Jane Hiebert-White host's this edition of Health Wonk Review over at the Health Affairs Blog. Health Wonk Review is a bi-weekly round-up of the best in health care policy blogging. This edition is loaded with commentary on how we might achieve universal coverage--or not.
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The Real Reason Health Care Reform is Hard—Hillary Clinton Leads the Presidential Candidates With $26 Million in First Quarter Campaign Contributions
Reading the press, it’s as though raising money for a presidential run is a sweepstakes to be won—like it’s something to be proud of.Just exactly what should we all be celebrating?Hillary Clinton leads the way with $26 million raised in the first three months of the year before the presidential election. Senator Obama is reportedly going to come in well over the $20 million figure and John
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California Fines Wellpoint $1 Million for "Unfairly" Rescinding Health Insurance Polices--Was Wellpoint Fair or Not?
The California Department of Managed Health Care has fined Wellpoint $1 million because it says Wellpoint "routinely" violated state law when it canceled (or rescinded) individual health insurance policies after the policyholders filed claims. The state said that Wellpoint made no attempt to determine whether the policyholders merited such "harsh" treatment when it canceled the policies.From a
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Medicare Advantage “Overpayments”—Not As Simple As It Seems
Bill Boyles, Publisher of Health Market Survey, gives us another insider's view of the day-to-day debate over the appropriateness of the Medicare Advantage payments to HMOs.It seems that when you have seen one Medicare Advantange Plan you have seen one Medicare Advantage Plan. The "overpayments" reported by MedPAC and the CBO are nowhere near across the board.The debate is clearly getting into
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House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee Goes After Medicare Advantage Payments on Wednesday and Humana Stock Up 5% by Thursday Close
Apparently Wall Street doesn’t take Pete Stark and the Congressional Democratic Majority very seriously.The House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee held hearings on Medicare Advantage payments to HMOs on Wednesday morning. It’s no secret the Democrats have every intention of cutting those payments.No health plan has made the strategic bet on the Medicare Advantage program that Humana has. And
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The Latest Health Wonk Review
For all of you health care policy addicts, who spend your free time cruising cyberspace in search of the latest health care policy ruminations, the latest Health Wonk Review is up over at Matt Holt's "The Health Care Blog."
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The Reauthorization of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP)--A Surprising Contrary View
Bill Boyles, the publisher of Health Market Survey, fills the role of guest commentator again today reporting on a very different view on the issue of the reauthorization of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP).His report just goes to show that nothing in health care policy is simple:House Black Caucus Not Buying S-CHIP ExpansionIt seems like every interest group in the country
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Senate Budget Committee Adopts Budget Blueprint––Need for Revenue Continues to Endanger Medicare Advantage Funding
The Senate Budget Committee voted along party lines this past week to adopt a 2008 budget blueprint that includes substantial funding for the State Children’s Medicaid Program (S-CHIP), additional veterans care, and many other health care needs.Most notably, the blueprint has only identified $15 billion of the $50 billion needed to expand the S-CHIP program. They plan to get that $15 billion from
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Bush Administration Rejects Bipartisan Health Care Reform Recommendations From "Citizens' Working Group" Created by Medicare Act
The 2003 Medicare Modernization Act the Bush administration pushed through--it also created Part D--included a provision that established a "Citizens' Working Group" to study the American health care challenge and report back to the President and the Congress with suggested solutions.Their mission was to "promote a public debate" on solutions to the cost, coverage, and quality challenges we face.
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Medicare Advantage HMOs Gearing Up for Payment Cuts--Could They Come as Early as 2008?
Bill Boyles--Publisher of Health Market Survey--returns as a guest commentator. Bill keeps a sharp eye on the Medicare Advantage business and on Capitol Hill. Here's his take on what the Congress--and the health plans --are up to:We are hearing that the health insurers are getting ready to dump markets in response to the Democratic threat to cut Medicare Advantage payments. But first they will
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