|
Health Reform in the House
|
|
Fact of the Day
Section 1152 of H.R. 3962 directs the HHS Secretary to establish pilot programs to test the effectiveness of payment bundling across the country in a wide array of settings in order to learn the best way to bundle payments to ensure quality and encourage efficiency while lowering costs.
|
|
|
Follow Health Insurance Reform
 facebook  twitter |
|
|
|
Health Resources
|
At The Time This Daily Dose Was Sent, Insured Americans Had Paid a “Hidden Tax” of $36,361,334,569 This Year In Additional Premium Costs To Cover Care For The Uninsured.
Under the Microscope
MORE AFFORDABLE PREMIUMS
Analysis released yesterday from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, and subsequently from MIT professor Jonathan Gruber, says that the House health insurance reform bill (HR 3962) will mean real dollar savings for families and individuals.
The CBO suggests that for those purchasing insurance in the non-group market, the House bill will deliver savings ranging from $470 for singles to $1260 for families – even without affordability credits. This is in addition to the more robust benefits that those in the Exchange marketplace will receive, as well as the other insurance reforms for consumers offered in the bill.
Massachusetts Provides Evidence That Health-Care Reform Lowers Insurance Premiums
MIT health economist Jon Gruber sends along a paper looking at premiums under the new House plan.
[Washington Post, 11/2/2009] Read a related article.
Health Care Headlines
Democrats Blast House GOP Draft
After months of criticizing Democratic efforts to overhaul the nation's healthcare system, House Republicans have produced a healthcare bill they will offer as an alternative when Democrats bring their health overhaul to the floor.
[CongressDaily, 11/3/2009] Read a related piece and fact sheet.
“Consumer Reports” Publisher Endorses the House Bill
Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of "Consumer Reports" magazine, endorsed the House bill today and urged lawmakers to pass it without "damaging amendments," according to a news release sent out by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office. [Politico, 11/2/2009]
Caucuses Address Racial Disparities
After years of falling short, Del. Donna Christensen (D-Virgin Islands) and the House’s three minority caucuses finally achieved success in adding to the House reform bill billions in federal aid to fix racial disparities in health care. [Politico, 11/2/2009]
Senate Pressing Insurers On The Amount Of Premiums They Spend On Care
The health insurance industry likes to cite figures showing that 87 cents of every dollar in premiums is spent on medical claims. But a new Senate analysis suggests that for-profit insurance companies are spending much less than that, especially for policies sold to individuals and small businesses.
[New York Times, 11/2/2009]
Health Insurer Anthem’s Market Share Swells
With Congress bringing back the idea of a government-run insurance plan, or public option, the debate is on again whether there’s sufficient competition and choice in the health insurance market.
[Indianapolis Business Journal, 10/31/2009]
Flex Spending Accounts Face Hit In Health Overhaul
Bills in the House and Senate would cap at $2,500 an employee's allowable annual contribution to a health care flexible spending account. Unlike the initial Senate proposal, though, House members want to allow the cap to be adjusted so it would rise along with inflation. That would be a welcome improvement for advocates. [Associated Press, 11/2/2009]
PERSPECTIVE: Primary Care and Accountable Care – Two Essential Elements of Delivery System Reform
By Diane R. Rittenhouse, MD, MPH, Stephen M. Shortell, PhD, MPH, MBA, Elliott Fisher, MD, MPH
With discussions about U.S. health care reform focused heavily on insurance reforms, relatively little attention has been paid to the delivery-system reforms that will be required to improve the quality and coordination of health care and slow the growth of spending. [New England Journal of Medicine, 10/28/2009]
Read more about Delivery System Reforms in HR 3962.
ANALYSIS: Republicans Want To Make The Insurance Industry More Like the Credit Card Industry
By Ezra Klein
"A House Republican health-care bill wouldn't seek to prevent health-insurance companies from denying sick people insurance," the first paragraph of the Wall Street Journal's preview of the latest Republican health-care reform alternative says. [Washington Post, 11/3/2009]
|
