Ever wondered who’s paying for the U.S. healthcare bill? My new favorite blog just published an infographic describing this issue in detail (click on the image for the original larger version):
*This blog post was originally published at ScienceRoll*
Road and construction projects have stopped all over town, thanks to concerns about future healthcare benefits. From ChicagoBreakingNews.com:
Construction companies and labor unions are divided over healthcare packages. The unions seek a 15 percent annual benefits increase over three years, while contractors have countered with a 1 percent annual increase.
-WesMusings of a cardiologist and cardiac electrophysiologist.
*This blog post was originally published at Dr. Wes*
I recently spoke at the panel on transparency at Edelman’s New Media Academic Summit. Ben Boyd was the moderator and Ellen Miller from the Sunlight Foundation was my fellow panelist.
Reviewing some of the #nmas10 tweets from the audience, I figured I should provide some links for the anecdotes I mentioned:
Special thanks to Dr. Val Jones of Better Health for getting me involved with this group.
*This blog post was originally published at Blogborygmi*
After months of dithering, delaying, denying, and defaulting on a decision, Congress ended up…doing as little as possible to address the Medicare physician pay cut problem.
Thursday night the House of Representatives acceded to the Senate’s bill to provide physicians with a 2.2 percent update retroactive to June 1. This respite, though, lasts only through the end of November, when physicians and patients will again face another double-digit cut. And if the past is prologue, a lame-duck Congress then will wait until the very last minute to enact another short-term patch, or worse yet, allow the cut to go into effect on December 1 and then pass some kind of retroactive adjustment.
You know that the situation has gotten ridiculously bad when the President says this about the bill he just signed into law:
“Kicking these cuts down the road just isn’t an adequate solution.”
And when Speaker Pelosi (D-CA) calls it “inadequate” and a “great disappointment” and the best that any had to say about it was this from SFC ranking member Charles Grassley (R-IA):
“This action was critically needed so there’s no disruption in services for anyone.”
But it’s too late. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at The ACP Advocate Blog by Bob Doherty*
I have not a single thing I want to write about today. I am weary of the obvious topic: the “passage” of the 6-month extension on the SGR, but do feel I need to comment.
I am tired of this. I am tired of being jerked around by congress. I am tired of congress hitting the 6-month snooze button and somehow feeling that they are doing something good. This is procrastination, not a solution. Reassurances that something will be done are starting to be irrelevant. The problem is becoming the frustration, anger, and exhaustion that congress is thrusting upon doctors and patients, not the pay cut itself. The idea of no longer having to deal with the passive-aggressive tactics of congress is becoming increasingly appealing –- and if it’s this way for me, I’m sure it’s the same for PCPs across the country. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Musings of a Distractible Mind*
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