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The Fight for Health Care Reform Isn't Over Yet by Rahul Rekhi, nextnewdeal.net | November 14, 2012
While the principle focus of this year’s presidential campaign was clearly the economy, the election carried more profound implications for the future of American health care then any other area of policy. The choice was clear: would we see the reaffirmation of the Affordable Care Act and with that, an opportunity for its provisions to be phased in at last? Or would we see a rapid repeal and systemic overhaul under the ascendant Romney administration? With the reelection of President Obama, the signature health care legislation of his first term is secure. But to truly reform our health care system, he still has much more work to do in his second term. read more »Hey, Obama, Hands Off Their Medicare by Robert Kuttner, prospect.org | November 8, 2012
President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner are on track to cut a deal that Wall Street has been slavering over for a decade—a small dollop of revenue increases, mainly through loophole closings, coupled with massive spending cuts including in Social Security in Medicare, adding up to 4 to 5 trillion dollars of budget cuts over a decade. Obama is convinced that this sort of grand bargain is necessary because financial markets expect it. Yet the same financial markets are happy to lend the government money for 30 years at less than 3 percent interest. If Obama and the Republicans do make such a deal, growth will slow to a trickle. Ironically, the president, having humiliated the Republicans on Election Day, holds most of the cards. read more »The People Who Elected Obama Don't Want Cuts to Social Security and Medicare by Lynn Stuart Parramore, alternet.org | November 8, 2012
Voting patterns told a story yesterday. And here is the story they told: working people want a president who works for them. What does it mean? For starters, it means that struggling people have seen right through the faux populism of the GOP, and they know that between the two parties, the Democrats are slightly more likely to stand up against the dangerous income inequality, wage depression and shredding of social safety nets the Republican Party has embraced. And it means that the Occupy Wall Street movement has enhanced awareness of a system that redistributes income toward the top -- the 99 percent know it, and so do the rich. The president should heed the message voters sent as negotiations for a so-called “Grand Bargain” (what white-collar criminologist Bill Black has more properly called a “Grand Betrayal”) heat up in the face of another phony crisis meant to give the fat cats a new shot at redistributing income upward. read more »Obamacare Gets Its Vindication by Matt Miller, The Washington Post | November 7, 2012
George Shultz once offered advice to Cabinet secretaries seeking to make a difference, advice that applies equally well to presidents. It’s easy to be consumed by your in box in these big jobs, Shultz explained. The flow of “incoming” could keep anyone fully occupied from the moment they were sworn in to the day they left office. The key to leaving your mark is to be sure you work on priorities you select and put into other people’s in-boxes. Don’t just work off your own. This sound counsel captures why Barack Obama’s devotion to major health reform was so important — and why the risks he took to pursue that course must make his vindication Tuesday night especially sweet. read more »Top Ten Coming Disasters: Romney’s America 2016 by Juan Cole, juancole.com | November 5, 2012
What will the United States look like in 2016 if Mitt Romney wins? While predicting the future is of course impossible, actually my experience is that if you play out known possible scenarios in your mind, you can often get a fair idea of the likely course of events. read more »Before You Vote: Fact vs. Fiction on Obamacare by Wendell Potter, Huffington Post | November 5, 2012
Wouldn't it be great if our candidates had to take a dose of truth serum every morning before hitting the campaign trail? If they did, those of us who will be voting tomorrow wouldn't be nearly as confused about what Obamacare is and what it isn't, what it will do and what it won't. Since there is no such truth serum requirement, I believe that many of us will actually be voting against our own best interests. Many Americans will vote for candidates who have scared them into believing that Obamacare is a government takeover of health care that it will bankrupt the country while slashing Medicare benefits. In the event that you or someone you know might benefit from some truth-telling, here are a few things you ought to know before pulling that lever tomorrow. read more »Obama's Closing Argument: A Winning Message by Terrance Heath, OurFuture.org | November 5, 2012
When it comes to politics, it ain’t over ’til its’ over. And even then it may not be over. With the presidential election just days away, the contest remains close enough to ensure some jangled nerves and nail-biting among Republicans and Democrats. Still, the latest news and numbers should give President President Barack Obama a boost as he delivers his closing argument to voters. Should Obama emerge the victor when the dust settles after Tuesday, his closing argument will become the winning message. And voters convinced to reward Obama with a second term on the strength of that message will — and should — expect him to live up to its vision and promise. read more »The Blackmail Caucus by Paul Krugman, The New York Times | November 2, 2012
