Thursday § February 18, 2010
Hot on the heels of Insurance hiking premiums among policyholders in California comes a warning of sorts from HHS Sec’y Sebelius: California is not immune. In fact, the spectre of recent burgeoning rates seen at the hands of a Blue Cross/Shield plan subsidiary in the Golden Gate State is only the tip of a rapidly moving iceberg in a healthcare marketplace within which Big Insurance says it must remain competitive.
RI, CT, and OR were three other states cited in Sebelius’s remarks. As healthcare reform moves at a more restrained pace in the run-up to an eventual bill, there is no denying the market is seeing the effects of an economy far from recovery. As millions jettison more expensive coverage for the bare minimum, costs for care delivery are beginning to reflect payouts to plans for the sicker and older portion of the risk pools, creating even more urgency for Obama and company for reform as he has seemingly moved on to his other top domestic priority — jobs. | LINK
Tuesday § February 9, 2010
If Obama ever wished he could tell Insurance to just go and “take a hike”, I’m sure he wouldn’t mean it in a literal sense. A California-based insurance company’s decision to raise policyholders’ premium rates by as much as near 40% has prompted a state inquiry and the ire of HHS Sec’y Kathleen Sebelius. The attention the White House is giving this case at a time when reform efforts are rocky is somewhat of a balm for the president’s increasingly wounded pride on the effort to promise wider healthcare access and affordability as dictated during his campaign for the nation’s highest office. Why would an insurance company, even if it is for-profit, create such a negative PR issue for itself at a time when unemployment — and by extension, healthcare inaccessibility — in California and nationwide are at such cripplingly high levels?
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Friday § December 4, 2009
The health reform debate has had its share of key players. Many of them have been elevated to star status (Snowe, Baucus, Stupak), although the meaning of “star” would depend on whom you asked. Perhaps a more apt term would be a “highly influential” player, or a “significant game changer”. All of these monikers could also apply to a collection of individuals who, over the course of the debate’s more interesting and contentious moments (think House debate), seem to be setting the fiscal parameters on which the key Senate debate is being issued — the Congressional Budget Office.
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Is the public option dead? It appears as much. With backtracking the rule of the day among Democrats, it’s now time for the party’s surrogates to begin trumpeting other options. First up is HHS Secretary Sebelius, who now says that the PO was never really an “essential” part of the reform equation, noting that non-profit insurance cooperatives should replace that original line of thinking just fine.
“I think what’s important is choice and competition, and I’m convinced that at the end of the day the plan will have both of those — but that is not the essential element,” she said of the government-run insurance option on CNN’s “State of the Union” show.
“The president is just continuing to say let’s not have this be the only focus of the conversation,” Sebelius said.
It’s too late for that. The Republicans made an issue of Big Government in health reform and essentially won — negating any halfhearted attempt by the Democrats to craft whatever health reform message Obama was elected upon and maintained throughout the first 200 days of his presidency. For Obama and his party, the only message left is certainly one that will not make the most progressive base very happy. For them, insurance co-ops are just another mechanism waiting to fail, much like their state-run predecessors in the years of the Great Depression, heralding the eventual formation of that other government option, Medicare. | LINK
Wednesday § April 29, 2009
Congrats Kathleen, now get to work.
President Obama’s Cabinet was finally filled yesterday after the Senate, on the eve of President Obama’s 100th day in office, voted 65 to 31 to confirm Kathleen Sebelius to head the Department of Health and Human Services. Hours later, the former Kansas governor was sworn in in an Oval Office ceremony.
The Senate finance committee has approved Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius’ nomination by a vote of 15-8. It now goes to the full Senate for a vote.
Gov. Sebelius strongly shares the president’s commitment to high-quality, affordable health care for all Americans and if confirmed, will work to bring down the crippling cost of health care and expand coverage,” White House spokeswoman Kate Bedingfield said after the vote. “We are pleased that she was confirmed by the Finance Committee this morning and look forward to a vote before the full Senate.”
Wednesday § April 1, 2009
Obama’s HHS Sec’y choice Kathleen Sebelius on publicly funded healthcare:
“If the question is do I support a public option side-by-side with private insurers,” Sebelius said, “yes I do.” [...] She faced questions on the issue as she testified before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Sebelius said she didn’t support fully government-run health care. [...] An exchange with Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., over the Obama proposal was perhaps the most heated in a low-key 2 1/2-hour hearing. Sebelius pledged that if confirmed, “health reform would be my mission.” [...] “Inaction is not an option. The status quo is unacceptable, and unsustainable,” said Sebelius, citing high health care costs that she said were hurting families and crippling the economy.
How is this side-by-side option going to be financed? | LINK
With Kathleen Sebelius the ostensible choice for HHS and Sanjay Gupta slithering out of consideration for the post, is the Office of Surgeon General former DNC chair Howard Dean’s for the taking?
Over the weekend, Obama asked, and today she accepted. Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, once considered on Obama’s short list for VP, is the new HHS Secretary, pending Senate confirmation. (She probably would have had an easier job as veep.)
According to a WH press release, Obama also announced the release of $155 million in federal grants to support 126 new health centers that will help “people in need,” including the uninsured. Additionally, he stated, “We have acted quickly to put Recovery Act dollars to good use in communities across America. The construction and expansion of health centers will create thousands of new jobs, help provide health care to an estimated 750,000 Americans across the country who wouldn’t have access to care without these centers, and take another step toward an affordable, accessible health care system.”
Saturday § February 28, 2009
With no tax issues to speak of, she’s a shoo-in.
Ms. Sebelius became one of Mr. Obama’s most valued allies when she endorsed him early in the presidential nomination battle and has been discussed for a variety of possible positions from vice president to cabinet jobs. A two-term state insurance commissioner and two-term Democratic governor in a reliably Republican state, Ms. Sebelius has a reputation of reaching across the aisle.
Thursday § February 19, 2009
- Obama appears to be nearing choice for HHS Secretary.
Gov. Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas, an early Obama ally with a record of working across party lines, is emerging as the president’s top choice for secretary of health and human services, advisers said Wednesday. Should she be nominated, Ms. Sebelius would bring eight years of experience as her state’s insurance commissioner as well as six years as a governor running a state Medicaid program.
- Say it isn’t so: Big Insurance rigging out-of-network referrals? This has been covered by Doctor pundit before.
- A public interest watchdog wants the FDA to scrutinize device makers more closely.
- A new Alzheimer dementia culprit?
- Study: patients fare better with surgery, drugs then with stenting, in cases of myocardial injury — after 12 hours.
