MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'health care debate'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:15:58 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3652398&cid=t_230011_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FYy22vptrYik%2F By Neal McCluskeyArguably the most troubling aspect of the push for national education standards has been the failure — maybe intentional, maybe not — of standards supporters to be up front about what they want and openly debate the pros and cons of their plans. Unfortunately, as Pioneer Institute Executive Director Jim Stergios laments today, supporters are using the same stealthy approach to implement their plans on an unsuspecting public. Standing in stark contrast to most of his national-standards brethren is the Fordham Institute’s Mike Petrilli, who graciously came to Cato last week to debate national standards and is now in a terrific blog exchange with the University of Arkansas’s Jay Greene. Petrilli deserves a lot of credit for at least trying to answer s... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3652398 Thu, 10 Jun 2010 16:47:45 +0100 3652398 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3467738&cid=t_230011_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fw1mT8tFucSU%2F By Michael D. TannerOver the course of the health care debate, the media often reported and editorialized — and sometimes it was impossible to tell the difference — quite favorably on the Democratic proposals running through Congress. While some upheld their journalistic responsibility to scrutinize and offer objective analysis of the legislation, many did not. It was not surprising to read stories almost daily about how Obamacare would lift millions of poor, elderly, sick, and generally down-trodden Americans out of financial and medical crisis, and even go so far as to singlehandedly save the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans over the course of the next decade. (It would even provide one free turkey for Thanksgiving to every family living 400 percent below the pover... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3467738 Tue, 13 Apr 2010 21:06:33 +0100 3467738 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3411073&cid=t_230011_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Ffeel%2Ftodays-poll-threats-to-politicians%2F At Blisstree, we’re really into the health care debate, but we’re not so into violence, death threats, and envelopes filled with white powder that looks like anthrax. How do you feel about the menacing letters, emails, and phone calls many of our senators and congresspeople are receiving based on their health care voting records? Take our poll below. #MicroPollDiv_243457 { width: 250px; margin: 0px auto; } Post from: BlissTree Today's Poll: Threats to Politicians (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3411073 Fri, 26 Mar 2010 23:06:55 +0100 3411073 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3403866&cid=t_230011_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FpxjZUAbo3NU%2F By Juan Carlos HidalgoCosta Rica – my home country – has suddenly become part of the health care debate after celebrity radio talk show host, Rush Limbaugh said that he would move to Costa Rica go to Costa Rica for health care if  ObamaCare were approved by Congress the federal government gets too involved in health care in the next few years. Soon after Sunday’s vote in the House of Representatives, a website was set up to buy Limbaugh a one-way, first-class ticket to Costa Rica. Liberals were quick to point out that my country has a socialized health care system that is among the best in Latin America. People claim that in Costa Rica health care is a right, not a commodity. The problem surfaces when you actually need to exercise your “right.” Last July, La Nación newspaper ca... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3403866 Wed, 24 Mar 2010 20:29:23 +0100 3403866 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3390728&cid=t_230011_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Ffeel%2Ftodays-poll-health-coverage%2F Do you believe in universal health care? Or do you think people who don’t have health care coverage are lazy and should just get a job? Let’s hear what you think. Take our poll and comment below. #MicroPollDiv_242203 { width: 250px; margin: 0px auto; } photo: Thinkstock Post from: BlissTree (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3390728 Mon, 22 Mar 2010 14:35:12 +0100 3390728 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3366277&cid=t_230011_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F03%2F14%2Fthe-situation-of-the-health-care-debate%2F A Harvard Law student wrote a worthwhile post on Law & Mind a few weeks ago about some of the dynamics behind the health care debate.  Here is an excerpt. * * * How should an institution inspire collective action?  What’s the best strategy?  The conventional wisdom is that to solve a collective problem, the institution should reward contributors and punish free-riders.  To prevent people from littering, fine them; to induce people to donate to charity, reward them; to move people to invent, lure them with intellectual property . . . .  The implicit reasoning is that the typical human agent is a rational wealth-optimizer who won’t contribute to a public good unless he or she is incentivized to do.  Yet, . . . the rational actor model isn’t an accurate depiction of human natu... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3366277 Mon, 15 Mar 2010 03:27:41 +0100 3366277 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3171877&cid=t_230011_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FfYqakBfBSqo%2F By Tad DeHavenOne aspect of the health care debate that has not been sufficiently addressed is how the Department of Health and Human Services will handle all its new responsibilities given the massive fraud and abuse that already plagues its existing programs. It seems that every week there’s a new report of government health care being bilked. Since what’s reported is typically only what is caught, one can only imagine how much isn’t being caught. Harvard’s Malcolm Sparrow, a top specialist in health care fraud, estimates that up to 20 percent of federal health program budgets are consumed by improper payments, which would be a staggering $150 billion a year for Medicare and Medicaid. New York Times columnist David Leonhardt did raise the question this week of whether the HHS bur... