Comprehensive Health Care Reform and Massachusetts--Are We On Our Way To a Very Different Debate?

The Massachusetts health care reform law appears on its way to:Covering two-thirds of those who did not have health insurance on the day it was enacted--about 400,000 people by the end of 2009.Covering most of those who were uninsured in households with incomes below 300% of the federal poverty level--below which the plan pays all or most health insurance premiums.Offering health insurance plans

First Year Results in Massachusetts' Health Care Reform Undercut Barack Obama's Health Care Reform Strategy

The Massachusetts health care reform plan is coming up on its first anniversary.Its costs are now officially out of control.Those of you who regularly read this blog know that I have been particularly critical lately of what I see as a lack of sophistication in McCain's market-based health insurance proposals.But with this news, Obama will have some big health care policy questions of his own to

"Blendon, Laszewski, And Rovner On Health Care Reform In The Election"

Earlier this week I was part of conference call organized by the new Health Affairs editor-in-chief, Susan Dentzer, on the topic of health reform in the presidential election.The call, and subsequent posting of the transcript by Chris Fleming on the Health Affairs blog, was in connection with the thematic issue of health reform in the May/June Health Affairs.First, congratulations to Susan on

Health Care Reform Will Be a Long Shot in 2009

Many people, me included, have compared the recent resurgence in calls for health care reform with the big debate we had in 1993 and 1994 and the expectation back then that we would see major health care reform. Of course, all of that focus on the issue ended with the failed Clinton Health Care Plan derailing health reform for at least 15 years--and counting.Each of the remaining candidates for

Hillary Clinton Criticizes Barack Obama's Health Care Plan Saying It Would Not Cover Everyone--Is She Right?

This is a repost of an original that addresses Hillary Clinton's claim, repeated in this week's Texas debate, that only her health plan accomplishes universal coverage because it has a individual mandate and Barak Obama's does not. Senator Clinton goes so far as to say she would garnish wages to enforce her mandate that everyone buy health insurance.Hillary Clinton has gone on the attack in

Haley Barbour or Hillary Clinton?

Here's a test.Who just proposed the following, Hillary Clinton or Haley Barbour:A government authorized health insurance purchasing exchange program for the purpose of marketing health insuranceRun as a not-for-profit clearing house from which consumers could purchase health insuranceTarget the uninsuredAvailable to workers in small businessesDesigned to reduce the overhead costs of small group

When it Comes To Health Care Policy It Really Doesn't Matter Which Democrat Or Which Republican Wins Their Nomination

With "Super Tuesday" upon us, I am once again bringing back a post that argues there is little difference among the candidates in each of their respective parties.My suggestion is that you not cast your caucus or primary vote for a candidate based upon their health care reform plan.From “thirty thousand feet” the leading Republicans are offering much the same health care policy ideas—a more

An Analysis of Senator Hillary Clinton's Health Plan Proposal

A Detailed Point by Point Analysis of Senator Clinton's Health Reform PlanThis is a repost of my October analysis of Senator Clinton's health care reform plan.This is nothing like the Clinton Health Plan from 1993.Senator Clinton has so far been running a smart campaign for President and her health care reform strategy is no exception.She waited until after all of the leading Democratic, and most

Poll Shows Democratic Presidential Candidates Attracting Independents and Moderates With Their Health Reform Plans

I was struck by this conclusion in today's Los Angeles Times regarding their recent voter survey:"In one of the most politically significant results, the poll finds that independents and moderates were generally lining up with Democrats in the healthcare debate."The survey also suggested an explanation for the emerging alignment: Independents were most likely to complain about "job lock" -- the

Hillary Clinton's Health Plan

Here is an excerpt from the Clinton campaign's press release outlining her $110 billion a year health care reform plan:FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASESeptember 17, 2007The American Health Choices Plan:Ensuring Affordable, Quality Health Care for All AmericansHillary Clinton unveiled the third part of her plan today to ensure that all Americans have affordable, quality health insurance. Building on her

