Health

Ryan repackages his plan to end Medicare; tries to resuscitate his dying idea

September 28, 2011 by Uppity Wisconsin

David Dayen at Firedog Lake:

 Paul Ryan is desperately trying to resuscitate his failed plan to end Medicare by offering it as the replacement element in the long-sought “repeal and replace” strategy for the Affordable Care Act. [The one the GOP calls Obamacare - Xoff.]

“Giving patients and consumers control over healthcare resources would make all Americans less dependent on big business and big government for our health security; give us more control over the care we get; and force health care providers to compete for our business,” Ryan said.

Ryan argued that a tax credit in lieu of Medicare, Medicaid and government-credited employer-sponsored healthcare would commoditize healthcare costs, enabling individuals to choose their coverage and allowing the free market to drive down prices and make care more affordable — and generous — for all.

Mark Neumann's "truthful" math: Facts are pesky, pesky things

September 28, 2011 by Uppity Wisconsin

NeumannThe Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Politifact (I like to call it Politifactoid) feature today examined a statement by former GOP congressman and current US Senate candidate Mark Neumann and judged it "truthful." His statement:

Did you know that if the federal government spent $30,000 on behalf of every family of four or group of four in America, that the federal budget would be balanced today? They’re spending $46,000 on behalf of every family of four in America today, every year."

Which is the logical equivalent of saying this: If you trimmed the human population of Earth back down from the current seven billion to two billion, you'd balance the eco-system and save the planet. That may be true, just as Neumann's comment about the federal budget deficit may be true, but the devil, as usual, is in the details.

New Mexicans Celebrate One-Year Anniversary of Patient’s Bill of Rights

September 26, 2011 by Democracy for N...

This past Friday marked the one-year anniversary of the Affordable Care Act’s Patient’s Bill of Rights, and millions of patients across New Mexico have benefited as a result of this fundamental piece of the law, according to Know Your Care New Mexico. The Patient’s Bill of Rights stops insurance companies from limiting the care that patients need, and removes insurance barriers between patients and their doctors.

“Thanks to the Patient’s Bill of Rights, New Mexicans have significantly more protections against insurance- company abuse than they did a year ago,” said Chris Cervini of Know Your Care New Mexico. “These common-sense provisions are such basic protections, but they are so important to New Mexico patients.”

Under the new law, insurance companies can no longer impose pre-existing condition exclusions on children, deny or take away coverage based on a mistake on the application or set lifetime or annual limits on coverage. Additionally, the Patient's Bill of Rights protects consumers from unreasonable rate increases, ensures that health insurance premiums are adequately reviewed and also prohibits insurance companies from spending premium dollars on administrative costs rather than on health care.