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Wonky Health Affairs

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Jane Hiebert-White of the Health Affairs Blog presented a great Health Wonk Review today. With sharp descriptions and relevant quotes, it’s well worth your time to browse the collection of health policy related articles she’s put together. Joe Paduda’s contribution about United Healthcare not helping consumers become better buyers in the consumer-directed health care system… Read more about Wonky Health Affairs

Grand Rounds at UroStream

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UroStream blogger, Keagirl, hosts a fantastic Grand Rounds.  With a good selection of posts separated into helpful categories, she makes it easy to browse for the most interesting articles. The most interesting article, in my opinion, is from the Health Business Blog.  When socialism is good for capitalism talks about a recent Los Angeles Times article about how… Read more about Grand Rounds at UroStream

Improving Colorado’s Health Insurance Market

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The health insurance system works best when as many people as possible (preferrably all people) are covered. In a free market system, legislating the insurers is a delicate balancing act. On the one hand, we need to keep them from trying to only insure healthy people and excluding those with health conditions. But on the… Read more about Improving Colorado’s Health Insurance Market

Bad Timing

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A proposal to offer health insurance to about 180,000 Colorado children who lack coverage got bipartisan support Wednesday in a Senate committee. Senate Bill 211 would raise the income limits for kids to receive coverage under the Medicaid and Children’s Basic Health Plan programs. It also would fund a team of state workers to find… Read more about Bad Timing

Vaccine Required on Colorado Health Insurance?

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As Colorado lawmakers consider one proposal to promote the vaccination of young girls against cervical cancer, they’re also looking at another measure that would require all health insurance companies to pay for shots for their patients. The measure from Reps. Bernie Buescher and Dianne Primavera, D-Broomfield, would also set aside $1.5 million from the state’s… Read more about Vaccine Required on Colorado Health Insurance?

Grand Rounds Worth a Look

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Grunt Doc put up a great Grand Rounds today that is worth browsing because it’s presented in an organized easy to read format.  The rest of the website is also worth a read too.

Colorado Group Health Insurance Law Proposed

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Rep. Anne McGihon, D-Denver, is proposing that Colorado roll back a law created in 2003 that allows insurers to take the relative health of a group into account when setting health insurance rates.  The Denver Business Journal briefly states that the new law “could increase the costs of buying health insurance.” Hmmmm, but they don’t… Read more about Colorado Group Health Insurance Law Proposed

Only in America

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Nathan Wilkes’ story is heartbreaking. His son, Thomas, is an adorable three-year-old who was born with severe hemophilia, and a year later developed a resistance to treatment. The Wilkes family is now in a situation that should scare the hell out of anyone who’s covered by private health insurance. Basically, Thomas needs treatments that can… Read more about Only in America

Council on Affordable Health Insurance Reviews Medicare

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Even the obviously biased Council on Affordable Health Insurance tackled the claim that “overhead for Medicare,” says Dr. Stephen Rous of Brown University, a single-payer advocate, “is 1 percent to 2 percent. The overhead for various private insurance plans (HMOs, etc.) is 15 percent to 25 percent.” … and still came up with a much… Read more about Council on Affordable Health Insurance Reviews Medicare

Colorado House OKs Bill on CSU Health Insurance

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Reposted from:http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=64356 FORT COLLINS – A House bill that would allow Colorado State University to require all of its graduate students to have health insurance passed the House on third reading Monday and now heads to the Senate for consideration. The bill, sponsored by Rep. John Kefalas, D-Fort Collins, passed on a 37-27 vote. The… Read more about Colorado House OKs Bill on CSU Health Insurance

Ritter Signs Colorado Prescription Drug Bill

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Reposted from: http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/provider/providerarticle.aspx?Feed=AP&Date=20070205&ID=6436880 Gov. Bill Ritter signed his first bill on Monday, a measure that could provide up to 264,000 people with discounts on prescription drugs. The plan, called the Colorado Cares Rx program, allows the state to negotiate lower drug prices with pharmaceutical companies for generic drugs. Ritter said it is a public health… Read more about Ritter Signs Colorado Prescription Drug Bill

