Archive for the ‘Editor's Roundup’ Category
THE FRIDAY RUNDOWN: One Crazy Week for Reform
It’s been one year, six months and 28 days since President Obama signed the federal health reform law. This past week makes it clear that the law is still in flux, as opponents continue to try to repeal it and proponents still defend it. At the same time, independent observers note that the U.S. health care system is nothing to brag about.
Here’s what you need to know from the last week in health policy news.
THE FRIDAY RUNDOWN: Health Policy Invades Jobs, Deficit Debates
High unemployment rates and even higher federal deficits are at the forefront of most Americans’ minds these days. Even health policy is being lumped in with legislation to address unemployment and closing the deficit.
How health programs affect jobs and the deficit depends on which side of the aisle you sit. For Republicans, entitlement programs spend too much and the federal health law is a “job-killer.” For their more liberal colleagues, entitlement spending means a need for more revenue. Unless you’re President Obama, in which case creating jobs means cutting entitlement spending.
It’s all so confusing sometimes. But you’ll be less confused if you keep up-to-date with all the health policy happenings. Below you’ll find what you need to know from the last week in health policy news.
THE FRIDAY RUNDOWN: Looking Ahead, Looking at Now, and Looking To Get Rid of the SGR
It was a week in which health policy observers looked ahead to a time that the federal health reform law could be declared unconstitutional and what one major aspect of the law might look like if the law is upheld. As we stared into the future of reform, HHS tried to remind us that some of the overhaul’s provisions already have taken effect and are providing Medicare beneficiaries with benefits.
Finally, lest health policy wonks became distracted with all the news on the health reform law, MedPAC swooped in to remind of the ever-present problem of the sustainable growth rate formula.
Here’s what you need to know from the last week in health policy news.
THE FRIDAY RUNDOWN: The End of the Slow-Down Approach
Since the day President Obama signed the federal health reform law, observers have said the overhaul’s constitutionality would be decided by the Supreme Court. However, it always was an eventuality, coming sometime down the road. In the last week, though, both the Obama administration and the plaintiffs in the multistate lawsuit against the reform law took actions that all but assured the high court will take up the case within the next year.
Here’s what you need to know from the last week in health policy news.
THE FRIDAY RUNDOWN: Money Matters Become Main Focus
As has been common in the majority of political conversation in the previous few months, money has become the main focus of many of the recent discussions on health policy. This week, that was true more than ever, as President Obama released a deficit-reduction proposal that included cuts to entitlement programs, and MedPAC unveiled a proposal to rid Medicare of the sustainable growth rate formula once and for all.
THE FRIDAY RUNDOWN: A Rebound Week
One week after a federal appeals court declared the individual insurance mandate unconstitutional, this week the federal health reform law experienced a bit of a comeback.
THE FRIDAY RUNDOWN: Week of the Panel
News about the 12-member bipartisan, bicameral panel created by the recent debt deal dominated the health policy world this week.
Here’s what you need to know from the last week in health policy news.
THE FRIDAY RUNDOWN: A Deal, Some Numbers and Some Hope
A debt deal that may or may not cut Medicare and Medicaid spending was signed this week, another survey was released on how employers will react to the federal health reform law, and states have started to lower premiums for the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan created by the overhaul in the hope that it will spur more enrollment.
Here’s what you need to know from the last week in health policy news.
THE FRIDAY RUNDOWN: Health Amidst the Heat
As the nation heats up, health policy news slows to a crawl. Still, news about an antireform lawsuit popped up, a report found health care spending might be leveling off, CMS released rules for creating co-ops under the health reform law and the country’s two largest pharmacy benefits managers merged.
Here’s what you need to know from the last week in health policy news.
THE FRIDAY RUNDOWN: While the Nation Focused on the Budget
Because the media this week focused so heavily on the drama surrounding the debate over the fiscal year 2012 budget, you might have overlooked a number of other important health policy stories.
Here’s what you need to know from the last week in health policy news.
