Friday, March 30, 2012

Can Health Care Win by Losing at Highest Court?

Can Health Care Win by Losing at Highest Court?:
Excerpt:
"One early exchange between Verrilli and the chief justice featured John Roberts following a similar line of logic related to a single-payer system. The solicitor made the argument that “people cannot generally control when they enter that market or what they need when they enter that market,” prompting this response from Roberts:
Well, the same, it seems to me, would be true say for the market in emergency services: police, fire, ambulance, roadside assistance, whatever. You don’t know when you’re going to need it; you’re not sure that you will. … So can the government require you to buy a cell phone because that would facilitate responding when you need emergency services? You can just dial 911 no matter where you are?
In that analogy, health care is to police, fire, and ambulance what health insurance is to a cell phone. It’s an interesting counter for Verrilli to have to parry, since his boss Barack Obama and many on the left initially opposed the mandate, and many on left in another day and age might have agreed with Roberts that health care is analogous to police and fire—a public good that is best provided by the government, since it’s a service everyone requires."

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Insurers say reform will flop without a mandate | StarTribune.com

Insurers say reform will flop without a mandate | StarTribune.com:
Since everything else nowadays seems to be decided based on what's best for big business and the richest this request by the insurance industry should guarantee a Supreme Court "all or nothing" decision.

Saturday, March 17, 2012

UnitedHealth Wins $21 Billion U.S. Military Health Contract - Bloomberg

UnitedHealth Wins $21 Billion U.S. Military Health Contract - Bloomberg:
Last week there was news on how UnitedHealth is going international getting into health insurance business in many foreign countries.  Now they are getting into making money off of the health care insurance program for Veterans.  The private insurance industry involvement in Medicare and Medicaid has driven up costs while reducing coverage for patients.  Now it is going on for Veterans care.  What's next - privatizing the Vet's Hospitals?

Zakaria: Health insurance is for everyone – Global Public Square - CNN.com Blogs

Zakaria: Health insurance is for everyone – Global Public Square - CNN.com Blogs:
Interesting article.  Shows coverage for all saves money whether single payer or non-employer insurance coverage for all.
TV show on this tomorrow night: "...be sure to watch my CNN special, Global Lessons: The GPS Road Map for Saving Health Care, Sunday, March 18, at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. E.T. and P.T. "

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Small companies working to make health pay | StarTribune.com

Small companies working to make health pay | StarTribune.com:
A good health story about staying healthy as being good for business and a story about how health coverage is good for business too. I just wish the coverage was there, was 100% and was not tied to the job. Then the benefit mentioned by Sartell in this article could apply nationwide.

Uninsured rate for young Minn. adults drops to 17% | StarTribune.com

Uninsured rate for young Minn. adults drops to 17% | StarTribune.com:
The affordable care act is doing some good things. Covering kids to age 26 is one of them and the one that caused the improvment in unisured rates for adults. As we move toward full implementation of the ACA two things need to be emphasized for MN -
Let the exchange be created by MN instead of waiting for the Feds to do it, and
Do NOT allow insurance company reps to be on the Board that decides how the exchanges will operate. It needs to be consumers and some providers but not insurance companies.