Lonesome Hobo Economics: Who Should Pay for Universal Health Care?
These two sentiments, both of which I favor, flow from different aspects of the topic question. No one wants to charge a rich man a higher price for an appendectomy than a poor man. Even if you morally approved soaking the rich, you would have to acknowledge the dangerous exploding 'fee schedule' that results often in more, not less waste, and worse health outcomes.
The Mystery of the Cost of Healthcare
A New Yorker magazine investigative report about why McAllen, Texas, a city located in Hidalgo county – which has the lowest per capita income in the country – has one of the highest medical costs per person in the United States (surpassed only by Miami, Florida), has stirred an unusual controversy over the rarely discussed contradictions that affect the quality and coverage of health services in that country.
Without Reform, Millions Could Lose Health Care
If nothing is done about health reform, as Republicans have indicated is their top priority in order to 'break' President Obama, a typical family can expect to pay about 71 percent more for health insurance premiums within the next 10 years, says a new memo from the Center for American Progress Action Fund. According to the memo, the average family premium will total more than $22,000, if no health reform is enacted this year.
Small Business to Benefit from Health Reform
The overwhelming majority of small business owners will see important new benefits as a result of health reform working through Congress right now, said Council of Economic Advisors (CEA) Chair Christina Romer and Small Business Administration (SBA) head Karen Mills in a joint teleconference with reporters, July 24.
Republicans Playing Political Games with Health Reform
President Obama continued his campaign for health care reform this week with a stop at a Cleveland area clinic, July 23. The town hall event came one day after a major televised press conference during which the President confronted Republican obstructionism to health reform and pressed Congress for urgent action.
Podcast #105: Minimum Wage Not Enough
On this episode, President Obama fires back against Republican obstructionism of health reform. The minimum wage goes up July 24th to $7.25 per hour. And we play excerpts of a recent interview with Dan Kovalik a United Steelworkers union staffer who traveled to Honduras earlier this month to observe pro-democracy protests against the military coup.
Treating Addiction Can Prevent HIV
Alcohol and drug addiction are major drivers of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in many parts of the world, but for political and ideological reasons, scientists and clinicians have tended to shy away from this area of HIV research, while governments and donors have been reluctant to fund programs targeting addicts.
Cost of Health Care Reform: Wails of Indignation from the Right
In recent weeks we have been treated to wails of pain and indignation regarding the cost of government subsidized health care from our elected representatives. Most frequently the most plaintive cries are from those senators and representatives who show no compunction about large appropriations for foreign military adventures and who show total disregard for the taxpayers’ subsidies of executive salaries and bonuses.
Health Reform More Urgent Than Ever
Families are in desperate need of health reform, President Obama said in remarks at the Children's National Medical Center in Washington DC, July 20. In his statement, after meeting with the hospital's administrators, doctors and nurses, the President also warned against Republican obstructionism on health reform.
CBO Report Ignores Full Savings in Health Reform
Health reform advocates pushed back this weekend against a new insurance industry and congressional Republican offensive to block or slow down President Obama's push to overhaul health care by pointing out that the most important accomplishment of reform would be to relieve in the financial burden the current broken health system has on the economy.
