Archive for March 30th, 2011
Are You Depressed (by Facebook)?
Do Facebook facets like “friend” counts and status updates give you the blues? A new study in Pediatrics looks at a phenomenon known as “Facebook Depression.”
RomneyCare Architect Says Romney’s Objections to Federal Reform ‘Largely Political,’ Nation Sounds Collective ‘Duh’
Jonathan Gruber, economist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, tells us what we already know: Mitt Romney’s calls to repeal the federal health reform law are “largely political,” since Romney’s own Massachusetts health reform plan shares many characteristics with the federal overhaul, and the 2012 presidential hopeful is trying to muddy this connection at all costs.
Would You Like To Pay 100 Times More for Your Drugs? Just Kidding — You Already Are!
Arthur Allen writes in Slate:
Senate Could Send 1099 Repeal to President Obama Soon
Senate Democrats today could vote on an amendment to a small-business bill (S 493) that would repeal the 1099 tax-reporting provision in the federal health reform law and then use a procedural maneuver to consider an identical House measure (HR 4) as approved, National Journal reports (McCarthy, National Journal, 3/29). If the Senate clears the amendment, it could use a “deem and pass” procedure to consider HR 4 as passed. Lawmakers could then send HR 4 directly to President Obama. However, It is unclear whether Obama would sign HR 4. Although he supports repealing the 1099 provision, a Statement of Administration Policy released earlier this month criticized the bill’s offsets (National Journal, 3/29).
The Trouble With High Deductible Plans and More Skin in the Game
Jonathan Cohn writes in Kaiser Health News that Republicans’ idea to introduce more high-deductible health plans to encourage people to spend less on medical care would be only partially successful in improving the U.S. health system, according to a recent study.
Howard Dean Thinks Americans Would Blame GOP If Government Shuts Down
Howard Dean, former chair of the Democratic National Committee, believes U.S. residents will blame Republicans if the government shuts down next week — just as they did during the 1995 and 1996 shutdowns.
