On the News With Thom Hartmann: Montana Follows Vermont’s Lead on Path to State-Level Single-Payer Health Care, and More:

“Governor Brian Schweitzer of Montana said he plans to ask the federal government to exempt his state from requirements in the Affordable Care Act – so that he can set up a universal, single-payer system like in Canada. Earlier this year – the state of Vermont started moving in the same direction too. Governor Schweitzer said he wants to create a system modeled after the Canadian province of Saskatchewan – where less is spent on healthcare – but there are better results and people live longer. Today – Canada has a nationwide single-payer system – but it started with one province – Saskatchewan – and spread across the rest of the nation. Let’s hope we see the same thing sweep across America.” (Read the rest)

By Igor Volsky on Sep 12, 2011 at 2:05 pm

One of the most common Republican narratives during the health care reform debate argued that lowering the subsidy to private insurers participating in Medicare Advantage would force companies to stop offering coverage, causing 10 million seniors to lose their Medicare benefits. Republicans introduced numerous amendments instructing Congress to remove the cuts to the Medicare Advantage program and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) even urged seniors to rip up their AARP cardsin protest of the organization’s support for the reductions.

But on Friday, a new report from the Kaiser Family Foundation found that the GOP’s dire predictions are not coming true. In fact, “enrollment in Medicare Advantage continued to rise despite changes in the law that froze Medicare Advantage payment rates to 2010 levels”:

(read the article)

A couple of years ago, when Sen. Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia asked me to testify about little-known health insurance industry practices at a hearing of his Senate Commerce Committee, I initially was reluctant. I knew that if I was completely honest, my life would change forever.

What he was asking me to do was to disclose practices that have contributed to the growing number of Americans without insurance, the even faster growing number of us who are underinsured, and the phenomenal increase in insurance industry profits over the years, even as the ranks of those without coverage swelled.

(read the rest)

The Policy Page , from Forbesblog

Notes from author T.R. Reid, interview from the Commonwealth Club:
Mr. Reid was hired by Penguin Press and PBS to study national health systems around the globe. He found that most country’s fit into one of these four models.
1. The Beverage model – National health care service by the government. Britain, France, Italy, New Zealand have this one. Services are provided and paid for by the government. Taxes are high but everyone is covered, and costs about half what they are in the US. This is a socialized, single-payer system. In the US, only the US congress and veterans get this.
2. Bismark or German plan in Switzerland, Scandinavia and Japan. This is a mandatory private non-profit insurance plan paid by the worker/employer. Doctors are private. This is what we have in the US, although the costs are lower than what we pay.
3. NHI National Health Insurance model, called Medicare which Canada, Australia, Taiwan, S. Korea, Mexico and a lot of newly wealthy companies are going this route. This is a blend of the Beverage and the Bismark plan. The providers are private and the government pays the bills. Everybody pays a premium to the government and everyone is covered. The US Medicare system designed by Lyndon Johnson for those over 65 was based on this system.
4. The no-insurance out-of-pocket system – most of the world has this system. If you have money get can buy health care, if not, you are on your own. This applies to poor Americans as well who have no money or insurance.

US. has all the models.
Four Reasons Why other Most countries commit to one system for everybody:
1. It is cheaper, simpler, and easier to manage health care without the billing and administrative costs.
2. There is a major financial incentive to provide preventive care because it is cheaper than treating an illness later, unlike in the US where the bill is based on treatment, not health of the patient.
3. It is fairer if everybody get the same access to the same care at the same cost.

Number one lesson is that health care reflects the morals of the country. If you make the moral commitment, you well cover everyone. If we had the will all the other countries can show us the way.

Wendell Potter, CIGNA whistleblower and author of Deadly Spin: An Insurance Company Insider Speaks Out on How Corporate PR Is Killing Health Care and Deceiving Americans stops by The Nation for a conversation about health reform, insurance companies, and how progressives might better understand PR spin and its influence on the health reform legislation. Potter illuminates what the insurance company won and didn’t win during the reform process and how they are now using deliberations over health reform regulations at the state and federal level to win more victories…

(read the rest)

Debra Ness, President, National Partnership

Six months ago today, President Obama signed the health care bill into law.  And with his signature, our health care system was opened up for renovation. But, like any remodeling job, we’ve got a long way to go before the final product will be ready for a ribbon cutting ceremony.

So, why is the six month anniversary of the Affordable Care Act important?  Because today some key provisions in the law go into effect – and that means it’s time to take stock of where we are and where we’re going. Meaningful implementation of the health reform law – implementation that focuses on what’s best for patients and families – in the months and years ahead is critical.  But there is already much to celebrate.

(new blog)