Viewpoints: Detailing The Evidence That Obamacare Is Working; Politics And Drug Prices
A selection of opinions from around the country.
The New York Times:
Obamacare’s Striking Effect On America’s Least Fortunate
Republican lawmakers, particularly in the House and in state governments, have been adamantly opposed to the Affordable Care Act, the 2010 health reform law often referred to as Obamacare. Perhaps that’s because the legislation has helped millions of poor people, minorities and immigrants get health insurance. An analysis of Census data by the Times reporters Sabrina Tavernise and Robert Gebeloff shows striking gains for many of the least privileged people in the country under the health reform law. (Vikas Bajaj, 4/18)
The Washington Post:
Obamacare Is Helping A Lot Of People. Not Everyone Thinks That’s Good News.
In politics there are some issues where liberals and conservatives share the same goal, but disagree about how to achieve it — we all want to have as little crime as possible, for instance, but there are different ideas about how to accomplish that. Then there are issues where the two groups have different goals — liberals want to preserve women’s reproductive rights, and conservatives don’t. And sometimes, there are issues we think fall in the first category, but actually belong in the second. (Paul Waldman, 4/18)
The Charlotte Observer:
Ahem, You Know What’s Working? Obamacare
Back in 2009, when only enemies called it Obamacare, supporters of the Affordable Care Act cited at least a few good things the law might do. It could slow the cost of health care, they said, not only in terms of the price consumers pay for insurance, but in overall medical care inflation. Mostly, though, the new legislation was about the promise of bringing health insurance to millions who couldn’t get it. (4/18)
The New York Times:
Debunking Republican Health Care Myths
“Disaster.” “Incredible economic burden.” “The biggest job-killer in this country.” Central to the presidential campaigns of Donald Trump and Ted Cruz has been the claim that the Affordable Care Act has been a complete failure, and that the only way to save the country from this scourge is to replace it with something they design. It’s worth examining the big myths they are peddling about the Affordable Care Act and also their ill-conceived plans of what might replace it. (4/19)
The Fiscal Times:
GOP Promises A Plan To Replace Obamacare ... Again
File this one under “We’ll believe it when we see it,” but Republican members of the House of Representatives are insisting that sometime soon, they will be producing the GOP’s alternative to the Affordable Care Act. (Rob Garver, 4/18)
The Philadelphia Inquirer:
What Hillary's Election Will Mean For Drug Prices, Health Care
If past is prologue and American voters make a hold-your-nose, less-worse choice that puts Hillary Clinton in the White House, then it would be instructive to review a few highlights from her public career to assess what her presidency might mean for U.S. drug prices. (Daniel R. Hoffman, 4/18)
The Boston Globe:
Keeping A Lid On Drug Prices
Are drug prices too high? This recurring question is again in the news, fueled by a presidential campaign, and at least three different issues. Some highly effective new drugs, such as Sovaldi for hepatitis C, were introduced at unusually high prices; some off-patent generic drugs, like Daraprim for toxoplasmosis, had prices dramatically increased for no apparent reason; and prices of many prescription drugs seem high, especially with insured patients now paying ever higher out-of-pocket costs. (Jeffrey S. Flier, 4/17)
The New York Times' Upshot:
Why Medical Devices Aren’t Safer
Things sometimes go wrong with airbags, food and drugs, prompting recalls. It can also happen with medical devices, though you’d think lifesaving devices like heart defibrillators or artificial hips would be closely monitored. But the data needed to systematically and rapidly identify dangerous medical devices are not routinely collected in the United States. It wouldn’t be that hard to do. (Austin Frakt, 4/18)
STAT:
Medicare ‘Bundled Payments’ Improve Health, Save Money
A Medicare program that began on April 1 requires about 800 hospitals to “bundle” payments for knee and hip replacements. Long in the making, this effort should point the way to more coordinated, comprehensive care for patients and save money in the process. (Susan DeVore, 4/18)
The Wichita Eagle:
Step Therapy Bill Delays Access To The Best Care
I decided more than 30 years ago to focus my career on caring for those suffering from HIV and AIDS. Though HIV was considered a death sentence in 1981, it is now, for the most part, a controlled and treatable chronic condition – made possible only with the right medications. Each individual HIV-infected patient requires a personalized treatment protocol that takes into account a patient’s size and gender, treatment history, viral resistance, coexisting illnesses, other medications, immune status and the side effects that a particular drug may cause, among other factors. (Donna Sweet, 4/18)
Georgia Health News:
Commentary: Insurance Deals Pose Major Threat
At a minimum, two pending mergers of giant insurance companies will shake up Georgia’s health care marketplace. Proponents of the deals say the effect will be beneficial. But the Medical Association of Georgia says the mergers will be “disastrous’’ for the state, raising prices and lowering consumer choice. (Andy Miller, 4/18)
Louisville Courier-Journal:
It Is 'Broke.' Let's Fix It
No question about it: The rollout of Kentucky's benefind system has been a nightmare for many recipients of state aid programs -- some of the commonwealth's most vulnerable citizens. Now is the time to work together to fix it, not to point fingers. Benefind was intended to be a first-of-its-kind system to create a single point of contact for those getting or seeking assistance from a variety of aid programs such as Medicaid and food stamps. The administration of former Gov. Steve Beshear brought in Deloitte Consulting to design and build the system at a cost of roughly $100 million. The system was supposedly nearly ready to launch when Beshear's term ended last December. In fact, the Deloitte contract negotiated by the Beshear folks called for additional payments by the state if work extended beyond that point. (4/15)
The Chicago Tribune:
Say 'No' To More Chicago Business Mandates, Including Paid Sick Time
The Chicago City Council is considering a proposal that would force Chicago employers to offer their workers at least five days of paid sick leave annually. The sponsor of the ordinance, Ald. Ameya Pawar, 47th, called the proposal a "baseline of decency." He argues all workers deserve the option of taking a day off, caring for a loved one or dealing with a family emergency without losing a whole day's pay or worrying about their job security. His plan would require workers to earn paid time off — one hour for every 40 hours worked. Limited unused sick time could be rolled into the next 12-month period, but even under the most generous of circumstances a worker would get only seven paid days off total. (4/18)
Kansas City Star:
Missouri Sen. Kurt Schaefer’s Bullying On Abortion Rights Wears Thin
Missouri state Sen. Kurt Schaefer loves the limelight. That’s common among political candidates lusting for higher office; Schaefer wants to be the state’s next attorney general. In recent months Schaefer has tried to get plenty of attention, polishing his ultra-conservative credentials with the Republican crowd in the Show-Me State. His weapon: bullying attacks on abortion rights for women. His targets: Planned Parenthood and the University of Missouri. (Yael T. Abouhalkah, 4/19)
