http://pnhp.org/blog PNHP's official blog Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:48:25 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Hospital Computing and the Costs and Quality of Care: A National Study By David U. Himmelstein, MD, Adam Wright, PhD, Steffie Woolhandler, MD, MPH The American Journal of Medicine November 20, 2009 BACKGROUND Many believe that computerization will improve health care quality, reduce costs, and increase administrative efficiency. However, no previous studies have examined computerization’s ... http://pnhp.org/blog/2009/11/20/health-it-savings-projections-are-baseless/ One of my professors years ago was a round little man who liked to warn us, with a twinkle in his eye, “Making predictions is very difficult, especially predictions about the future.”  Will a bill pass, in what form, and then what will the long term implications be?  It’s hard ... http://pnhp.org/blog/2009/11/20/the-continuing-debate-is-this-bill-better-than-nothing/ Posted at MichaelMoore.com November 19th, 2009 Health Care, Essential to Democracy by Katie Robbins and Andy Coates Two weekends ago, after the bait and switch of a vote on single-payer for a vote on an anti-abortion amendment, we felt wizened to the possibility of unknown threats in the legislative churn on health reform. ... http://pnhp.org/blog/2009/11/19/health-care-essential-to-democracy/ In a tough year, employers hold the line on health benefit cost increases Mercer November 18, 2009 * Employers hold cost growth to 5.5 percent in 2009, the lowest increase in a decade * Growth in use of wellness or health management programs accelerates as large employers look to hold down cost without cost-shifting * ... http://pnhp.org/blog/2009/11/19/mercer-employers-hold-line-on-costs/ Letter to President Barack Obama urging four elements be included in health reform legislation to control costs By Alan M. Garber, Victor R. Fuchs, Kenneth J, Arrow November 17, 2009 President Barack Obama The White House Washington, DC 20500 Dear Mr. President, As the full Senate prepares to debate comprehensive health reform legislation, we write as ... http://pnhp.org/blog/2009/11/18/leading-economists-advice-to-president-obama-on-controlling-costs/ As we know, the House passed its health care reform bill on October 29, 2009 after many months of contentious debate. By a narrow margin, 220-215, the 1,990 page, almost 20 pound bill was passed. It laid out the most liberal health care reform that might be expected out of ... http://pnhp.org/blog/2009/11/18/the-affordable-health-care-for-america-act-hr-3962-enough-reform-to-succeed/ Downwardly Mobile - The Accidental Cost of Being Uninsured By Heather Rosen, MD, MPH; Fady Saleh, MD, MPH; Stuart Lipsitz, ScD; Selwyn O. Rogers Jr, MD, MPH; Atul A. Gawande, MD, MPH Archives of Surgery November 2009 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that in 2004, there were 112 012 deaths related ... http://pnhp.org/blog/2009/11/17/uninsured-trauma-patients/ Health Care Reform: Creating a Sustainable Health Care Marketplace By Hewitt Associates Business Roundtable November 2009 Payment Bundling Establishing bundled payments would create more incentives for efficient treatments and could be adjusted based on outcomes. Health care reform proposals are moving toward bundled payments. Both the House and the Senate include provisions that focus on ... http://pnhp.org/blog/2009/11/16/rand-and-br-on-savings-through-bundled-payments/ Republicans: Get out of the way of progress Letters North County Times November 13, 2009 I am a retired lifelong conservative Republican, planning to change my registration to Independent. Why? Because of obstructionist practices of the Republicans, such as Saturday night's vote in the House. Only one Republican voted for the House Bill 3962. ... http://pnhp.org/blog/2009/11/13/a-conservative-republican-sees-the-light/ Originally published in the Berkshire Eagle. Everyone is talking about health care reform and trying to decipher the differences between the bills in the House and the Senate. The "public option" is praised by some and derided by others. Politicians are influenced by the financial support of various interest groups who ... http://pnhp.org/blog/2009/11/13/bailout-under-a-blue-cross/