Gunnison County Extends Health Insurance to Live-In Partners

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Reposted from: http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/content/news/stories/2007/01/21/1_21_Same_sex_benefits.html Gunnison may be one of the only counties in this part of Colorado that’s decided to let domestic partners of county employees, including same-sex partners, share in health insurance benefits.Debbie Moore, personnel director for Gunnison County, said the measure has been considered for a couple of years after being requested by a… Read more about Gunnison County Extends Health Insurance to Live-In Partners

Colorado Approves Discount Drug Program

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Reposted from: http://www.stateaction.org/blog/?p=462 The Colorado House and Senate approved SB 1, a bill which will allow people who cannot afford health insurance to buy discounted drugs through the state. The measure would authorize the state of Colorado to work in consultation with private sector pharmacies in order to negotiate the lowest possible prices for generic… Read more about Colorado Approves Discount Drug Program

CSU grad students to discuss health insurance today

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Reposted from: http://www.coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070131/NEWS01/70131008 Colorado State University graduate students can learn more today about a bill that would require them to carry some form of health-care coverage. The meeting is at 4:30 p.m. in the Grey Rock Room of the Lory Student Center. Hosts are the Graduate Student Council and the Center for Public Deliberation. The… Read more about CSU grad students to discuss health insurance today

State of the Union

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With all of the talk and opinions about President Bush’s State of the Union Address tonight, it almost seems like it’s already happened.  In a nutshell, the president’s plan is to give tax breaks to people who buy modestly priced plans out of their own pockets and to cover the cost of those breaks by… Read more about State of the Union

The Presidents New Health Insurance Proposals

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In his State of the Union Address tomorrow, President Bush will propose providing a standard deduction for health insurance for all Americans as long as they purchase at least catastrophic health insurance coverage. The deduction will be worth $7,500 for single persons and $15,000 for families. These amounts will be indexed to general inflation (CPI)… Read more about The Presidents New Health Insurance Proposals

Another Response to Mike Rosen

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The Rocky Mountain News printed a response to Mike Rosen’s article “No ‘crisis’ of uninsured”.  It’s not really as much a response to the points Mr. Rosen gave as much as the same figures you’ve read in the health policy blogosphere already.  It was written by Dr. Gary D. VanderArk, president of the Coalition for… Read more about Another Response to Mike Rosen

Universal Health Care and the Colorado Health Insurance Industry

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A very hopeful Bill Ritter was inaugurated as the new Governor of Colorado on tuesday.  He campaigned about changing the healthcare system in Colorado in order to help the 700,000 Coloradoans without health insurance.  And in his inaugural speech, he reminded us that because he is “here for the people of Colorado”, he’ll actually do… Read more about Universal Health Care and the Colorado Health Insurance Industry

Our Flawed Healthcare System

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If you live in Colorado and don’t get your health insurance from your employer, finding health insurance can be difficult and confusing. The reason is because it’s not like shopping for any other insurance, financial, or retail product in the marketplace.  In Colorado, you have two choices: an underwritten individual/family plan a non-underwritten plan like… Read more about Our Flawed Healthcare System

Ritter Names Manitou Springs Mayor Insurance Commissioner

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Gov.-elect Bill Ritter just appointed Marcy Morrison, the mayor of Manitou Springs, Colorado’s new Insurance Commissioner.  The Colorado Springs Gazette reports that the Republican, who has served as a state lawmaker and El Paso County commissioner, will oversee regulation of the state’s insurance industry. Morrison said she has some ideas for the new job, but… Read more about Ritter Names Manitou Springs Mayor Insurance Commissioner

Putting the Uninsured Numbers in Perspective

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DavidHunnicutt.com just wrote an article putting the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation study on the uninsured in the U.S. in perspective. 46,100,000 out of 300,000,000 people in this country are without health insurance. Leaving 15% of the population, or 1 in 6, uninsured. If you factor out the number of Americans over age 65, the… Read more about Putting the Uninsured Numbers in Perspective

President Signs HSA Bill – What Do You Think?

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President Bush signed the Health Opportunity Empowerment Act of 2006 yesterday, enhancing possible tax relief to those with an HSA.  According to Treasury Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy Eric Solomon, the new bill “makes it easier for participants to put money aside for their personal health care”.  What do you think? “As soon as I’m able… Read more about President Signs HSA Bill – What Do You Think?