Blue Spot

Returning to the public spotlight, Elizabeth Edwards spoke about U.S. health care issues at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. Bianca Solorzano reports.

Labels: Elizabeth Edwards, Healthcare, John Edwards

Why Obama's Health Plan Is Better - WSJ.com

The big threat to growth in the next decade is not oil or food prices, but the rising cost of health care. The doubling of health insurance premiums since 2000 makes employers choose between cutting benefits and hiring fewer workers.

Rising health costs push total employment costs up and wages and benefits down. The result is lost profits and lost wages, in addition to pointless risk, insecurity and a flood of personal bankruptcies.


Sustained growth thus requires successful health-care reform. Barack Obama and John McCain propose to lead us in opposite directions -- and the Obama direction is far superior.

Sen. Obama's proposal will modernize our current system of employer- and government-provided health care, keeping what works well, and making the investments now that will lead to a more efficient medical system. He does this in five ways:

- Learning. One-third of medical costs go for services at best ineffective and at worst harmful. Fifty billion dollars will jump-start the long-overdue information revolution in health care to identify the best providers, treatments and patient management strategies.

- Rewarding. Doctors and hospitals today are paid for performing procedures, not for helping patients. Insurers make money by dumping sick patients, not by keeping people healthy. Mr. Obama proposes to base Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements to hospitals and doctors on patient outcomes (lower cholesterol readings, made and kept follow-up appointments) in a coordinated effort to focus the entire payment system around better health, not just more care.

- Pooling. The Obama plan would give individuals and small firms the option of joining large insurance pools. With large patient pools, a few people incurring high medical costs will not topple the entire system, so insurers would no longer need to waste time, money and resources weeding out the healthy from the sick, and businesses and individuals would no longer have to subject themselves to that costly and stressful process.

- Preventing. In today's health-care market, less than one dollar in 25 goes for prevention, even though preventive services -- regular screenings and healthy lifestyle information -- are among the most cost-effective medical services around. Guaranteeing access to preventive services will improve health and in many cases save money.

- Covering. Controlling long-run health-care costs requires removing the hidden expenses of the uninsured. The reforms described above will lower premiums by $2,500 for the typical family, allowing millions previously priced out of the market to afford insurance.

In addition, tax credits for those still unable to afford private coverage, and the option to buy in to the federal government's benefits system, will ensure that all individuals have access to an affordable, portable alternative at a price they can afford.

Labels: Healthcare

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said Thursday that Republicans at their national convention are attacking him to avoid talking about the sagging economy and housing problems that voters care about.

Labels: Conservatism, Economy, Education, General Election 2008, Healthcare, Iraq War, Obama

McCain: He would replace the current tax-free status of health insurance coverage provided by employers with refundable tax credits worth $2,500 for individuals and $5,000 for families to help purchase insurance. McCain would allow the sale of insurance policies across state lines, rather than state by state, as is currently the case.

Obama: He would create a new plan for those who lack other access to coverage, as well as a National Health Insurance Exchange to help pool the purchasing power of small businesses and individuals. Obama would also offer a combination of subsidies and tax credits to help make coverage more affordable. He would mandate health insurance coverage for children, but not adults. Obama would create a federally sponsored health insurance plan, similar to Medicare, that would compete with private plans for those under age 65.

Labels: Healthcare

Ever since the Democratic nomination process ended, we haven't heard very much about where the two candidates stand on healthcare. It's time we remind them how important the issue is. Above is a clip of Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel on the Today Show back in June, discussing his healthcare plan with Matt Lauer.

Labels: Healthcare

John & Elizabeth Edwards: What We Like (and Dislike) About Clinton & Obama - Elizabeth Edwards, John Edwards : People.com

Elizabeth Edwards likes Hillary Clinton's plan for universal health insurance. Husband John Edwards doesn't much care for Clinton's "old politics."

So goes the his-and-her debate in the Edwards household (their kitchen, to be specific), as they spoke exclusively to PEOPLE Monday on the eve of primary voting in their homestate of North Carolina – the latest must-win state in this year's protracted Democratic presidental nomination fight between Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama.

In their first joint interview since John, the Democratic former senator and 2004 vice presidential nominee, dropped out of the race in January, the couple named what they liked and disliked about each of the remaining Democrats – and Mrs. Edwards didn't hesitate: "I like Hillary's health care plan."

