In Congress, a number of comprehensive reform proposals have been announced as the debate begins over how to overhaul the health care system. This interactive side-by-side compares the leading comprehensive reform proposals across a number of key characteristics and plan components. Included in this side-by-side are proposals for moving toward universal coverage that have been put forward by the President and Members of Congress.
This is the most comprehensive and easy to follow outline of the major proposals on the table. It has been updated as of 6/23/09.
Find it here.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009
Only 59% of consumers know about HSA's...
NEW YORK, June 3 /PRNewswire/ -- The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America (Guardian), a leading provider of employee benefits for small and mid-sized companies, today announced the results of a comprehensive survey on consumers' attitudes and beliefs regarding healthcare coverage, including health savings accounts (HSAs) and high-deductible health plans (HDHPs).
The Benefits & Behavior: Spotlight on Consumer-Driven Health Plans survey (the survey) revealed that there is still widespread uncertainty about healthcare coverage options. Six years after HSAs were introduced as part of the solution to reducing healthcare costs, only 59% of consumers know about them and more than half of those who are aware do not understand key features of HSAs.
Read the rest here.
The Benefits & Behavior: Spotlight on Consumer-Driven Health Plans survey (the survey) revealed that there is still widespread uncertainty about healthcare coverage options. Six years after HSAs were introduced as part of the solution to reducing healthcare costs, only 59% of consumers know about them and more than half of those who are aware do not understand key features of HSAs.
Read the rest here.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Public Health Insurance Plan...
The Democrats in the House unveiled the outlines of their healthcare reform bill on June 9 that includes a government-backed health plan option to increase coverage. Already powerful lobbies are lining up against this possibility, including the AMA and the health insurance industry, claiming an end to the employer-provided health coverage system if this plan is adopted. Lessons from Massachusetts and projections from studies conducted by the insurance industry itself tell us that the likeliest scenario will depend on the plan details.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Launch Silicon Valley Winners Announced...
Yesterdays event at Launch Silicon Valley was very exciting. If you are interested in technology and the latest ideas that are being turned into companies, you can check out the results below;
Session Winners announced for Launch: Silicon Valley 2009
Yesterday, Tues June 9, 30 companies, including a last minute substitute, byjobi, presented to a capacity crowd at Launch: Silicon Valley 2009. Great presentations, lots of energy, and some tight voting in each session for "the company most likely to succeed." Videos of their pitches & copies of their presentation slides are available at http://launch2009.fordela.com (courtesy of Fordela, www.fordela.com)
Winners of the 6 sessions as follows:
Session 1 - Next Generation Internet......eCitySky
Session 2 - Technology 1.....................
Session 3 - N. G. Internet/Mobile...........
Session 4 - Technology 2.....................Replay
Session 5 - Mobile........................
Session 6 - CleanTech.....................
Session Winners announced for Launch: Silicon Valley 2009
Yesterday, Tues June 9, 30 companies, including a last minute substitute, byjobi, presented to a capacity crowd at Launch: Silicon Valley 2009. Great presentations, lots of energy, and some tight voting in each session for "the company most likely to succeed." Videos of their pitches & copies of their presentation slides are available at http://launch2009.fordela.com (courtesy of Fordela, www.fordela.com)
Winners of the 6 sessions as follows:
Session 1 - Next Generation Internet......eCitySky
Session 2 - Technology 1.....................
Session 3 - N. G. Internet/Mobile...........
Session 4 - Technology 2.....................Replay
Session 5 - Mobile........................
Session 6 - CleanTech.....................
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
health industry delivers health savings plan to Obama
The Associated Press -
Jun. 1: Washington - Health industry officials sought Monday to make good on a $2 trillion savings proposal announced with great fanfare at the White House, but they came up short by several hundred billion dollars.
Nevertheless, the officials claimed success in producing solid proposals in time for a deadline set by President Barack Obama after a White House photo op May 11 where they promised to curb their own costs to help his health care agenda.
Obama asked for a progress report by early June and the five industry groups and one labor union delivered it on Monday. They sent the White House a letter along with a series of cost-savings proposals they said could total $1 trillion to $1.7 trillion in savings over a decade.
"What you've seen is the coming together of some really unlikely bedfellows and it really is very important," said Dr. Nancy Nielsen, president of the American Medical Association. "This is a very serious collaborative effort."
The groups identified three big areas for savings: $150 billion to $180 billion from more-efficient use of health care services, $350 billion to $850 billion from better managing chronic diseases, and $500 billion to $700 billion through administrative and business improvements such as standardizing claim forms.
The groups — insurers, doctors, hospitals, drug makers, medical device manufacturers and a leading health care union — contended that the savings could be even bigger because they were conservative in their estimates and some of the ideas in their proposal hadn't been studied enough to be quantified.
Jun. 1: Washington - Health industry officials sought Monday to make good on a $2 trillion savings proposal announced with great fanfare at the White House, but they came up short by several hundred billion dollars.
Nevertheless, the officials claimed success in producing solid proposals in time for a deadline set by President Barack Obama after a White House photo op May 11 where they promised to curb their own costs to help his health care agenda.
Obama asked for a progress report by early June and the five industry groups and one labor union delivered it on Monday. They sent the White House a letter along with a series of cost-savings proposals they said could total $1 trillion to $1.7 trillion in savings over a decade.
"What you've seen is the coming together of some really unlikely bedfellows and it really is very important," said Dr. Nancy Nielsen, president of the American Medical Association. "This is a very serious collaborative effort."
The groups identified three big areas for savings: $150 billion to $180 billion from more-efficient use of health care services, $350 billion to $850 billion from better managing chronic diseases, and $500 billion to $700 billion through administrative and business improvements such as standardizing claim forms.
The groups — insurers, doctors, hospitals, drug makers, medical device manufacturers and a leading health care union — contended that the savings could be even bigger because they were conservative in their estimates and some of the ideas in their proposal hadn't been studied enough to be quantified.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)