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3171877 Thu, 14 Jan 2010 14:42:55 +0100 3171877 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3159688&cid=t_230011_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FVL9Hc7rkmLQ%2F By Chris Moody David Boaz: “Suddenly, I find myself nostalgic for Bill Clinton….Come back, Bill, all is forgiven. Or most, anyway. As long as you bring a Republican Congress with you.” So, have you been following the health-care debate on C-SPAN? Oh wait… Obama administration preparing a new arms package for Taiwan. Nat Hentoff to Castro et al: “Roar, tyrants, you cannot hide your racist deeds.“ Podcast: “Price Controls in Obamacare” featuring Michael F. Cannon. (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3159688 Mon, 11 Jan 2010 16:27:38 +0100 3159688 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3149036&cid=t_230011_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FZDQ9ByXWiyo%2F By Michael F. CannonThat’s the conclusion of economist Glen Whitman and physician Raymond Raad, who write in Forbes: Unfortunately, the health care bills moving through Congress could curtail medical innovation. Imposing price controls on drugs and treatments–or indirectly forcing their prices down by means of a “public option” or expanded public insurance programs–would reduce the incentive for innovators to develop new treatments. Proposed reforms could also retard business model innovation–an area where innovation is weak. Congress has already used its control of Medicare to limit the growth of specialty hospitals. A nationally mandated insurance package would severely curtail innovation in payment methods and insurance products, which have the potent... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3149036 Wed, 06 Jan 2010 18:06:45 +0100 3149036 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3089510&cid=t_230011_136_f&fid=37852&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdonnatrussell.com%2F2009%2F12%2F14%2Finside-the-health-care-reform-sausage-factory%2F New cartoon by Trussell & Trussell on AOL’s Politics Daily. Inside the Health Care Reform Sausage Factory. Posted in Politics Daily Tagged: chaos theory, health care bill, health care debate, health care reform, political cartoon (Source: Donna Trussell) Donna Trussell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3089510 Mon, 14 Dec 2009 18:01:48 +0100 3089510 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3067023&cid=t_230011_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FpYS4jNbVURM%2F By Chris Moody How the European Union can bring peace to the Middle East. Nat Hentoff on the health care debate: “We do not elect the president and Congress to decide how short our lives will be. That decision is way above their pay grades.” Video: What can autism teach us about economics? Cato’s Malou Innocent debates the troop build up in Afghanistan. Over at Cato Unbound, experts discuss the positive and negative outcomes of modernity. Podcast: Driverless cars? They aren’t as far away as you think. (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3067023 Mon, 07 Dec 2009 16:28:40 +0100 3067023 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3018977&cid=t_230011_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fwhu3WPjVY3M%2F This morning, Politico Arena asks: Do you take Glenn Beck’s “new national movement” seriously? Is the GOP establishment letting itinerant celebrities and talk show stars set the party’s agenda? As Winston Churchill understood, democracy is messy (and, as in his case, sometimes ungrateful).  Glenn Beck is no William F. Buckley Jr.  But then, “Joe the Plumber” probably never read National Review, which like most other journals of “high opinion” was never self-sustaining.  Liberals today, their noses in the air Obama style, look across America from the vantage of the famous New Yorker cover and see pitchfork brigades, forgetting that those who fill the brigades generally love America, which is more than can be said of some of the baggage tha... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3018977 Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:27:50 +0100 3018977 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2989369&cid=t_230011_136_f&fid=37852&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdonnatrussell.com%2F2009%2F11%2F12%2Feverybody-lets-play-health-care%2F New cartoon by Trussell & Trussell on AOL’s Politics Daily: Everybody! Let’s Play Health Care! Posted in Politics Daily Tagged: chaos theory, health care, health care bill, health care debate, health care reform, health insurance, political cartoon (Source: Donna Trussell) Donna Trussell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2989369 Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:41:14 +0100 2989369 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2947029&cid=t_230011_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fgive-us-generic-drugs-for-our-ms-treatment%2F The first therapy for MS (Interferon beta-1b) was made available to us nearly 20-years-ago now.  It was followed, in relatively rapid succession (over the next ten years) by two other interferon therapies and Glatiramer acetate.  Most recently, a monoclonal antibody has been added to our MS arsenal. These are all compounds known as biologic drugs, meaning that they are grown, not synthesized.  They must be grown from living cell cultures in a controlled environment with great care and at great cost. These drugs are not the “$500 Million for the first pill, $.05 for the rest.” A cost which is, as we know, passed along to the consumer…us. Like all drugs, they are patent protected so that the proprietary company can recoup research and development expenses and return a profit to ... