Healthcare

Barack Obama craves a historic presidency. Witness his pledge to single-handedly rescue the US health system in which millions lack insurance coverage. “I am not the first president to take up this cause, but I am determined to be the last,” he announced in September.

Now, following a crucial Christmas Eve vote in the US Senate, the Democratic-controlled Congress is about to approve a major healthcare package.

Hurdles remain: the two houses must still confer to iron out differences. Public financing of abortion remains a flashpoint. But the near-certain outcome, sometime in January, is a bill on the president’s desk.

Continue reading "Is Obama digging his own grave on healthcare?" »

In an effort to regain the momentum on health care reform, President Barack Obama gave a very good speech to the Congress yesterday.

I liked three aspects of it in particular. First, it had passion. Obama made the moral case for universal health care that liberals have been waiting for. He quoted a letter from the late Senator Ted Kennedy that asserted that health care goes to ‘the character of our country’.  The president’s remarks contained good lines and moving stories, including that of the Illinois man who lost his health insurance coverage during chemotherapy because he hadn’t reported gallstones that he hadn’t known about. It is remarkable that the most powerful country in the world is also the only advanced democracy to leave so many citizens uninsured.

Second, the speech showed strength. My principal criticism of Obama’s presidency so far has been his unwillingness to wade into debates, whether domestic or international, and use leverage and pressure to enforce his will.

Continue reading "Yes he can: Obama claims middle ground on health" »

This week in Parliament will be an important test of the Opposition’s commitment to both health reform and economic responsibility.

Right now we’re looking at making some of the biggest reforms to our health care system since the introduction of Medicare. 

We can’t do that unless we make the hard decisions. 

Continue reading "Coalition is being reckless on private health insurance" »

No, you won’t see dolphins cavorting through the surf if you stare at it long enough.

Enough to make your eyes bleed, isn’t it? The model forms part of the submission by the geniuses at Accenture to the National Health and Hospital Reforms Commission - you know, the crowd who released a report containing 123 recommendations on how to give a Prime Minister a headache yesterday.

The report is worth a read, and as Leo Shanahan described it yesterday, a much-needed blueprint for healthcare reform in this country. Some of it is mum-and-apple-pie agreeableness on better outcomes for rural and remote communities, or woolly stuff like this:

Continue reading "Here we go again with next to nothing on health reform" »