So one of the most important stories over the past week (besides the immigration bill in congress), was the health insurance bill in Massachusetts.
I won't give you a summary of what's been going on but instead give you some links to articles & opinions on the whole topic. Then I'll give you some interesting links to Malcolm Gladwell's view on American style Healthcare vs. the Canadian Healthcare system.
So about the Mass plan:
Boston Globe: Mass. bill requires health insurance
Legislative leaders say their plan would:
Cover 92,500 people by bringing more people onto MassHealth, the Medicaid program, by expanding eligibility for children and enrolling eligible adults who haven't yet signed up.
Cover an additional 207,500 people by offering free or low-cost private health insurance with sliding-scale premiums.
Cover an additional 215,000 by allowing businesses and individuals to purchase health insurance with pre-tax dollars and by creating incentives for insurers to offer low-cost products with fewer benefits.
Under the bill, the new insurance plans would be offered and run by private companies but be subsidized by the state. The poorest residents would have their premiums and deductibles completely paid for. Those with higher incomes would pay based on what they could afford.
The bill also creates an entity to administer the new subsidized healthcare program and to help businesses and individuals find suitable plans.
As for the requirement on individuals, those who don't get coverage would first lose their personal income tax exemption. Eventually, they could face a yearly fee to the state equal to half of the lowest-cost available insurance plan.
''No other state in the country has advanced healthcare to this degree both in coverage and quality, and it's something that I think every member of the Legislature will be able to be very proud of," said state Senator Richard T. Moore, an Uxbridge Democrat and lead Senate negotiator.
The plan calls for $58 million in new state spending over the rest of this fiscal year, which ends June 30, and $125 million each in the following three fiscal years.
News Analysis in the NY Times: On Health Care, Massachusetts Leaders Invoke Action, Not Talk
NY Times Article: Massachusetts Sets Health Plan for Nearly All
Boston Globe OpEds:
JOAN VENNOCHI Healthcare reform -- with a dose of profit
GLOBE EDITORIAL A healthy landmark
JOAN VENNOCHI Amid cheers for healthcare, fears for funding abound
SCOT LEHIGH Will public buy the healthcare plan?
OK now on to a somewhat related topic Malcolm Gladwell.
If you didn't know, Malcolm was raised in Ontario ... and like all Canadians is very opinionated especially when it comes to healthcare (all that crap about Canadians being polite and kind is nonsense - some of the most radical and outspoken voices out there are Canadian, including 50% of all your favorite comedians).
Gladwell vs Gopnick Canada Vs. U.S.(Washington Monthly)
But then Gladwell changes his mind. Why? From Malcolm's blog: Gladwell v. Gopnik con't
And: Canadian Healthcare, redux
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This plan fixes the symptom (the uninsured), but not the causes:
* Rapid pace in the development of medical technologies, and the price inelasticity in the demand of such goods
* Tax incentives which default healthcare to group plans paid for by employers. This reduces the individuation of health care coverage (and premiums), so there's little financial incentive for patients to live more healthfully or ration their own care.
* Health care regulation continues to be an obstacle to providers streamlining their operations.
A decent analysis.
I posted my thoughts about this earlier. I still think universal coverage is the way to go, and this is, at best, universal "insurance"... but it's a step in the right direction. And, as read on a blog a few days ago, it put a republican govenor behind it - so it's no longer just a liberal fantasy.
Hmm, my favorite comedians are Richard Pryor, Dave Chappelle, Dave Attell, Jon Stewart and Chris Rock. Any of those Canadian? I think not, in fact, I can't think of a Canadian comedian that I like. A few comedic actors sure, but stand up comedians? Not so many. In fact, all the most controversial ones that I know of are from the US of A.
BTW, who the hell is this Malcolm guy. I can't be bothered to follow your links.