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2947029 Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:00:39 +0100 2947029 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2904857&cid=t_230011_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FCi50C2kTAYs%2F Last week, editors at Politico posed two questions to an online panel to which I contribute: “ACORN: Underplayed or overblown?” and “Will the Dems ever get their act together on healthcare?” The two are intimately connected by a simple proposition: “Most people want more housing and health care than they can afford.” Of course, for “housing” or “health care” one could substitute whatever one wishes: food, clothing, cars, education, entertainment, vacations, you name it. Economists call this the problem of scarcity, and it’s the beginning of economics. In a free society, most individuals, families, and firms will deal with that problem through such homely measures as creating and husbanding wealth, planning for the future, an... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2904857 Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:27:00 +0100 2904857 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2744049&cid=t_230011_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FM7rUTJ2Rhbk%2F Nearly 30 European countries have agreed to end their government mail monopolies in the next five years. The U.S. Postal Service has estimated losses of $7 billion this year. It’s time to privatize. If you are curious about how President Barack Obama’s health plan would affect your health care, look no further than Massachusetts. You might not like what you find. How the outcome of the health care debate will affect our greatest liberty — life. Keep an eye on the troubling voting procedures in Europe. Podcast: The Age of Reagan (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2744049 Fri, 28 Aug 2009 20:09:03 +0100 2744049 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2727081&cid=t_230011_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F3YcjeyJ8c0k%2F One of the most disturbing things about the current health care debate is that some Republicans are positioning themselves as defenders of Big Government Medicare and against efforts to trim the program’s costs. Yet the taxpayer costs of Medicare are expected to more than double over the next decade (from $425 billion in 2009 to $871 billion in 2019), and the program will consume an increasing share of the nation’s economy for decades to come unless there are serious cuts and reforms. Even the Obama administration talks about “bending the cost curve” to slow the program’s growth. Yet Republican National Committee chairman, Michael Steele, takes to the Washington Post today to defend Medicare against any cuts, while at the same time criticizing the Democr... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2727081 Mon, 24 Aug 2009 14:01:53 +0100 2727081 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2724930&cid=t_230011_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2FdXbPPnOwgFY%2F The health care debate in Washington has really heated up. But one thing I’ve noticed is that people seem to cling to sound bytes to get their news about what’s really going on. Sometimes, the snippets they hear are taken out of context or even completely untrue. To see how much you might now, log on to CNN and take this health care debate quiz. You’ll get an idea of what you know versus what you’ve heard, to see which is the truth. I was surprised at how much I didn’t know. Image: sxc.hu. Post from: Blisstree Health Care Debate Quiz (Source: A Hearty Life) A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2724930 Fri, 21 Aug 2009 12:36:25 +0100 2724930 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2715923&cid=t_230011_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F-7W3ksPPYwI%2F The health care debate has catalyzed a wonderful national clash of cultures centering on freedom versus control. Here’s one example that’s both complex and delightful. Progressive site TalkingPointsMemo ran a story yesterday about a man named “Chris” who carried a rifle outside an event in Phoenix at which President Obama appeared. “We will forcefully resist people imposing their will on us through the strength of the majority with a vote,” Chris said. To many TPM readers, this kind of thing is self-evidently shocking and wrong: Carrying a weapon is inherently threatening, Second Amendment notwithstanding. And vowing to resist the properly expressed will of the majority—isn’t that an outrageous denial of our democratic values? Well, . . . No.... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2715923 Wed, 19 Aug 2009 16:19:49 +0100 2715923 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2709117&cid=t_230011_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FyIliDWHWvas%2F “Death panels” are a dominant motif in the debate over health care regulation, a fact that spins off political flares like a roman candle. Extremists on both sides have taken their extreme positions: Some literally fear President Obama and his health regulation plans; others are outraged that anyone could possibly feel that way. Charges of special-interest organizing meet counter-charges of unfairness and false accusation. Good video from town hall meetings and volleys of “Nazi” and “socialist” give cable news networks another short reprieve from their long slow decline. It’s all manna for the writers at Comedy Central. But let’s talk substance: Health care is a scarce good, so it will always be rationed. The core question is whether governm... