Rahm Orders Health Care Article Be Must-Read For Staffers

[one...two...tree 2,762]

When President Obama likes a magazine article, White House staffers had better read it.

Obama's must-read is Ron Brownstein's Saturday blog post "A Milestone in the Health Care Journey" at the Atlantic's political Web site.

Politico noted today that Obama found the article, which lauds Max Baucus' approach to health care, a good summary of the cost controls in the health care bill.

An administration official tells TPMDC that White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel assigned the article as homework during a recent meeting.

According to the official, Emanuel told senior staffers "not to come back to the next day's meeting if they hadn't read the article."

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/11...ers.php?ref=fpa

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Another Republican cost-containment priority missing from the bill is meaningful medical malpractice reform. (The bill only encourages states to think about it.) Nichols, of the centrist New America Foundation, would like to see that included as well. Its omission is one reason he says he gives the plan a "b" rather than an "a"; the other is he'd like to see mechanisms to more quickly diffuse into the private insurance system reforms that show promise in Medicare. Democratic sources say a group of centrist Democrats led by Virginia Senator Mark Warner is trying to devise a package designed to do just that, perhaps by expanding the role of the independent Medicare advisory commission.

[spookyturtle 9,466]

Obama is a dictator, making staff read his favorite magazine articles.

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Given that the article basically encourages common sense tort reform, I can't help but think this is how they're gonna get this through.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

One way to keep the costs down - having Congress determine the negotiate price for all medical procedures.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

One way to keep the costs down - having Congress determine the negotiate price for all medical procedures.

That wouldn't pass Congress... and it wouldn't deserve to either.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

One way to keep the costs down - having Congress determine the negotiate price for all medical procedures.

That wouldn't pass Congress... and it wouldn't deserve to either.

Who determines the maximum payouts for Medicare?

[scandal 951]

One way to keep the costs down - having Congress determine the negotiate price for all medical procedures.

Steve, do you see the inherent contradiction in the two highlighted words there?

If Congress determines a price - then by definition it hasn't been negotiated.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

One way to keep the costs down - having Congress determine the negotiate price for all medical procedures.

Steve, do you see the inherent contradiction in the two highlighted words there?

If Congress determines a price - then by definition it hasn't been negotiated.

It was poorly worded perhaps, but...

Health care systems in all of the countries he visited share the following characteristics:

1) Insurance companies accept everyone (no exclusions) and do not profit from basic necessary coverage – even when coverage is accomplished through a number of private insurers. E.g., Germany has over 200 private insurers, who make an end-of-year financial report. To equalize risk among insurances, those that end the year in the black, share their income with those who end the year in the red.

2) There is a mandate for all to buy into the public social insurnace system, and government subsidizes the poor.

3) Doctors and hospitals negotiate annually for fixed-rate payment, whether they negotiate with a quasi-government or government entity, or with private insurers as a unit, as in Germany. There is no widening gap between numbers of primary care doctors and specialists (or their pay) as there is in the U.S.

4) Bankruptcy due to medical bills is unheard of in these countries.

5) Most utilize some form of IT, electronic medical records, and individual smart cards with medical history.

http://zh-cn.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=67654312160

[Dan J 277]

Another Republican cost-containment priority missing from the bill is meaningful medical malpractice reform. (The bill only encourages states to think about it.) Nichols, of the centrist New America Foundation, would like to see that included as well. Its omission is one reason he says he gives the plan a "b" rather than an "a"; the other is he'd like to see mechanisms to more quickly diffuse into the private insurance system reforms that show promise in Medicare. Democratic sources say a group of centrist Democrats led by Virginia Senator Mark Warner is trying to devise a package designed to do just that, perhaps by expanding the role of the independent Medicare advisory commission.

Compared to everything else we could do this is really a drop in the bucket. Tort reform might reduce costs at less than 1 percent. As it is, there is no correlation between health costs and malpractice claims rates.

What it does do is better protect companies when they #### up. Which is who the Republicans are more interested in protecting anyway. Less/Smaller lawsuits = better stock price

[Heracles 417]

Another Republican cost-containment priority missing from the bill is meaningful medical malpractice reform. (The bill only encourages states to think about it.) Nichols, of the centrist New America Foundation, would like to see that included as well. Its omission is one reason he says he gives the plan a "b" rather than an "a"; the other is he'd like to see mechanisms to more quickly diffuse into the private insurance system reforms that show promise in Medicare. Democratic sources say a group of centrist Democrats led by Virginia Senator Mark Warner is trying to devise a package designed to do just that, perhaps by expanding the role of the independent Medicare advisory commission.

