Today, Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius started
her journey to the Department of Health and Human Services in a Senate
confirmation hearing.
When Republican Senators pressed Sebelius to
articulate her position on government-run health care, the Kansas governor said
she wasn’t for such a system, but did support a national health
insurance exchange to compete with private health plans.
Sebelius also said the group health insurance system through employers should remain in tact,
which was a point of disagreement with a tough questioner in U.S. Senator John
McCain. Senator McCain in his unsuccessful presidential bid in 2008 proposed
removing the tax break for employers who provide health benefits.
Senate Republicans also asked the HHS nominee if
she would support breaking up the Food and Drug Administration, reported the Wall
Street Journal.
Governor Sebelius replied it was too soon to say
whether it should be divided, but said there was a need for “a new
platform for safety and security of food and drugs in this country,â€Â
wrote the WSJ article.
To better explain the nomination process, Governor
Sebelius’ path to nomination began today in front of the Senate
Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Then on Thursday, she’ll
face questioning from the Senate Finance Committee.
Finally, if the Finance Committee gives her the
go-ahead, the full U.S. Senate will vote to approve her nomination. She’ll
need a majority vote to get the job.
Things look pretty good for her. And believe it or
not, around 99 percent of all Cabinet nominations
are approved.
To view an excerpt of today’s hearing,
courtesy of the Associated Press, check it out below:
City officials
in Portland, Oregon aren’t waiting for the
federal or state governments to take action to provide health insurance for
more citizens.
They’ve taken matters into their own
hands, recently passing a resolution which will eventually offer health
coverage for uninsured children.
But where the city has grown impatient with federal
and state lawmakers, children must now be patient with the city.
The deadline for their final universal health
insurance plan is in September of 2009, reported The Oregonian.
If passed, the resolution would provide health
coverage for uninsured children in preschools and public schools.
Greg and Marcia Coodley, two Portland physicians, started the idea â€â€
initially getting 40,000 signatures to put universal coverage for schoolchildren
on the ballot for city voters this November.
But Drs. Coodley instead let the city step in to
create the resolution as it stands.
“This resolution is a recognition that
our civilization has advanced to the point that we should be able to provide
basic health care for children,†said Dr. Coodley.
Costs will be the major obstacle for the plan, the
article wrote. The city would be responsible for putting up $4 million for the
first year of coverage, then school districts would take on two-thirds of the
cost in the following years.
Nothing is set in stone, though.
With plenty of time to iron out the details, many,
if not most, of the estimated 12,000 uninsured children in Portland may get health insurance in the
future.
When it comes to health care
reform, there’s a lot at stake in this year’s presidential
election.
Republican candidate and
Arizona Senator, John
McCain, believes the private market can make health insurance more
affordable, and the government doesn’t need to step in.
In Senator McCain’s
plan,
he would provide citizens with a tax credit to help them purchase health
coverage on their own.
Democratic candidate and
Illinois Senator, Barack
Obama, wants the government to play a role by mandating that all
children have health insurance. Senator Obama also favors a system where
employers pitch in more to pay for health care.
Advocacy groups, special
interest groups, and health care organizations have their opinion, too.
A few of these groups are
vocal supporters of universal health care, and are willing to put up big bucks
to promote their cause.
According the Associated Press,
groups advocating universal coverage are expected to spend $60 million in advertising
campaigns.
“The whole goal [of
the campaigns are] to create a mandate next year for the president and Congress
to enact health care reform that meets our principles,“ said Richard
Kirsch, the campaign manager of a coalition of groups supporting universal coverage.
The coalition consists of
AARP, the Business Roundtable, the National Federation of Independent Business,
and the Service Employees International Union.
Their principles include a
full range of health insurance choices for Americans  choosing a new
plan, a government-sponsored plan, or keeping their current coverage.
“We felt we needed
more than policy ideas, but the political will to actually get something done,“
said Nancy LeaMond, vice president of AARP, who supports universal health care.
This week, North
Carolina health insurance companies will have to
provide equal coverage for mental health conditions and physical conditions.
And have a happy Fourth of July!
Yesterday, Connecticut
launched the Charter Oak Health Plan, which provides uninsured residents with
affordable state-subsidized health insurance.
[Read More]
Two of the top companies providing electronic prescription
drug services recently merged, a sign that an electronic health care system is
on the horizon.
[Read More]
New Jersey Governor Jon S. Corzine is expected to sign a new
state budget that includes millions for a health coverage expansion bill. But
will it be enough?
[Read More]
There’s a fight in Washington D.C. over a bill
that would stop payment cuts for doctors who provide care for seniors with
Medicare and enact a payment cut for Medicare Advantage plans.
[Read More]
Doctors are slow to adopt an electronic medical records
system, despite a new nationwide survey showing how such a system greatly
improves health care quality. So why aren’t more doctors making the
move?
[Read More]
The 1,000
Healthy Kids & Families Campaign will try to enroll 1,000 children in the Chicago area in one day  this
Saturday, June 21.
[Read More]
Today, Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius started
her journey to the Department of Health and Human Services in a Senate
confirmation hearing.
City officials
in Portland, Oregon aren’t waiting for the
federal or state governments to take action to provide health insurance for
more citizens.