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2709117 Mon, 17 Aug 2009 12:22:54 +0100 2709117 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2653671&cid=t_230011_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FqluhO8I2kB0%2F It’s not often that I can transition from my education beat to other hot topics, but an Inside Higher Ed story on colleges’ health-care benefits includes this little nugget: One trend documented in the survey that may concern many employees is the increase in “consumer driven” health insurance plans by colleges. These typically involve employees setting up tax-free accounts to pay for some care, and then high deductibles for major medical expenses. This year, 17 percent of colleges were offering the plans, up from 11 percent two years ago. So what’s so terrible about “consumer driven” health care, which from the article sounds like health savings accounts ? The story doesn’t say — nor does it give any details on who puts the money into... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2653671 Wed, 29 Jul 2009 17:31:12 +0100 2653671 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2626190&cid=t_230011_129_f&fid=36035&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-chronic-pain%2Fhow-do-you-think-we-could-cut-costs-in-our-health-care-system%2F As most of you who read this blog on a regular basis know, I have been serving on an online panel for The Washington Post regarding this whole subject of changing or improving health care in our country. It’s a huge subject and today I don’t want to get lost in the muck and mire of trying to sludge through this whole issue. I, also, do not want to turn this blog, which I started to address living with chronic pain, to become a political one. Neither do I want it to be a religious one, a sexist one or a reality TV show; there is enough reality in living with daily pain. Everyone is welcome here and I don’t want to do anything that will estrange anyone who needs to visit us. That said, however, I am a resolute believer in free speech I spend a great deal of my limited energy writing fo... Life with Chronic Pain blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2626190 Tue, 21 Jul 2009 16:18:53 +0100 2626190 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2570987&cid=t_230011_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fthe-ms-community-weighs-in-on-the-health-care-debate%2F What does the multiple sclerosis community think about changes to medical policy?  This week in Washington, DC lawmakers began what is sure to be an arduous national debate on the subject of health care reform.  Already “both sides” are waging an advertising campaign based upon people’s fears and hopes. I figured that as we go into the long Independence Day holiday weekend, we might afford ourselves to express (and maybe someone making decisions a chance to read) our thoughts on the subject.  Few diseases have a more significant lifetime economic impact as multiple sclerosis. Even with “excellent” coverage, many of us are either cornered into taking one drug or another because of outrageous co-pays or give up many rewarding aspects of our lives so we can af... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2570987 Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:45:20 +0100 2570987 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2561355&cid=t_230011_111_f&fid=34716&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNurseRatchedsPlace%2F%7E3%2FRofKW5BgfLQ%2F My apologies to James Carville. I plagiarized his tagline because the insurance industry has forgotten about sick people during our national healthcare debate. I remember when nurses and insurance companies use to get along with each other. Back in the 1960s, these nurses even took time out of their busy schedules to pose for one of their ads. We took care of patients at the bedside, and the insurance companies paid the hospital bill. It was as simple as that, but then things started to change. It began with three little letters—HMO. Insurance companies are spending a lot of time and money trying to scare people into opposing President Barack Obama’s ideas on health care reform. They are especially working hard to torpedo the public option plan. That plan would allow you to keep y... Nurse Ratched's Place blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2561355 Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:13:31 +0100 2561355 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2416839&cid=t_230011_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F05%2Fcalgary-cataract-wait-shows-peril-of.html I once supported a single payer health care plan for the USA and considered Canada to be the ideal model. I changed my mind after I went on a speaking gig to Ontario and the local newspaper headline screamed that 900,000 Ontarians could not find a primary care physician due to doctors refusing new patients. Then, I began noticing the long waits for surgeries, women being sent to the USA to give birth, and other antitheses of the easy access to care that the vast majority of Americans take for granted.Here's a case in point: Cataract surgery is readily available in the USA, but in Calgary, they are now very difficult to obtain. From the story: Calgary ophthalmologists say waiting times for cataract surgeries in the city have skyrocketed since the cash-strapped Alberta superboard slashed the... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2416839 Mon, 18 May 2009 14:50:00 +0100 2416839 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2256000&cid=t_230011_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F-R6xU_U7KBk%2F On the Diane Rehm Show last week, I predicted that all the lovey-dovey coalition-forming by the Church of Universal Coverage would fall apart as soon as people started talking about actual reforms instead of vague principles. Today, The New York Times reports: Two labor unions have pulled out of a broad coalition seeking agreement on major changes in the health care system. The action, by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and the Service Employees International Union, shows the seeds of discord behind the optimistic talk at a White House conference on health care this week. It also illustrates the difficulty of reaching agreement on two of the knottiest issues in the health care debate: whether to offer a new government-sponsored insurance option, and whether... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2256000 Mon, 09 Mar 2009 19:29:58 +0100 2256000