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  • MIT Economist Confirms Senate Health Reform Bill Reduces Costs and Improves Coverage

    Posted by Nancy-Ann DeParle on November 29, 2009 at 4:14 PM EDT

    Jonathan Gruber, PhD, a MIT Economist who has been closely following the health insurance reform process, issued a compelling new report based on data from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office.  As the Politico wrote, "The report concludes that under the Senate’s health-reform bill, Americans buying individual coverage will pay less than they do for today's typical individual market coverage, and would be protected from high out-of-pocket costs."  Here are some key points:

    Gruber concludes that the Senate proposal's health insurance exchange, choices and competition, and policies to hold insurers accountable would reduce costs.  Savings for people purchasing coverage in the individual market would range from $200 to 500 for individuals and families, and would be greater if people opted for basic benefits.  People with low incomes would receive premium tax credits that would reduce the price that they pay for health insurance by as much as $2,500 to $7,500 in 2009 dollars.

    Two charts based on his report illustrate these savings:

    Gruber Premiums Chart - Single Person

    November 27, 2009.

    Gruber Premiums Chart - Family

    November 27, 2009.

     

    The coverage Americans get under the Senate plan would be better than today's typical individual market coverage.  For example, it would protect individuals from high out-of-pocket costs, meaning Americans would pay less premiums for more coverage.  If instead Americans chose basic benefits similar to those offered in the individual market today, they would pay almost 20 percent less.

    As Gruber concludes:

    Analysis of the non-partisan information from the CBO suggests that for those facing purchase in the non-group market, the House bill will deliver savings ranging from $200 for singles to $500 for families in today’s dollars – even without subsidies.  The savings are much larger for lower income populations that receive premium credits.  This is in addition to the higher quality benefits that those in the exchange will receive, with actuarial values for low income populations well above what is typical in the non-group market today.  It is also in addition to all the other benefits that this legislation will deliver to those consumers – in particular the guarantee, unavailable in most states, that prices would not be raised or the policy revoked if they became ill.

    Nancy-Ann DeParle is Director of the White House Office of Health Reform

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  • What Health Insurance Reform Means for Rural America

    Posted by Secretary Tom Vilsack on November 28, 2009 at 1:49 PM EDT

    I have seen the consequences of a health care system in need of reform – too few insured, too costly for others and too little quality for all. Unsustainable growth in the cost of health care and the continued denial of coverage to millions of Americans is evidence that our health care system has failed.

    These failings are amplified in rural America, where folks pay more for health care than their urban counterparts, but are still more likely to experience chronic illness and poor health.  I applaud the National Farmers Union for their  recent endorsement of the U.S. Senate's health care reform bill and their prior support of the House’s bill.  Their support of the legislation and thier courage in this critical debate says a great deal about the need for reform and the consequences for rural America if we do not get it.

    Consider the following statistics:

    • Rural Americans pay 39% of their total health care costs, out of pocket – the highest percentage for all Americans.
    • Almost one in four Americans living in towns with less than 2,500 people have no health insurance coverage.
    • Rural Americans are more likely than their urban counterparts to postpone or forego medical care because of the cost – 9% say they delayed care and 7% skipped treatment.
    • Approximately 80% of Rural Americans are self-employed or work for a small business – two groups greatly impacted by the rising cost of health care premiums.
    • Rural residents are more likely to report fair to poor health status than urban residents, have a higher mortality rate and are more likely to have a chronic condition.

    For more information, check out this recent report detailing how health insurance reform will impact rural America.

    These numbers aren’t just statistics – they tell the real story about the health and well-being of rural Americans.  When high costs or lack of insurance deters someone from seeking needed health care, illnesses go undiagnosed and long term costs increase.

    Soaring health care costs are also hurting rural economies and businesses. Small businesses create most new jobs in rural America, but they are at a disadvantage in our current health care system, paying up to 18% more per worker than large firms for the same health insurance policy.  And over the last 16 years the number of small businesses offering health care has dropped to less than 40%.  We can overcome this by creating a new insurance exchange where individuals and small businesses will have greater leverage to bargain for better prices and quality coverage.

    The debate we are having is a good one and it will result in legislation more beneficial to the American people.  But we cannot forget - we have been debating health care reform since Harry Truman was President and the status quo is unsustainable.  We must seize the unprecedented opportunity for reform that will improve the health care security and stability that Americans value, strengthen our economy and maintain the character of our rural communities for decades to come.  The time is now. Rural America can’t wait any longer.

    Tom Vilsack is Secretary of the Department of Agriculture

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  • Reality Check: Column Ignores Facts about Health Reform

    Posted by Dan Pfeiffer on November 27, 2009 at 6:14 PM EDT

    In today's Washington Post, Charles Krauthammer takes great pains to paint a bleak picture of health care reform as "monstrous," "overregulated," and rife with "arbitrary bureaucratic inventions."  The columnist's argument may be cogent and well-written, but it is wholly inaccurate.

    Krauthammer describes a "better choice" for health reform as having three elements: tort reform, interstate purchasing and taxing employee benefits. All three elements are part of the current effort.

