Senate debates health care bill -- will it control costs?
As the Senate begins debate on its version of a health care overhaul bill, big questions remain on hot-button topics like abortion and the public option.
But another issue that will intensify debate is whether the proposal controls skyrocketing health care costs.
Lawmakers are drawing on influential research from Dartmouth that shows huge disparities in Medicare costs in hospitals nationwide as evidence of waste in the system. Maryland ranks sixth highest in Dartmouth research of Medicare spending in the last years of a chronically ill patients' life. Hopkins and Maryland are the state's priciest hospitals.
The health care bills would examine differences in costs and could limit how much expensive hospitals get from Medicare. In addition, the bills would clamp down on overall Medicare payment rates.
All that worries hospitals who say they are expensive to run because they are responsible for training the next generation of doctors and pioneering life-saving techniques. They fear reforms will endanger their missions.
But others don't buy those arguments and say sweeping reforms -- and lower payments -- are needed to reduce waste.
In addition to these provisions, expect serious debate in the Senate about whether the bill goes far enough to cut costs. The White House has already defended the bill's cost-cutting measures. Stay tuned to see how it all shakes out.
And here's a tidbit for all the health care wonks: Check out these little-noticed reform provisions, from encouraging time off at work for breastfeeding moms to more money for sex ed.
Comments
I hope the Republicans debate the senate bill vigorously. That is the only way the bill's costs and accounting kimmicks will be exposed. In the end, nobody will like the bill - especially the voters. The CBO indicates policies will go up under the senate plan, but costs to individuals will be modified by government subsidies. Either way, the taxpayers, not the subsidy recepients, will pay for the bill's largess. In the end, I predict the bill will fail under the weight of its own amendments and discourse. Since the Democrat leadership refuses to allow the introduction of proposals that will lower health costs to see the light of day, it needs to fail.
Posted by: Jeff in Orlando | November 30, 2009 1:57 PM
I am wondering what the health care bill will do for me. I make $11.80 an our but my insurance costs me $191.81 a week
for family coverage. I only bring home $240 a week. I live paycheck to paycheck. How am I supposed to make ends meat.
Posted by: josua | November 30, 2009 3:03 PM
costs will be reduced only if they stop providing health services for all the old folks on Medicare and the baby boomers that soon get old enough for it. That is the Obama plan!
Medicaid has to stay like it is because the people that don't work and contribute are the voting base for him.
Posted by: Keith Wren | November 30, 2009 10:04 PM
The rejection of the public option by the Senate is very sad. There is a very large demographic of people that are being overlooked right now, and a public option would benefit them.
Eva Mor author of (Making the Golden Years Golden) responded beautifully to a key part of the problem:
“The administration of the existing health delivery system is bloated with waste and unnecessary cost. If information was shared by all providers of health services and all insurers by using computerized systems to store all medical records, it would cut costs and reduce errors that would save and improve lives.” http://www.ourblook.com/component/option,com_sectionex/Itemid,200076/id,8/view,category/#catid107
To regulate costs in the medical industry and update the existing Information and communication technologies would certainly cut a large portion of spending, which has featured as primary complaint in this debate all along.
I hope that when the two bills come together to be voted on the public option may make its way back into the bill.
Posted by: Maguire | December 19, 2009 1:57 PM