for economic recovery, and this makes sense. But bringing health care costs into line with what the rest of the world spends should still be a priority, and I hope that we continue to look for solutions that will eventually result in affordable, accessible health care for all Americans.
Definition Of Candy In HB 1191 Is Too Narrow
[…] At first glance, I’m in favor of HB 1191. I believe that our health care costs will not truly be contained until our overall health improves, and I believe we need to focus on much better eating patterns in order to make that happen. Taxes levied on foods like soft drinks is a good place to start. But Enstrom’s complaints made me look a little more closely. […]
Updating Communication Between Providers And Insurers
[…] What if our health insurance ID cards came with barcodes that could be scanned in the doctor’s office or hospital, immediately allowing the office staff to see our benefits, how much of our deductible still needs to be met, and any exclusions on our policy? Then admission and treatment data could be transmitted directly to the health insurance carrier, without the need for phone calls or extra staff. […]
Cadillac Tax Could Impact Non Cadillac Plans Too
[…] But setting a flat dollar amount above which a plan will be taxed seems ill-advised. It doesn’t really do a good job of weeding out health insurance plans that truly have too many bells and whistles, and it wrongly penalizes people who live in areas where health care costs are higher than average, or companies with a disproportionate number of older workers.
A Misguided Initiative
[…] The decision to not carry health insurance (despite being able to afford it) is one that has ramifications for more than just the person who opts to be uninsured. In addition, there is no way to keep health insurance premiums affordable unless a large number of healthy people are paying premiums to offset the cost of care for those who are not as healthy.
A Database To Compare Health Care Costs At Colorado Hospitals
[…] It’s hard to have an effective dialog about costs and cost-control when the average person has no idea what the costs actually are, and no realistic way of finding out. EOBs are great, but they only come after a person has received treatment, and thus aren’t particularly useful in terms of comparison shopping. Kefalas’ bill would be a good step towards transparency in health care costs, and I hope it is well received.
Health Insurance Might Be Less Expensive Than You Think
Gary VanderArk and Gretchen Hammer, president and executive director of the Colorado Coalition for the Medically Underserved, have written an opinion piece for the Denver Post about how health care reform will benefit the people of Colorado. I agree with their analysis – there will be a lot positive changes once health care reform takes effect, especially for low-income Coloradans and those who are currently uninsured […]
Colorado Legislative Sessions Opens With Health Insurance Reform Bills
The 2010 legislative session in Colorado got underway this week, and included the introduction of a few bills aimed at health insurance reform on a state level. HB 1008 would make it illegal for gender to be used in the determination of health insurance premiums, HB 1021 would require reproductive services to be covered by health insurance, and HB 1004 would implement standardized explanation of benefit (EOB) forms for insureds. […]
Transparency Lacking In Final Health Care Negotiations
Both of the Senators from Colorado are calling for more transparency in the way congressional leaders are working to hash out a health care reform plan that combines the versions passed last year by the House and Senate. Senators Udall and Bennet, both Democrats, are unimpressed with their own party’s actions in keeping the final negotiations secret. […]
Cavalcade Of Risk – The New Year Edition
Welcome to the first Cavalcade of Risk in 2010. There is a lot of great reading in this one; let’s start the party with something fresh and new… healthcare […]
Free Preventive Care Is Not Really Free
[…] In Colorado, a similar law took effect last week, requiring health insurance companies to cover various preventive care at the level of the policy co-insurance. It will be interesting to see how this law impacts both premium and health in Colorado over the next few years. Will more people seek out preventive care? Will we be healthier as a result? Will our health insurance premiums increase even more than they already do? We’ll have to wait and see.
Comparing Health Care Costs And Outcomes
van Falchuk has written a very thoughtful article about a recent graph created by National Geographic. At first glance, the implications of the graph are startlingly obvious: the US spends way too much on health care, a view that has been widely repeated throughout the health care reform debate. But Evan’s detailed analysis of the graph does make one pause to consider whether the graph might be over-simplifying things. […]
Lowering Demand For Health Care Through Prevention
[…] But the government can create policies that make the good choices easier and less expensive than the bad choices, and that just might make a difference. Perhaps the next step in health care reform should be working to make Americans healthier to begin with, rather than trying to figure out how to fix us after we get sick.
Health Care Reform In Politically Divided Colorado
[…] For lawmakers in Colorado, nothing is a given when it comes to statewide legislation. There are particular areas of the state that are predominately Democrat or Republican, but when it comes to passing a measure that impacts the whole state, both sides have their work cut out for them. For swing states like Colorado, the passage of federal health care reform will be just the beginning of another intense round of debates.