Overview for health-care

How to Fix Obamacare

In my column for The Week , I discuss ways in which the Affordable Care Act could be streamlined into a workable solution for health care reform: If the election were held today, President Obama would probably lose. The Republicans would very likely score gains in the Senate, but …

Written by David Frum on Wednesday October 5, 2011

Sweden's Health Care Pays Off

The people of Avesta, Sweden look much better cared for than their US or UK counterparts. In 24 hours, haven't spotted a single obese person. More casual Swedish empiricism: The people of this industrial town look much better cared for than their US or UK counterparts. I haven't seen a single …

Written by David Frum on Friday June 10, 2011

What Swedes Really Think About Their Health Care

Even affluent Swedes find it shocking a society could abandon a seventh of its population with no guarantee of care. But as Sweden shifts to the right, changes could be ahead. The audience at the conference is about half Swedish, half not. The Swedish attendees are as you would expect drawn from …

Written by David Frum on Friday June 10, 2011

Can Seniors Really Handle a Medicare Cut?

Social Security provides more than 60% of the income for Americans over age 65. Can we really count on seniors to pay a rising share of their Medicare costs? Jared Bernstein makes the point that Social Security provides more than 60% of the income for Americans over age 65. (h/t "Debs") There …

Written by David Frum on Tuesday May 17, 2011

Fast-Tracking the FDA

The FDA still takes too long to make essential life-saving drugs available to patients. But a new proposal could bring many treatments to markets sooner. In a previous blog post, I noted that while the FDA is currently releasing directives to put calorie information on vending machines, there is …

Written by Horace Cooper on Friday May 13, 2011

Romney's Health Speech Venue: Another Misstep?

Romney is set to deliver a major policy speech at the University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center. But the venue is raising some eyebrows. Former Speaker Newt Gingrich got off to a not-so-great start yesterday with some website problems just as he announced to 1.3 million people on Twitter that …

Written by Tim Mak on Thursday May 12, 2011

Can Mitt Move Beyond Romneycare?

Romney's health care speech on Thursday is a necessity and a gamble. Either a total defense or repudiation of Romneycare could damage him with GOP or swing voters. It's perhaps hard not to feel some sympathy for the situation Mitt Romney has found himself in. By the close of the 2008 Republican …

Written by Fred Bauer on Wednesday May 11, 2011

A Health Care Race the U.S. Shouldn't Win

A new study claims that U.S. health spending is rising faster than in other countries. But will it spur Washington to finally start curbing costs? A new study by the Kaiser Family Foundation comparing U.S. healthcare costs with the rest of the world is providing ammunition to both sides in the …

Written by Stanley Goldfarb on Saturday April 30, 2011

Mitt Romney’s Achilles Heel

The Onion takes a swing at one of Mitt Romney's biggest worries: how to sell his Massachusetts health plan to Republican voters. The Onion identifies it: "Every day I am haunted by the fact that I gave impoverished Massachusetts citizens a chance to receive health care," Romney told …

Written by David Frum on Thursday April 21, 2011

The Health Cost Fix Obama Won't Accept

There are new questions about Obamacare's preferred cost control mechanisms. Yet, one possible solution for the president's health cost worries is still off the table. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) -- Obamacare-- is coming under new attacks as the constitutionality of the …

Written by Stanley Goldfarb on Thursday April 21, 2011

Is the GOP Serious About Means-Testing?

I'm all for ferocious cost-cutting within Medicare. But until costs actually drop, means-testing in Medicare will be code for denying Medicare to many older Americans. Can we get beyond the welfare state? Yuval Levin argued yes in an article in National Affairs . I argued no, here . …

Written by David Frum on Tuesday April 19, 2011

Romney's Healthcare Talking Points Still Need Work

Romney has developed a set of answers when he is asked about his Massachusetts healthcare plan, but they still need some work. At the RJC annual meeting in Las Vegas, Mitt Romney delivered the big speech on Saturday. He did a good job too, talking about issues from employment to Israel - …

Written by David Frum on Sunday April 3, 2011

Newt's Obama Impeachment Stunt

This week, Newt Gingrich played up Obama's refusal to defend DOMA, claiming it could thrust us into a "constitutional crisis." Skill-testing question for constitutional conservatives. Suppose you are an elected official. Congress enacts a law you regard as unconstitutional. What do you do? …

Written by David Frum on Saturday February 26, 2011

Dems Get Obamacare Back on Track

The Democrats took a major step forward today when Sen. Baucus pushed his legislation though the Senate Finance Committee – and did it with Sen. Snowe's support. Now, health-reform legislation by year's end once again seems likely. In September, they seemed hopeless – internally divided, …

Written by David Gratzer on Tuesday October 13, 2009

Deal or No Deal?

Until now, the threat of a government-run healthcare plan has deterred Republicans from negotiations with the administration. But now that the single most threatening element of such a deal has been voted down by Democrats, Republicans can begin to think: are there things we want? ... well, maybe …

Written by David Frum on Wednesday September 30, 2009

Being the Angry Party Will Keep GOP Out of Power

The way many conservatives see it, the way to win is not by emulating the no-drama strategy of the Obama campaign, but rather the hard-nosed, foul-mouthed Chicago tactics of Rahm Emanuel circa 2005 and 2006 . But this strategy will not work for the GOP. Bruce Bartlett, as always, is a fascinatin…

Written by Thomas J. Marier on Monday August 31, 2009

The Headlines Review

Napoleon Linardatos presents a humorous take on today's headlines. Napoleon Linardatos presents a humorous take on today’s headlines. “As Internet Booms, the Postal Service Fights Back” - New York Times , 08.28.09 The U.S. Postal Service plans to start its own email …

Written by Napoleon Linardatos on Sunday August 30, 2009

Michael Pollan: I'll Still Shop at Whole Foods

CEO John Mackey's views on health care, much as I disagree with them, will not prevent me from shopping at Whole Foods. Whole Foods is not perfect, however if they were to disappear, the cause of improving Americans' health would suffer. John Mackey's views on health care, much as I disagree with …

Written by Michael Pollan on Friday August 28, 2009

Obama's Big Idea: Bankrupt Medicare Faster

The president has spoken repeatedly about how well Medicare works and has promised seniors it will be strengthened by his plans. But Medicare is going bankrupt and is unsustainable: It will be $37 trillion in deficit by the year 2050. How can Medicare avoid bankruptcy? It cannot with the current …

Written by Stanley Goldfarb on Thursday August 27, 2009

The Whole Foods Dilemma

Now two unions are joining the campaign to boycott Whole Foods, in order to punish the company for the free-market healthcare beliefs of its CEO. I know how I will respond: by buying an extra half-gallon of grass-fed milk at the store. But something more is called for here, a counter-boycott. And I …

Written by David Frum on Thursday August 27, 2009