John R. Graham
Commentary
Doctors Seven Times More Satisfied with Payments from Private Insurance as Medicare
Funded by the Robert Wood Johnson (RWJ) Foundation, the survey’s results were promoted with a different headline than you see above. “Poll finds most doctors support public option,” said National Public Radio (NPR); “73% of doctors favor public option,” said Salon’s Steve Klingman. These headlines were encouraged by the RWJ ...
John R. Graham
September 18, 2009
Commentary
Sen. Wyden Back in the Game: Now We’re Getting Somewhere
Wyden-Bennett is the only Democrat-led bill that removes the tax prejudice against employees buying their own health insurance, instead of being forced meekly to accept whatever their HR managers chose for them. Wyden-Bennett has its problems. The most important one is that it proposes both an individual and employer “pay ...
John R. Graham
September 18, 2009
Commentary
Government must promote, not reduce, ‘ownership’
Would-be health reformers in Congress are taking much of their inspiration from reform experiments conducted in the states. Unfortunately, they have seized on the worst ideas the states have to offer. Congressional Democrats are dead set on adopting the rules from states where the hand of government is heaviest and ...
John R. Graham
September 16, 2009
Commentary
Someone Please tell the President: It’s Been Illegal to Drop Coverage Since 1997
In fact, these protections have existed in federal law since 1997. Title 45 of the Code of Federal Regulations (45 CFR § 148.122) is about “guaranteed renewability of individual health insurance coverage.” Paragraphs (a) and (b) read as follows: (a) Applicability. This section applies to all health insurance coverage in ...
John R. Graham
September 16, 2009
Commentary
Jesse Jackson on Health Reform!
According to Mr. Jackson, Medicare, the U.S. government’s single-payer system for seniors is the most popular health plan in the U.S. Well, if I was able to get taxpayers to pay 53% of my medical claims, I suppose I’d be satisfied too. Even so, 90% of Medicare beneficiaries have some ...
John R. Graham
September 16, 2009
Commentary
Will the Chickens Roost in the CO-OP? Max Baucus’ Health Reform Proposal.
Someone has leaked a document from Senator Max Baucus, titled a Framework for Comprehensive Health Reform, which purports to be the basis for discussion by the “Gang of Six” Senators on the Senate Finance Committee upon whose quivering shoulders rests the fate of the proposed federal take-over of Americans’ access ...
John R. Graham
September 14, 2009
Commentary
Another Reason to Make Health Insurance the Property of the People
Readers also learned that non-profit organizations are rebelling at the tax reforms proposed as a part of the federal government take-over of Americans’ access to medical services, expecially the tax credit to small businesses to subsidise their employees’ coverage. Because non-profits don’t pay income tax, they would not get the ...
John R. Graham
September 14, 2009
Commentary
The Best Health Care Plan You’ve Never Heard Of
Real Clear Politics, September 13, 2009 Washington is in the midst of yet another scandal — but not the kind you’d read about in a gossip rag. Congressional dilettantes are willfully ignoring health-care reform ideas that would cut costs and provide high-quality care to all. Sound nuts? It shouldn’t. By ...
John R. Graham
September 13, 2009
Commentary
Union Power and Medical Waiting Times
California recently enacted new, tighter rules mandating maximum waiting times for appointments with primary-care docs and specialists in managed-care plans (HMOs), such as Kaiser Permanente. According to regulators, the problem is so bad it threatens a “feudal situation”. On top of this, the California Nurses Association has produced a bizarre ...
John R. Graham
September 11, 2009
Commentary
Health cost crisis
While campaigning across the country promoting a federal government takeover of access to medical services, President Barack Obama has repeatedly denounced rising health costs, which he claims are bankrupting families and businesses. He did so again Wednesday night in his speech to a joint session of Congress. The president’s assertions ...
John R. Graham
September 11, 2009
Doctors Seven Times More Satisfied with Payments from Private Insurance as Medicare
Funded by the Robert Wood Johnson (RWJ) Foundation, the survey’s results were promoted with a different headline than you see above. “Poll finds most doctors support public option,” said National Public Radio (NPR); “73% of doctors favor public option,” said Salon’s Steve Klingman. These headlines were encouraged by the RWJ ...
Sen. Wyden Back in the Game: Now We’re Getting Somewhere
Wyden-Bennett is the only Democrat-led bill that removes the tax prejudice against employees buying their own health insurance, instead of being forced meekly to accept whatever their HR managers chose for them. Wyden-Bennett has its problems. The most important one is that it proposes both an individual and employer “pay ...
Government must promote, not reduce, ‘ownership’
Would-be health reformers in Congress are taking much of their inspiration from reform experiments conducted in the states. Unfortunately, they have seized on the worst ideas the states have to offer. Congressional Democrats are dead set on adopting the rules from states where the hand of government is heaviest and ...
Someone Please tell the President: It’s Been Illegal to Drop Coverage Since 1997
In fact, these protections have existed in federal law since 1997. Title 45 of the Code of Federal Regulations (45 CFR § 148.122) is about “guaranteed renewability of individual health insurance coverage.” Paragraphs (a) and (b) read as follows: (a) Applicability. This section applies to all health insurance coverage in ...
Jesse Jackson on Health Reform!
According to Mr. Jackson, Medicare, the U.S. government’s single-payer system for seniors is the most popular health plan in the U.S. Well, if I was able to get taxpayers to pay 53% of my medical claims, I suppose I’d be satisfied too. Even so, 90% of Medicare beneficiaries have some ...
Will the Chickens Roost in the CO-OP? Max Baucus’ Health Reform Proposal.
Someone has leaked a document from Senator Max Baucus, titled a Framework for Comprehensive Health Reform, which purports to be the basis for discussion by the “Gang of Six” Senators on the Senate Finance Committee upon whose quivering shoulders rests the fate of the proposed federal take-over of Americans’ access ...
Another Reason to Make Health Insurance the Property of the People
Readers also learned that non-profit organizations are rebelling at the tax reforms proposed as a part of the federal government take-over of Americans’ access to medical services, expecially the tax credit to small businesses to subsidise their employees’ coverage. Because non-profits don’t pay income tax, they would not get the ...
The Best Health Care Plan You’ve Never Heard Of
Real Clear Politics, September 13, 2009 Washington is in the midst of yet another scandal — but not the kind you’d read about in a gossip rag. Congressional dilettantes are willfully ignoring health-care reform ideas that would cut costs and provide high-quality care to all. Sound nuts? It shouldn’t. By ...
Union Power and Medical Waiting Times
California recently enacted new, tighter rules mandating maximum waiting times for appointments with primary-care docs and specialists in managed-care plans (HMOs), such as Kaiser Permanente. According to regulators, the problem is so bad it threatens a “feudal situation”. On top of this, the California Nurses Association has produced a bizarre ...
Health cost crisis
While campaigning across the country promoting a federal government takeover of access to medical services, President Barack Obama has repeatedly denounced rising health costs, which he claims are bankrupting families and businesses. He did so again Wednesday night in his speech to a joint session of Congress. The president’s assertions ...