Hillary Clinton's Health Plan--the Republicans Better Take it Seriously

Sometimes I think that all the Republican candidates for president think they need do is go into a crowded room and yell, "Hillary Care," and all of the voters will run for the exits in terror.This is not 1993 and this is not the inexperienced Hillary Clinton who tried to drop her drafted-in-secret 1,400 page health care proposal on us all in one "take it or leave it" roll out.She has changed

Hillary Clinton to Outline Her Health Plan on Monday--She Will Target Insurers as the Bad Guys

Senator Clinton will unveil her health plan in Des Moines on Monday. The heavy betting is that it will look a lot like the general Democratic health reform template that draws on the recently enacted Massachusetts health reform law.We do know this, she will do what she did in 1993 and 1994 and demonize the insurance industry. On Wednesday she said, "I intend to dramatically rein in the influence

Leading Democratic Presidential Candidates Comment on Health Care This Week

Joe Paduda, over at Managed Care Matters, is attending the "Take Back America" conference in DC this week. Joe has been posting a review on his site of each of the Democratic candidates comments on health care.Comments include a review of Clinton, Edwards, Obama, and Richardson.

Wall Street Journal Sends Shockwaves Through the Health Insurance Markets With the Headline "Health Savings Plans Start to Falter"

It's the kind of headline I would have expected to see in the New York Times instead of the Wall Street Journal but there it was in Tuesday's edition.Vanessa Fuhrmans' article seems to have unleashed some pent-up frustration in the health benefits market on the subject of health savings accounts (HSAs) specifically and consumer-driven care generally. It is as if it represents a turning point for

McCain to Propose a Health Care Reform Plan--Both Democrats and Republicans Becoming Predictable on Health Care

Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain said this weekend that he is working on a health care reform proposal. He gave no time for its release but did mention a number of components:His plan will not include tax increases.It will not include any coverage mandates--presumably individual or employer mandates.He would make greater use of health care information technology.It will

The Mandate Myth--Health Reform Plans Don't Have to Mandate Coverage to Work But They Do Have Be Affordable

As the presidential candidates, Republican and Democratic, begin to come forward with their health reform plans, a side debate is heating up about whether any meaningful health care reform plan has to have a mandate, individual or employer.The reasoning goes that for health care reform to work we need to get about everyone in the pool--both in order to solve the uninsured problem and to be able

Barack Obama on Health Care Reform and the Insurance and Drug Industries--a Healthy Cynicism

Earlier this week I wondered why Hillary Clinton continues to try to isolate and demonize the insurance and pharmaceutical industry in her comments about health care reform: Hillary Clinton on Health Care--Trying the Divide and Conquer Strategy Once AgainI pointed out that you would think she would have learned from her failed divide and conquer tactics in 1994.It is interesting to contrast

Hillary Clinton on Health Care--Trying the Divide and Conquer Strategy Once Again

In Sunday's Democratic presidential debate, Hillary Clinton once again tried to isolate the insurance industry (as well as the pharmaceutical business) as a means to advance her health plan.On health care Senator Clinton said, "What's important, and what I learned in the previous effort is you've got to have the political will--a broad coalition of business and labor, doctors, nurses, hospitals..

Clinton, Edwards, Obama--Offering Health Care Reform Proposals More Similar Than Different

In sailboat racing there is a strategy called "covering." It means that when your competitor makes a move you make exactly the same move. That way, you have covered their every move and they can't get away from you because of any new tactic they aim to employ.When you "cover" you intentionally stay even during that phase of the race--you have no intention of getting ahead at that point.On health

Hillary Clinton Outlines the First Elements of Her Health Care Reform Plan

Hillary Clinton took the first steps in outlining her health care reform platform this week. This time focusing on the underlying problem in the health care system--costs.They were just first steps, fairly vague and hardly controversial.We hear that she will deliver two more speeches in the future outlining her thinking on quality and insurance coverage.This is how Mrs. Clinton says she would