1. Gordon, Tracy. “Hartford Hears Health Care Proposal.” New York Times 18 Jan. 2009
<www.nytimes.com/2009/01/18/nyregion/connecticut/18healthct.html>
See an article in the New York Times written by Tracy Gordon Fox and published on January 18, 2009 regarding a proposal for a universal health program in Connecticut for residents by 2014. The cost to implement the idea to "provide all residents access to their choice of health coverage and care regardless of their employment status, age, or pre-existing conditions," would cost the state estimated at $950 million in 2014. The initial costs to implement the program were not available. However, the plan could save individuals and employers approximately $1.7 billion by 2014 according to Juan Figueroa, President of the Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut. But, Keith Stover a lobbyist and spokesman for the Connecticut Association of Health Plans, says universal health care proposals "are cumbersome, expensive, and politically difficult." The neighboring state of Massachusetts that adopted a similar plan went over its health budget which cost the state $153.1 million more than expected. The policy proposal will be presented to Governor Rell and the State Legislature this session for consideration.
2. Krauss, Clifford. “Canada’s Private Clinics Surge as Public System Falters.” New York Times. 28 Feb. 2006
<www.nytimes.com/2006/02/28/international/americas/28canada.html>
In Canada, an article by the New York Times published February 28, 2006, titled Canada's Private Clinics Surge as Public System Falters written by Clifford Krauss reviews the prominent private hospital the Cambie Surgery Center. See: Canada outlaws privately financed purchases of core medical services because it provides a publicly financed health care system (a third rail of its political system). Because patients waited for months, even years to be treated, Dr. Brian Day, President, and Medical Director of the Cambie Surgery Center and his team of doctors are advertising to patients they don't need to wait any longer. Against the country's policy, Dr. Day has taken the position that his clinic will provide the medical services and treatment needed by Canadians and plans on opening more private hospitals in Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Calgary, and Edmonton. Willing to defend his position to open these clinics in court, a ruling by the Supreme Court found that Quebec provincial ban on private health insurance is not constitutional where the public system fails to deliver reasonable services. Now, the country may allow private hospitals to subcontract for services unable to be dealt with in a timely manner under the public system. At the time of this article, legislation was to be introduced to address the private health services and insurance, but private doctors across the country did not wait for the changes in the law.
3. Messerli, Joe. “Should the Government Provide Free Universal Health Care for All Americans?” 16 Feb. 2009
<http://www.balancedpolitics.org/universal_health_care.htm>
This website and article provides information on the pros and cons or arguments for and against universal health care. The list of pros and cons speaks to each area of concern from the uninsured, unaffordable healthcare for individuals and businesses, medical professional issues, government mandates, and transition into a universal healthcare system. This website it periodically updated as issues and concerns are addressed.
4. Lewis, K. “Incremental change, rather than wholesale reform, expected from new U.S. President Barack Obama.” Canadian Medical Association. January 6, 2009: 180(1). Medline. EBSCOhost. University of Alaska Fairbanks Lib., Fairbanks, AK. 6 Mar. 2009.
<http://search.ebscohost.com>
This article talks about the Obama health reform plan to come, and how it will make a difference compared to the President Bush’s policy to reduce spending on Medicare and Medicaid including “ratcheted down by Bush” the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. However, President Bush did save a lot of money by imposing a measure to purchase bulk prescription-drug purchases for Medicare that saved money for the Veterans Health Administration. This article also speaks to the comparison of the US to Canada regarding the per-capita spending, and that a single-payer system would be a lot less expensive to administer.
5. Levin, Arthur A. “From the Director…People Want Major Changes in Health Care, Survey Shows.” Healthfacts. September 2008. Vol. 33, Issue 9. Alt HealthWatch. EBSCOhost. University of Alaska Fairbanks Lib., Fairbanks, AK. 6 Mar. 2009.
