Health Reform News and Research

RSS

Democrats weigh imperfect options for moving forward on health reform

USA Today reports that "Democratic leaders say [Mass. Republican Scott] Brown's win hasn't killed the $1 trillion health care bill," but after a series of meetings Wednesday they still had no "clear plan for how to proceed."

21 Jan 2010

Brown: Mass. voters shouldn't have to pay for national health reform

The Washington Post: "While many are describing the election to fill the late Edward M. Kennedy's Senate seat as a referendum on national health-care reform, the Republican candidate rode to victory on a message more nuanced than flat-out resistance to universal health coverage: Massachusetts residents, he said, already had insurance and should not have to pay for it elsewhere." The Post notes that Scott Brown "voted for the state's health-care legislation, which was signed by then-Gov. Mitt Romney (R)" and has "not disavowed his support for the state's law."

21 Jan 2010

News outlets focus on Pelosi, Nelson, Grassley, Harkin, Snowe and McCaskill

News outlets report on some of the major players in the health care debate, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., Iowa Sens. Charles Grassley and Tom Harkin, Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, and Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo.

21 Jan 2010

Democrats consider scaling back health reform package

ABC News interviewed President Barack Obama, who said: "The Senate certainly shouldn't try to jam anything through until Scott Brown is seated. People in Massachusetts spoke. He's got to be part of that process. ... I think point number two is that it is very important to look at the substance of this package and for the American people to understand that a lot of the fear mongering around this bill isn't true. I would advise that we try to move quickly to coalesce around those elements of the package that people agree on" (Stephanopoulos, 1/20).

21 Jan 2010

Today's selection of opinions and editorials

For now it appears that Washington's polarizing ways, and public anxiety about change, have again left Americans with the most expensive, least reliable health care system in the developed world. No matter who you are, that's hardly cause to celebrate (1/21).

21 Jan 2010

Health care companies assess where they stand on health reform after election

The Wall Street Journal reports that several firms reiterated support for a health care reform bill Wednesday, a day after the overhaul's viability was called into question by the victory of Republican Sen.-elect Scott Brown in Massachusetts. "PhRMA, the drug industry association, as well as companies including Pfizer Inc., Johnson & Johnson, WellPoint Inc. and Humana Inc., voiced support for an overhaul of some kind, despite objections among insurers about the efforts to date."

21 Jan 2010

First Edition: January 21, 2010

Today's headlines reflect the idea that health reform stakeholders -- be it the White House, congressional Democrats or others -- are all trying to figure out how to proceed in this changed political landscape.

21 Jan 2010

Unpopularity of health care reform led to Republican win in Massachusetts: Hoover study

How could a little-known Republican possibly have won a competitive U.S. Senate race in Massachusetts, the bluest of blue states? A new study by a team of Hoover researchers indicates that the culprit is the unpopularity of health care reform, and it likely means that Democrats will face even greater challenges later this year in less liberal states than Massachusetts.

21 Jan 2010

Health reform: Divided Democrats consider next steps

The Washington Post: "Unless Democrats can thread a very narrow legislative needle, Republican Scott Brown's upset victory over Martha Coakley in Massachusetts on Tuesday could lead to the collapse of a health-care bill that, only weeks ago, appeared close to becoming law." Though Democratic leaders have tried, in public, to be positive that the health bill "could remain on course," there are increasing concerns that moderates will now "begin to back away from the legislation, fearing its political effects."

21 Jan 2010

New survey: Nurses should have more influence on health care services, say opinion leaders

From reducing medical errors, to increasing the quality of care, to promoting wellness, to improving efficiency and reducing costs, a new survey finds that an overwhelming majority of opinion leaders say nurses should have more influence.

21 Jan 2010

Lawmakers discuss health reform bill's future; Reid says Senate won't take further action until Brown is seated

After "long-shot" Republican candidate Scott Brown won Massachusetts' Tuesday Senate election "no clear strategy emerged to keep President Barack Obama's top domestic priority moving through the halls of Congress. With the loss of the crucial 60th vote, two alternatives moved into consideration," Politico reports.

21 Jan 2010

State officials, companies examine possible new regulations

"California's largest health insurer is teaming with hospitals and doctors throughout the state to better share ways to improve patient safety and cut costs, leaders of the initiative said Tuesday. ... Woodland Hills-based Anthem Blue Cross is contributing $6 million toward" a series of knowledge-sharing meetings over the next three years (Helfand, 1/20).

21 Jan 2010

Health shares rise with speculation regarding Massachusetts election

Health shares rose Tuesday as traders considered the prospect that a Republican victory in the special Senate election in Massachusetts could jeopardize the health reform legislation.

21 Jan 2010

Health overhaul may have helped capsize Mass. Democrat

News reports ruminated Wednesday on a key question: How did the Massachusetts Senate seat left behind by Democratic Sen. Ted Kennedy fall into Republican hands?

20 Jan 2010

First Edition: January 20, 2010

The G.O.P. claims the Massachusetts Senate seat and sends Dems scrambling to salvage their health overhaul effort.

20 Jan 2010

Republican Brown wins Massachusetts Senate seat

The Boston Globe: "Republican Scott Brown tonight pulled off one of the biggest upsets in Massachusetts political history, defeating Democrat Martha Coakley to become the state's next United States senator and potentially derailing President Obama's hopes for a health care overhaul." The

20 Jan 2010

Massachusetts' Senate election could shape health reform's endgame

"Democrat Martha Coakley's struggle to stave off a potentially devastating defeat in Tuesday's special Senate election in Massachusetts marks a critical turning point in the year-long debate about health-care reform."

20 Jan 2010

News reports question health reform provisions, forecast legal issues

News reports explore remaining issues in Congress' health overhaul negotiations.

20 Jan 2010

Health insurer stocks rise as Wall Street anticipates Republican victory in Mass.

"Health insurer shares rose on Tuesday, while hospital stocks fell as investors anticipated a Republican victory in the special Massachusetts election for a new U.S. senator that would throw healthcare reform into uncertainty," Reuters reports. "The Street prefers a simple narrative," said Les Funtleyder, a health care analyst with Miller Tabak. "The narrative is Coakley in Massachusetts is in trouble and therefore the healthcare reform bill is also in trouble" (Krauskopf, 1/19).

19 Jan 2010

Dems plot health reform contingency plans if GOP wins Massachusetts Senate seat

Democrats are considering several courses of action to pass a health care reform bill if Massachusetts Senate hopeful Democrat Martha Coakley loses to Republican Scott Brown in a special election Tuesday, The Wall Street Journal reports.

19 Jan 2010