If President Obama is re-elected, health care coverage will expand dramatically, taxes on the wealthy will go up and Wall Street will face tougher regulation. If Mitt Romney wins instead, health coverage will shrink substantially, taxes on the wealthy will fall to levels not seen in 80 years and financial regulation will be rolled back. Given the starkness of this difference, you might have expected to see people from both sides of the political divide urging voters to cast their ballots based on the issues. Lately, however, I’ve seen a growing number of Romney supporters making a quite different argument. Vote for Mr. Romney, they say, because if he loses, Republicans will destroy the economy. O.K., they don’t quite put it that way. The argument is phrased in terms of “partisan gridlock,” as if both parties were equally extreme. But they aren’t. This is, in reality, all about appeasing the hard men of the Republican Party. read more »Shame the haters: Why I back Obama by Van Jones, jackandjillpolitics.com | November 2, 2012
Have you ever worked at a job where somebody was actively trying to sabotage you? Do you remember what that feels like? Well, that has been President Obama’s experience from Day One. As African Americans, we have a special sensitivity to situations where folks are unfairly set up to fail. We shouldn’t allow such tactics to determine the outcome of a national election. This is especially true in the president’s case. Obama’s performance has been extraordinary in both foreign and domestic policy, but he has gotten almost zero credit for truly historic achievements. read more »Hurricane Sandy's Silver Lining: A Reaffirmation of Progressive Principles by Daniel Marans, OurFuture.org | November 1, 2012
At a time when the country is still reeling from the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the storm has reaffirmed progressive principles that have been under attack in recent years. Sandy has, in fact, brought together a trifecta of progressive policy vindications: the dangers of climate silence, the importance of a strong and responsive federal government, and the necessity of collective bargaining rights for workers. read more »
The Latest
Republican Party Eyes Choking Health Law Funding , Politico | August 2, 2010
Republicans may not be able to repeal the Democrats’ health care reform law next year, but they’re eyeing the next best thing: Deny the Obama administration the money it needs to implement the law. more »
Commonwealth Fund Analysis Highlights Benefits for Women in Health-Care Overhaul, The Washington Post | July 30, 2010
The law Congress adopted this spring to reshape the nation's health-care system will be especially beneficial to women, because they traditionally have relied on health care more than men, faced more insurance problems and had greater difficulty paying medical bills, according to a new analysis. more »
High-Risk Health Insurance Pools to Bar Abortion Coverage, mcclatchydc.com | July 30, 2010
Elective abortions will be prohibited and people with pre-existing conditions will be able to get comprehensive benefits without paying any more than healthy people under new federal regulations for high-risk health insurance pools released Thursday by the Obama administration. more »
Poll Shows Opposition to Health Care Overhaul Declining, The Washington Post | July 29, 2010
Opposition to the landmark health care overhaul declined over the past month, to 35 percent from 41 percent, according to the latest results of a tracking poll, reported Thursday. more »
Nonprofit Health Insurers Holding Large Surpluses, Consumer Group Reports, The Washington Post | July 26, 2010
Nonprofit health insurers may be setting aside unnecessarily large surpluses even as some of them continue to raise premiums, according to an analysis by a consumer rights group. more »
Healthcare Reform, netrootsnation.org | July 22, 2010
Earlier this year, healthcare reform was signed into law, and now we will discuss what's next. Panelists will consider the possibilities for state-based single-payer reforms and the role that the netroots and labor can contribute in making them a reality. We'll also discuss overlooked healthcare reform priorities such as patient safety reforms and protection of the public health system. more »
Some States Say They're Not Receiving the Medicaid Services They're Paying For, The Washington Post | July 8, 2010
Now businesses are rushing to get a foothold in states that outsource Medicaid, knowing the law could add 16 million people to the federal-state program for the poor and the disabled. more »
States Considering Contracting With Managed Care Firms To Implement Medicaid Expansion , wonkroom.thinkprogress.org | July 8, 2010
Healthcare: Democrats Up Ante, thehill.com | July 7, 2010
Speaker Nancy Pelosi is doubling down on healthcare reform, betting that it will do Democrats more good than harm in November’s elections.
She and her leadership team have seized on new polls that suggest healthcare overhaul’s popularity is rising, and they are urging members of Congress to use this week’s recess to tout the new law.
Obama to Bypass Senate to Name Health Official, The New York Times | July 7, 2010
President Obama will bypass Congress and appoint Dr. Donald M. Berwick, a health policy expert, to run Medicare and Medicaid, the White House said Tuesday. more »