In this article, a survey was done by a non-profit Commonwealth Fund to better understand how Americans felt about the healthcare system. The results spoke to the negative experiences, a call for an overhaul in the healthcare system. The survey also showed a dissatisfaction of a coordinated effort to communication including “barriers to accessing care.” Underperformance was discussed as well that targeted a comparative measure of quality, efficiency, and equity.
6. Zablocki, Elaine. “New Report Proposes Health Care Savings Plus Increased Value.” Townsend Letter for Doctors & Patients. May 2008, Issue 298. Alt HealthWatch. EBSCOhost. University of Alaska Fairbanks Lib., Fairbanks, AK. 6 Mar. 2009.
<http://search.ebscohost.com>
This is a report on policy options for the US healthcare system and ways to improve healthcare. There are projections and various scenarios on improved information, payment reform, and public health. The illustrative examples include promoting health information technology, educating patients for better decision making, positive incentives for wellness programs and healthy behavior, and strengthening primary care and care coordination. The article mentions universal coverage as well based on a blend of private and public group health insurance.
7. Bodaken, Bruce G. “Where Does The Insurance Industry Stand On Health Reform Today?” Health Affairs. May/June 2008, Vol. 27, Number 3: 667-674. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. University of Alaska Fairbanks Lib., Fairbanks, AK. 12 Mar. 2009.
< http://search.ebscohost.com/>
This insurance industry review speaks to the insurer’s opposition in past years, but now paints a different picture with lessons from California when it modeled legislation after Massachusetts, but failed due to key issues not being addressed by labor unions and the business community. Because health reform continued to be on the horizon and unavoidable, Blue Shield of California, Health Net, Kaiser Permanente, CIGNA, and others along with labor unions and, California Medical Association, AARP, decided it was worth building a coalition to meet the challenge with workable legislation. However, odd-bedfellows like Blue Cross of California, labor unions, single-payer advocates, small-business groups, and the tobacco industry lobbied against the bill and “sealed its fate.”
The author Bruce Bodaken, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Blue Shield of California, in San Francisco, writes further (at that time) Sen. Barack Obama, Presidential Democratic Nominee proposes a far more aggressive healthcare proposal, the universal coverage proposal. If this approach happens he suggests the following be taken into consideration: Respect the industry’s economics and maintain their economic viability, Understand the competitive dynamic and require an equal or level playing filed, Think through the transition since we know it will be disruptive, Rely on expertise such as the insurer’s, and Demand shared responsibility on a percentage of health plans with all sectors involved, Stop demonizing health plans and help achieve consensus. These lessons Bodaken references goes on to say that, “If we want a seat at the table as our future is being shaped, we need to exhibit a willingness to embrace change and a commitment to look out for the public interest. It we start the debate in a defensive crouch we might just end it flat on our backs. But if we extend a hand of cooperation, odds are good that it will be grasped.”
8. Liu, Yuanli. “Reforming China’s health care: for the people, by the people?” http://www.thelancet.com/ Vol. 373. January 24, 2009. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. University of Alaska Fairbanks Lib., Fairbanks, AK. 10 Mar. 2009.
<http://search.ebscohost.com/>
This is an interesting article on a transition China is making from a “planned economy to a market economy.” With the healthcare crisis’s that China met with the severe acute respiratory syndrome, continued threats of an avian influenza pandemic, increasing incidence of sexually transmitted diseases, and the recent milk scandal brought attention to the flaws of China’s health system including the global economic and social implications. The State Council Healthcare Reform Leading Group of 14 ministries was formed to address China’s “broken health-care system.” The two year study that included organizations like the World Health Organization the World Bank submitted its policies for Premier Jiaobao Wen who published them on web for its citizens review and comment. Unheard of policies, this may open the door for similar approaches to education, social security, and possibly political system reforms.
9. Lutz, Sandy. “Happy Together: Consumer Expectation for a Public-Private Healthcare System.” Journal of Healthcare Management May/June 2008, Vol. 53, Issue 3: 149-152. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. University of Alaska Fairbanks Lib., Fairbanks, AK. 10 Mar. 2009.