    And while Mr. Krauthammer may try to label reform legislation as a package of programs linked only by "political expediency," the legislation actually is designed to take health care off the unsustainable path it is currently on by improving the health of all Americans and reducing costs for families, small businesses and the government.  Some examples from the Senate bill:

    • An independent Medicare Commission that would develop and submit proposals to Congress aimed at shoring up the long-term financial health of Medicare, slowing Medicare cost growth that is hurting seniors and the budget, and improving the quality of care delivered to all Medicare beneficiaries. (Section 3403)
    • A program to ensure that uninsured individuals with pre-existing conditions can buy affordable health coverage. (Section 1101)
    • New programs to expand the health care workforce so we can ensure there are more doctors and nurses in this country. (Sections 5102, 5201, 5202, 5203, 5204, 5205, 5206, 5207, 5309, 5310, 5311, 5312)
    • New prevention and wellness programs such as tobacco cessation and programs to combat childhood obesity. (Sections 4001, 4002, 4003 and 4004, 4107, 4306)

     

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  • Streaming at 11:30am EST: Nancy-Ann DeParle Speaks with AllBusiness.com about Health Care Reform

    Posted by Cammie Croft on November 25, 2009 at 12:03 PM EDT

    At 11:30am EST, White House Health Reform Director Nancy-Ann DeParle will answer questions from AllBusiness.com about health reform and small business. 

    Watch it live at WH.gov/Live.

    [UPDATE: This event has now concluded.]

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  • Reality Check: Health Insurance Reform and Guns

    Posted by Dan Pfeiffer on November 24, 2009 at 12:31 PM EDT

    It’s amazing that after so many months debating health insurance reform, sometimes a myth we see being spread about it can still surprise us. In October, for example, we saw a rather shocking claim that one bill being debated in the Senate "could be used to ban guns in home self-defense." Politifact appropriately dismissed that claim as false, and we thought we could all move on from bizarre claims that reform was related to the 2nd Amendment in any way whatsoever.

    But apparently the Gun Owners of America, the same group that propagated that ridiculous claim, had simply gone back to the drawing board.  Today they sent out an alert misleading their members again, raising the specter of some massive government database of  "gun-related health data" despite the fact that there is no mention "gun-related health data" or anything like it anywhere in either the Senate or the House bills.

    RHETORIC:  GUN OWNERS OF AMERICA CLAIMS THAT HEALTH REFORM LEGISLATION WILL "DUMP YOUR GUN-RELATED HEALTH DATA” INTO A GOVERNMENT DATABASE WHICH CAN BE USED TO "PRECLUDE YOU FROM OWNING FIREARMS."  The Gun Owners of America (GOA) claim that "the mandates in [the Senate's health reform] legislation will most likely dump your gun-related health data into a government database that was created in section 13001 of the stimulus bill.  This includes any firearms-related information your doctor has gleaned... or any determination of PTSD, or something similar, that can preclude you from owning firearms." [Gun Owners of America Alert, 11/20/09]

    REALITY:  NOTHING IN THE SENATE BILL WOULD RESULT IN "GUN-RELATED HEALTH DATA" BEING SUBMITTED TO THE GOVERNMENT.  There is no mention of "gun-related health data" anywhere in the Senate’s health reform bill and there is nothing in the bill that would result in any such data being reported to the government.    The bill does provide guidelines for reporting of anonymous statistical information to help with research, but none of this would lead to gun ownership or “gun related health data” being included in reporting to the government.  [Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act]

    RHETORIC:  GUN OWNERS OF AMERICA CLAIMS THAT SECTION 2717 OF THE SENATE HEALTH REFORM BILL WOULD ALLOW THE GOVERNMENT TO OFFER LOWER PREMIUMS TO EMPLOYERS IF THEIR EMPLOYEES DO NOT OWN GUNS.  Gun Owners of America (GOA) claims that "Special ‘wellness and prevention’ programs (inserted by Section 1001 of the bill as part of a new Section 2717 in the Public Health Services Act) would allow the government to offer lower premiums to employers who bribe their employees to live healthier lifestyles -- and nothing within the bill would prohibit rabidly anti-gun HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius from decreeing that 'no guns' is somehow healthier."  [Gun Owners of America Alert, 11/20/09]

    REALITY:  NOTHING IN THE SENATE HEALTH REFORM BILL WOULD LEAD TO HIGHER PREMIUMS FOR GUN OWNERS OR A "DECREE" THAT GUN OWNERS ARE LESS HEALTHY THAN OTHERS.    Section 2717 section creates guidelines for insurers to report on initiatives that  improve quality of care and health outcomes, and it specifically lists what types of programs would be involved – such as smoking cessation, physical fitness, nutrition, heart disease prevention.  There is no mention of guns, and there is no language that could result in higher premiums for gun owners or lower premiums for people who do not own guns.  Section 2705 of the bill does permit employers to provide premium discounts for employee participation in health promotion and disease prevention programs, and it prohibits insurers from discriminating against individuals for specific reasons such as health status, medical history, and genetic information.  It allows the Secretary to add other “health status-related” factors to the list.   But again, there is no mention of guns,  or any possibility that owning or not owning guns would ever be considered a "health status-related" issue.   [Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act]

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  • Streaming at 3:30 pm on Flu.gov: H1N1 Briefing for Bloggers and Blog Readers

    Posted by Erin Edgerton on November 23, 2009 at 4:05 PM EDT

    Today’s Know What to Do about the Flu webcast has a special focus on bloggers and their readers.  The series, sponsored by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), was launched to deliver accurate and timely information directly to the public.  This episode’s focus on bloggers recognizes the power of this new medium and demonstrates the Department’s commitment to using innovative communication channels to deliver health information.

    Join the live webcast at 3:30 pm to hear the latest update on H1N1 and seasonal flu and learn about resources bloggers can use to share this information with their readers.  Detailed information about influenza prevention and treatment, warning signs for parents, anti-viral medications, and vaccinations will also be included.  The question and answer session provides you the opportunity to engage directly with leading communication and public health experts, including:

    • Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services
    • Anne Schuchat, Director, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

    Participants are invited to submit questions in advance and during the event using either email or Twitter (by including the hash tag #FluCast). To learn more about the event, visit Flu.gov, your one-stop resource for information on the flu.

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