What doesn't she like about the senator from New York and former first lady? "The lobbyist money," she adds.

On Obama, she says: "The fact that he has motivated so many young people to be involved, I think is fantastic."

But, she adds: "I don't like his health care plan or his advertising on health care, which I think is misleading."

Labels: Election 2008, Healthcare, Hillary, John Edwards, Obama

A look back at the Democratic AFL-CIO Presidential Forum from August of last year. One of the better debates between the Dems, shows why Hillary has strong support amongst middle-class, blue-collar voters.

Labels: Debates, Election 2008, Healthcare, Hillary, Unions

Factcheck.org: Obama's Health-Care Flier | Newsweek Politics: Campaign 2008 | Newsweek.com

An Obama mailer stretches the differences between the candidates on health care.

Specifically:
It touts measures included in Obama's plan to help low-income individuals buy insurance but fails to mention that Clinton would provide similar financial assistance.

It says Obama's plan would save the average family $2,500 per year – an estimate provided by experts at the campaign's request – but doesn't say that Clinton estimates hers will save $2,200 per year.

Labels: Election 2008, Healthcare, Hillary, Obama

Labels: Healthcare, Michael Moore

Clinton unveils health care plan - Yahoo! News

DES MOINES, Iowa - Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton on Monday offered a sweeping health care reform plan to ensure coverage for all Americans with federal assistance to help defray the cost.

Thirteen years after her first effort was abandoned — but saying she still bore the scars from that failure, Clinton described her new plan as necessary to address the crisis of some 47 million uninsured.

"I believe everyone — every man, woman and child — should have quality, affordable health care in America," the New York senator told an audience in Iowa. She vowed to accomplish the goal in her first term.

Labels: Healthcare, Hillary

wcbstv.com - Study: Some Printers As Dangerous As Cigarettes

A new study has identified the latest workplace hazard, and it may be sitting just a few feet from your desk. Researchers say laser printers can release tiny particles into the air that can be harmful for you to breathe.

The study, performed in Australia, put 62 printers to the test and found some release particles of toner-like material that can irritate the lungs. Of those analyzed, 37 had no particle emissions at all.

On the flip side, 17 chalked up high emissions. The worst released as many particles as a lit cigarette.

Not all laser printers are the same, however, even if they're made by the same company. For example, while there are models made by Hewlett Packard that have no particle emissions at all, there are other HP printers that tested as having some of the highest emissions.

Labels: Healthcare

7Online.com: New York City and Tri-State News from WABC-TV##

New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine signed a landmark stem cell research bond act Thursday, which calls for a $450 million bond referendum that will provide financing for stem cell research grants to eligible institutions over a 10 year period.

"New Jersey continues to forge ahead as a pioneer in stem cell research and discovery," Corzine said. "This ballot initiative represents a landmark economic investment that will create new jobs and spur new business ventures while bringing the potential of revolutionary life-saving treatments and cures to millions afflicted by some of the most devastating diseases and injuries."
New Jersey voters will decide this November whether to borrow the money to pay for stem cell research in the state.

The Stem Cell Research Bond Act would authorize the sale of state general obligation funds in the amount of $450 million over 10 years. The grants will be awarded by the Commission on Science and Technology subject to evaluation by an independent research review panel and in consultation with the New Jersey Economic Development Authority concerning commercial viability of the projects.

Labels: Healthcare, Stem Cell Research

City blood bank supplies low - AM New York

City blood supplies have dropped to dangerously low levels, raising concern that hospitals do not have enough blood to cope with a major emergency, blood donation officials warn.

"We are down to a one-day supply in some of the critical areas like Type O Negative," said Robert L. Jones, president of the New York Blood Center. "When it gets down to that point hospitals feel like they don't have enough even for routine procedures."

Labels: Healthcare, Local

wcbstv.com - Army Sgt. Becomes First Vet To Receive Bionic Hand

(CBS) NEW YORK Retired U.S. Army Sergeant Juan Arredondo still remembers the devastating sight of his severed left hand still gripping the steering wheel of the vehicle he was driving in Iraq after an IED suddenly exploded through the door.

Little would he know that that devastation would turn into a miracle.