<http://search.ebscohost.com>
This article written by managing director from the Arlington, Texas, PricewaterhouseCoopers Health Research Institute, Sandy Lutz, discusses the situation the consumers perceive and provides actual circumstances on the “health system costs and inefficiencies,” and poses to get ready to deal with them again under a new presidency. The solution to work together, she points out in her article, that public-private partnerships have collectively built medical facilities that otherwise would not have been built or afforded without the effort to collaborate and work together.
10. Watkins, Tom. “Census: Fewer Americans lack health insurance.” CNN.com March 2009.
<http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/08/26/census.uninsured/index.html#cnnSTCText>
This news article references the Census Bureau’s statistics on the uninsured, underinsured, including Medicaid and the State’s Children’s Health Insurance Program as well as median income in America.
11. President Barack Obama. “President Barack Obama holds a dialogue with White House Forum on Health Reform participants.” FDCH Political Transcripts March 5, 2009. MasterFILE Premier. EBSCOhost. University of Alaska Fairbanks Lib., Fairbanks, AK. 10 Mar. 2009.
<http://search.ebscohost.com/>
This is a transcript of the press conference that was held by President Barack Obama that included all the stakeholders who participated in a healthcare forum to begin discussions on how to address healthcare reform from democratic and republican lawmakers, medical professionals, and different interest groups views.
12. Ryan, Dan, O’Rourke, Thomas. “Opportunities Lost: The opportunity costs of U.S. Healthcare.” American Journal of Health Studies 2008, Vol. 23 Issue 1: 47-53. Alt HealthWatch. EBSCOhost. University of Alaska Fairbanks Lib., Fairbanks, AK. 10 Mar. 2009.
<http://search.ebscohost.com/>
This American Journal of Health Studies discusses healthcare in global terms, for example, the Gross National Product, a comparison to other countries given by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) of which the America is a participant, healthcare costs, and methods to savings while considering change into actual consumer goods and services in healthcare reform.
13. Orszag, Peter R. “Beyond Economics 101: Insights into healthcare reform from the Congressional Budget Office. Healthcare Financial Management Jan. 2009, Vol. 63, Issue 1: 70-75. MasterFILE Premier. EBSCOhost. University of Alaska Fairbanks Lib., Fairbanks, AK. 14 Mar. 2009.
<http://search.ebscohost.com/>
Peter R. Orszag, the esteemed Office of Management and Budget director discusses the long-term fiscal path the United States projections and how they are determined. He discusses the primary focus is on the spending of Medicare and Medicaid, Social Security, and references other spending, and shows how the actual and projections are based on these primary sources. He also discusses a three-step approach to better care, and the opportunity to reduce costs by providing incentives that also reduce inefficiencies to healthcare.
14. Halvorson, George C. “Understanding the Trade-offs of the Canadian health system.” Healthcare Financial Management Oct. 2007, Vol. 61, Issue 10: 82-84. MasterFILE Premier. EBSCOhost. University of Alaska Fairbanks Lib., Fairbanks, AK. 14 Mar. 2009
<http://libapps.uaf.edu:2060/>
George Halvorson discusses the problems the United States would face if it adopted a single-payer system, and the options we actually have compared to the Canadian healthcare system and what it offers. He shares the differences in the pricing models, prescription drug coverage, administrative costs, and how we can achieve universal healthcare by using a combination of mechanisms similar to the European countries by what best meets the citizens needs.
15. Mcintyre, Diane et al. “Beyond fragmentation and towards universal coverage: insights from Ghana, South Africa and the United Republic of Tanzannia.” Bulletin of the World Health Organization 2008; 86: 871-876. Health Source – Consumer Edition. EBSCOhost. University of Alaska Fairbanks Lib, Fairbanks, AK. 14 Mar. 2009.