Compared to everything else we could do this is really a drop in the bucket. Tort reform might reduce costs at less than 1 percent. As it is, there is no correlation between health costs and malpractice claims rates.

What it does do is better protect companies when they #### up. Which is who the Republicans are more interested in protecting anyway. Less/Smaller lawsuits = better stock price

That is rubbish considering the doctor I recently spoke to from a small town said he has to pay $200K per year for such insurance. Who do you think these costs get passed on to?

If it's a drop in the bucket then you shouldn't have any problem with regulating it, that is, as do all other first world countries. I cannot go to Germany, Canada, Aus or the UK and sue the doctor for $20 million because I got an infection after surgery. This is the only (questionably) developed country that you can sue for spilling coffee on yourself. Sue because the auto manual did not say that cruise control does not mean the vehicle cannot drive itself.

The fastest way to have a lawyer abroad laugh is mention three words: 'US' and 'legal system'. That will get any and every lawyer going for hours.

Edited November 25, 2009 by Booyah!

[AlHayatZween 2]

That is rubbish considering the doctor I recently spoke to from a small town said he has to pay $200K per year for such insurance. Who do you think these costs get passed on to?

If it's a drop in the bucket then you shouldn't have any problem with regulating it, that is, as do all other first world countries. I cannot go to Germany, Canada, Aus or the UK and sue the doctor for $20 million because I got an infection after surgery. This is the only (questionably) developed country that you can sue for spilling coffee on yourself. Sue because the auto manual did not say that cruise control does not mean the vehicle cannot drive itself.

The fastest way to have a lawyer abroad laugh is mention three words: 'US' and 'legal system'. That will get any and every lawyer going for hours.

i have to agree with you there...

i had a doc in NYC who stopped delivering babies because she just couldn't afford the malpractice insurance... even though she really found joy in doing her job, she just couldn't afford it...

likewise, last week i read that parents were trying to sue Baby Einstein (the company) because they argued that the toys didn't make their kids any smarter ??

sorry, i'm so fixated on babies...

[Heracles 417]

likewise, last week i read that parents were trying to sue Baby Einstein (the company) because they argued that the toys didn't make their kids any smarter ??

You're joking right?

sorry, i'm so fixated on babies...

####, you are ready to pop it out anytime

[AlHayatZween 2]

likewise, last week i read that parents were trying to sue Baby Einstein (the company) because they argued that the toys didn't make their kids any smarter ??

You're joking right?

sorry, i'm so fixated on babies...

####, you are ready to pop it out anytime

Nope, not joking!

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/24/education/24baby.html

Any day now!

[Dan J 277]

Another Republican cost-containment priority missing from the bill is meaningful medical malpractice reform. (The bill only encourages states to think about it.) Nichols, of the centrist New America Foundation, would like to see that included as well. Its omission is one reason he says he gives the plan a "b" rather than an "a"; the other is he'd like to see mechanisms to more quickly diffuse into the private insurance system reforms that show promise in Medicare. Democratic sources say a group of centrist Democrats led by Virginia Senator Mark Warner is trying to devise a package designed to do just that, perhaps by expanding the role of the independent Medicare advisory commission.

Compared to everything else we could do this is really a drop in the bucket. Tort reform might reduce costs at less than 1 percent. As it is, there is no correlation between health costs and malpractice claims rates.

What it does do is better protect companies when they #### up. Which is who the Republicans are more interested in protecting anyway. Less/Smaller lawsuits = better stock price

That is rubbish considering the doctor I recently spoke to from a small town said he has to pay $200K per year for such insurance. Who do you think these costs get passed on to?

If it's a drop in the bucket then you shouldn't have any problem with regulating it, that is, as do all other first world countries. I cannot go to Germany, Canada, Aus or the UK and sue the doctor for $20 million because I got an infection after surgery. This is the only (questionably) developed country that you can sue for spilling coffee on yourself. Sue because the auto manual did not say that cruise control does not mean the vehicle cannot drive itself.

The fastest way to have a lawyer abroad laugh is mention three words: 'US' and 'legal system'. That will get any and every lawyer going for hours.

High malpractice insurance rates are in OB/GYN, if you look at other specialties, its no where near that high. It also varies quite a bit regionally Florida sees rates as high as $200,000 and other states are under $15,000.

Minnesota has some of the lowest malpractice insurance premiums in the country, about $15,000-20,000 for OB/GYN, but yet the average health insurance premiums in the state are above the national average. If this issue contributed as much to cost as some people claim, there is no evidence to support it.

Edited November 25, 2009 by Dan + Gemvita