Arredondo, 27, lost his hand on February 28, 2005. Just over two years later he's become one of the first recipients of the world's first bionic hand, called the "i-Limb."

Labels: Healthcare, Iraq War

Injured Iraq vets sue VA over health care delays - Conflict in Iraq - MSNBC.com WASHINGTON - Frustrated by delays in health care, a coalition of injured Iraq war veterans is accusing VA Secretary Jim Nicholson of breaking the law by denying them disability pay and mental health treatment.

The class-action lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, filed Monday in federal court in San Francisco, seeks broad change in the agency as it struggles to meet growing demands from veterans returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Suing on behalf of hundreds of thousands of veterans, it charges that the VA has failed warriors on several fronts — from providing prompt disability benefits, to adding staff to reduce wait times for medical care to boosting services for post-traumatic stress disorder.

Labels: Healthcare, Veterans

Discussioln on the The McLaughlin Group regarding the testimony of Dr. Richard Carmona last week of roadblocks put up by the administration.

Labels: Anti-Science, GOP Hypocrisy, Healthcare, Impeachment

Labels: Healthcare

Michael Moore fires back at Wolf Blitzer after CNN aired an attack piece on Moore's new movie, "Sicko." Moore did a great job of reminding Wolf of what a poor job was done by his network and the rest of the MSM of holding the administration accountable for their WMD claims before the war. BTW, what you don't see at the end is Lou Dobbs putting his two cents in as usual comparing Moore to Hugo Chavez.

Labels: Healthcare, Iraq War, Media, Michael Moore

wcbstv.com - New Study Links Blood Cancer To Ground Zero Toxins

(CBS) NEW YORK A new study has emerged that raises serious concerns about 9/11-related illnesses. For years, scientists reported that it was too soon to link cancers to the toxins that workers were exposed to at Ground Zero after 9/11. But new research is finding a link between Ground Zero toxins and certain types of cancers.

They've already suffered from the World Trade Center cough and from chronic lung diseases. Now doctors say 9/11 responders could face debilitating blood cancers from breathing the toxic air.

The scary reality hit retired firefighter Lee Ielpi hard when he was told he had a rare blood cancer. "I didn't have any words, I was speechless," said Ielpi, who spent nine painstaking months at Ground Zero as he searched for the remains of his son Jonathan, also a firefighter. "My mind -- it ran the gamut of fear, anxiety, my family."

Labels: 9-11, Ground Zero, Healthcare, Local

Obama offers universal health care plan - Yahoo! News

IOWA CITY, Iowa - Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama (news, bio, voting record) on Tuesday offered a plan to provide health care to millions of Americans and more affordable medical insurance, financed by tax increases on the wealthy.

Bemoaning a health care "cost crisis," Obama said it was unacceptable that 47 million are uninsured while others are struggling to pay their medical bills. He said the time is ripe for reforming the health care system despite an inability to do so in the past, most notably when rival Hillary Rodham Clinton pursued major changes during her husband's presidency.

"We can do this," Obama said in a speech in Iowa City at the University of Iowa's medical school. "The climate is far different than it was the last time we tried this in the early nineties."

Obama's plan retains the private insurance system but injects additional money to pay for expanding coverage. Those who can't afford coverage would get a subsidy on a sliding scale depending on their income, and virtually all businesses would have to share in the cost of coverage for their workers.

Labels: Election 2008, Healthcare, Obama

60 Minutes tells the story of how pharmaceutical industry lobbyists literally wrote the historic Medicare Prescription Drug Bill and twisted arms to get the necessary votes to have it passed in the middle of the night.



read more | digg story

Labels: Healthcare, Lobbyists

Walter Reed medical chief relieved - Military Affairs - MSNBC.com

WASHINGTON - The Army said Thursday that the two-star general in charge of Walter Reed Army Medical Center has been relieved of command following disclosures about inadequate treatment of wounded soldiers.

Maj. Gen. George W. Weightman, who was commanding general of the North Atlantic Regional Medical Command as well as Walter Reed hospital, was relieved of command by Army Secretary Francis J. Harvey.

Labels: Healthcare, Veterans

The Center for American Progress Action Fund and SEIU will host a forum on health policy at UNLV March 24th 2007 featuring Sen Barack Obama, Sen Hilary Clinton & former Sen John Edawards

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Labels: Election 2008, Healthcare