Today's Opinions: Democrats running away from health care; One company's success with insurance; Calif.'s effort on mental health parity

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Sep 10 2010

ObamaCare 'Amnesia' Wall Street Journal
Facing a grim November, Democrats are now running on another quarter-baked stimulus plan and the specter of John Boehner's perpetual tan, instead of the bill they spent more than a year debating and hailed as the liberal triumph of the century. Democrats now barely mention ObamaCare on the trail—unless they're trashing it (9/9).

How My Company Beat Rising Health Care Costs Forbes
Though we still have much more work to do, we have found a way to make health care costs more manageable. It shouldn't be a foregone conclusion that those costs are rising no matter what. The truth is, with innovative ideas, due diligence and teamwork, the problem can be not only managed, but solved (John Torinus, 9/9).

Here Are A Few Bills Schwarzenegger Should Add To His Legacy Mercury News
California can require insurers to cover mental health problems as they do other common medical problems. All that's needed is Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's signature on San Jose Assemblyman Jim Beall's mental health parity bill, AB 1600. Three times the bill has passed the Legislature, and three times the governor has vetoed it. But this year, in the wake of federal health care reforms that call for mental health parity, Schwarzenegger has worked with Beall on a version that we hope finally wins his signature (9/10).

A Better Way To Faster Cures Politico
Creating new miracle drugs is hard — and getting harder. A recent court ruling on stem cell research is likely to make sure of that (Michael Mangeniello and Terrell Halaska, 9/9).

'Free Market' Rules Don't Work For Health Care Atlanta Journal Constitution
For those Americans who have a religious faith in the free market, health care is a frustrating test of that faith. It doesn't conform to supposed free market dictates. Competition doesn't decrease costs (Cynthia Tucker, 9/9).

This article was reprinted from khn.org with permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent news service, is a program of the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonpartisan health care policy research organization unaffiliated with Kaiser Permanente.