Today’s Op-Eds: Controlling Health Care Costs, The Fight Against Childhood Obesity, Are ACOs The Way To Go?
How We Fix Health Reform Politico
There is a better approach than the draconian cuts slated to be implemented by the Independent Payment Advisory Board. The country needs to re-think its approach to delivering care -- beginning with Medicare (Tommy Thompson, 11/10).
Why The Next Big Step Toward Reining In Healthcare Costs May Fizzle BNet
CMS planners should recognize the differences among healthcare markets and the readiness of healthcare providers to become ACOs and take financial risk. This is going to be a 10-year process that will ultimately turn the healthcare ship around completely. In a $2.5 trillion dollar industry, you don't do that overnight (Ken Terry, 11/10).
Health Care Reform Was The Right Thing To Do, Even If It Cost Democrats The House, Says ER Doc The New York Daily News
Health care reform has not yet affected the economy to any significant extent; its practical benefits and shortcomings are all in the future. Had Obama not passed healthcare reform, the economy would be just as bad, and the Democrats would still have lost the midterms as a result. But 32 million people wouldn't get health insurance (Dr. Frank Huyler, 11/9).
New Congress Must Not Forget About Cancer Roll Call
As our leaders return to a radically different Washington, D.C., they must renew their commitment to the fight against cancer, not only to curing it, but to caring for those who are enduring it and who've survived it (Doug Ulman, 11/9).
Congress Has Power To Keep Kids Healthy The Orlando Sentinel
We need to restore opportunities for physical activity, build healthy habits early on and enlist entire families and communities in maintaining their health. Improving the quality of meals served through federal child-nutrition programs is a significant component of this strategy, and one we cannot succeed without (Dr. O. Marion Burton and Dr. David J. Bailey, 11/9).
Concrete Steps To Nowhere The New York Times
Give [Republican Rep. Eric] Cantor credit for this much: dismantling the Affordable Care Act is at least a truly concrete step. But, given that the Congressional Budget Office has deemed the act a net money saver, dismantling it is unlikely to do much to close the deficit, even if the C.B.O.'s estimates are way too optimistic (Robert Wright, 11/9).
Medicaid Is A Big Black Hole That Will Suck In Rick Scott The Orlando Sentinel
If [Florida Gov.-elect Rick] Scott can't slash Medicaid, then he can't slash the budget and he can't slash taxes. And all the editorial boards get to call him a huckster and a fraud a Charlie Crist minus the personality (Mike Thomas, 11/8).