<http://search.ebscohost.com>
“The World Health Assembly of 2005 called for all health systems to move towards universal coverage, defined as “access to adequate health care for all at an affordable price.” This report shows how these African countries attempted to address colonialism to fragmentation, and the challenges met and not met by each country. The report also presents the allocation of funding sources, and how those mechanisms like private voluntary funding may inherent risk factors in cross-subsidies in the overall health system.
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Other references:
(16) Levin, Arthur. Healthfacts Dec. 2007, Vol. 32. Issue 12: 5. Alt HealthWatch. EBSCOhost. UAF. 6 Mar. 2009.
<http://libapps.uaf.edu:2060/%3e
(17) Corrigan, Janet. “Transforming Health Care in a Time of Crisis.” Healthcare Financial Management Feb. 2009 Vol. 63, Issue 2: 38-41. Health Source – Consumer Edition. EBSCOhost. 6 Mar. 2009.
<http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=hxh&AN=36465084&site=ehost-live>
(18) Wilensky, Gail R. “A new year, a new administration, and old, familiar challenges for health care.” Healthcare Financial Management Feb. 2009, Vol. 63, Issue 2: 26-27. Health Source – Consumer Edition. EBSCOhost. UAF. 6 Mar. 2009.
<http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=hxh&AN=36465076&site=ehost-live>
(19) Childs, Blair. “Health Reform in the New Congress: What’s possible, what’s practical, and what’s probable?” Healthcare Financial Management Vol. 63, Issue 2: 22-23. Health Source – Consumer Edition. EBSCOhost. UAF. 6 Mar. 2009.
<http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=hxh&AN=36465074&site=ehost-live>
(20) Lefton, Ray. “Shared Sacrifices, Shared Responsibilities Will be Key.” Healthcare Financial Management Jan. 2009, Vol. 63, Issue 1: 38-40. Alt HealthWatch. EBSCOhost. University of Alaska Fairbanks Lib., Fairbanks, AK. 6 Mar. 2009.
<http://search.ebscohost.com/>
(21) “Healthcare Reform May Exacerbate PCP Shortages.” Healthcare Financial Management Feb. 2009, Vol. 63, Issue 2: 12. MasterFILE Premier. EBSCOhost. UAF. 14 Mar. 2009.
<http://search.ebscohost.com/>
(22) “Massachusets Health Reform Points to National Challenges.” Healthcare Financial Management Dec. 2008, Vol. 62, Issue 12: 14. Health Source – Consumer Edition. EBSCOhost. UAF. 14 Mar. 2009.
<http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=hxh&AN=35693126&site=ehost-live>
(23) “Americans Believe Covering All Should Be Shared Responsibility of Employers, Individuals, and Government: Survey.” Healthcare Financial Management Feb. 2008, Vol. 62, Issue 2: 7. Health Source – Consumer Edition. EBSCOhost. UAF. 14 Mar. 2009.
<http://search.ebscohost.com/>
(24) “States Taking the Reins on Healthcare Reform.” Healthcare Financial Management Mar. 2007, Vol. 61, Issue 3: 11-12. Health Source – Consumer Edition. EBSCOhost. UAF. 14 Mar. 2009.
<http://search.ebscohost.com/>
(25) Shillam, Paul L. “Critical: What We Can Do About the Health-Care Crisis.” Healthcare Financial Management Feb. 2009, Vol. 63, Issue 2: 21. Health Source – Consumer Edition. EBSCOhost. UAF. 6 Mar. 2009.
<http://search.ebscohost.com/>
(26) U.S. Census Bureau. “Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2007: 19-22. 14 Mar. 2009. <http://www.census.gov/prod/2008pubs/p60-235.pdf>
(27) World Health Organization. “A Summary of the 2008 World Health Report: “Primary Health Care: Now More Than Ever.” 14 Mar. 2009. <http://www.who.int/whr/2008/summary.pdf>
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