Obama's approval rating on health care improves

http://tinyurl.com/3khuvkt

his ratings have been going up over the past year on handling of health care.

Medicare preventive services

http://www.medicare.gov/Publications/Pubs/pdf/11100.pdf

This publication provides excellent coverage of all the new preventive services covered under the ACA.  I did not realize how many services are covered.  Wish HHS would send this out to all medicare benes.

2012 campaign edge

from CQHealthbeat (a subscription based publication)
 but also cited in Kaiser Health News today
http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/

McInturff, a leading health pollster for Republican party, says Medicare will be key issue in 2012 campaign and more so than health reform law.  This is good news as this will be an easier challenge for the Democrats. 

CAP talk by Atul Gawande - 42911. Reducing Health Care Costs Without Rationing: A Clinician's View

Went to Center for American Progress talk by Atul Gawande yesterday.  He has many excellent ideas for improving care while lowering costs.

Reducing Health Care Costs Without Rationing: A Clinician's View

Atul Gawande, M.D.

Here is link to video of talk

http://tinyurl.com/3ztwznf

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Health care, there are too many profit centers.  Patients are treated as profit centers.

5% of population counts for 60% of the costs

Many receive inappropriate care

Best quality care frequently has lower costs

Key steps

1.      1.  Recognize community failures and successes

2.       2. Devise group solutions

For hospital surgery, procedures, infections, death rates, complex patients, etc. , develop checklists

Need to develop productivity revolution in health care

One project reduced complications by 35% and deaths by 47%

Use of checklists adopted universally in England, Ireland, Spain and VA hospitals, but by only 25% of U.S. hospitals.

Need to move from individuals to organizations. Kaiser, and Mayo Clinic are two excellent examples that focus on group strategies and not cowboy approach

3.       3. Need to move from project thinking to portfolio thinking.

See hot spots article

http://healthreformaction.blogspot.com/2011/02/hot-spotters-by-atul-gawande-in-new.html

The Hot Spotters

Can we lower medical costs by giving the neediest patients better care. 

In Camden, New Jersey, one per cent of patients account for a third of the city’s medical costs. Dr. Jeffrey Brenner has taken a comprehensive social approach to these issues and is lowering medical costs.  This is where we need to be. 

150,000 deaths per year post –op, half are avoidable.

End of Life care is inadequate, too many folks die in Emergency rooms

Too many catastrophic procedures

Need checklists for these.

Need policy levers to move these

IPAB is essential.  Independent Payment Advisory Board.  The Republicans want to do away with this.  Detect some inconsistency here with their desire to reduce the deficit.

Need more data and information at community level.  More funding for NCHS. National Center for Health Statistics

Denmark was very successful using medical homes

Need to reduce smoking, obesity, air pollution

Need to reward systems and individuals. 

“We are in a battle for the soul of our medical care.  We are fostering a learning system, there will be mistakes but inertia equals failure.”

Commonwealth fund newsletter 42911 issue

http://tinyurl.com/4yr5lb5

this issue of the commonwealth newsletter has lots of interesting articles


here are a couple of topics

Health Reform Will Make Insurance Affordable for Nearly All Families

Lessons from Abroad for U.S. Health Care

On another note,  here is a web site

http://www.protectyourcare.org/

which is putting together ad campaigns supporting health reform in key congressional districts.  It is affiliated with Center for American Progress. 

OFA materials

Tonight I am participating in a training session on health reform for Organizing for America in Moco. 

here are my talking points and resource handout.

KEY BENEFITS AND MYTHS OF THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT (ACA)

I.       What are some of the key benefits of the Affordable
Care Act

The law is already benefiting many Americans:

·       Children can stay on their parents' health plan until they
turn 26  - up to 3 million can benefit
from this provision.

·       Insurance companies cannot deny children coverage for
current medical problems or cancel coverage because of prior treatment – up to 5 million kid

·       Insurers can no longer put a dollar maximum on health
insurance coverage or cancel a plan if a person gets sick

·       Seniors who have higher Medicare prescription drug costs now
will get greater costs covered, and by 2019 all prescription drug costs will be covered – up to 3 million seniors

    ·       All 46 million seniors with Medicare will get new coverage of  several preventive services.

·       Small businesses get a 35% tax credit to help pay for
employees' coverage.  – up to 4 million
persons covered

Additional benefits and savings in 2014, when the law is fully in place:

·       Insurance companies won't be able to deny anyone coverage
for medical conditions or place a limit on your coverage.  Now
only kids cannot be denied.

·       People who don't get health coverage at work will choose
among a number of health plans, in a new marketplace run by state governments.  These will be better health
insurance plans than now available, and people will pay based on their income and other financial criteria.

·      The ACA will also improve quality, make health care more efficient, and reduce the deficit.

II.      Myths: Is there any misleading information being said about the law?

·       Charge: The law creates death panels

     Ø This is a totally false charge.

·       Charge: The Federal government will pay for abortions

Ø The bill specifically states that no Federal funds can
be used for abortion services.

·       Charge:  The law covers undocumented or illegal immigrants

Ø This is a totally false charge.

·       Charge: This is program run by the Federal Government.

Ø The bill specifically states that the Federal
Government will not operate any new insurance programs. 

·       Charge: the law increase deficits

Ø The Congressional Budget Office (CBO), which has
always been regarded by both parties until now as a unbiased scorekeeper says the law will reduce the deficit by a trillion in 20 years.  This is the only time that Republicans have questioned the Congressional Budget Office.

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KEY RESOURCES ON HEALTH REFORM

1) Massachusetts   http://tinyurl.com/3lnn246  *

Massachusetts health reform, myths vs facts

2) Videos

a) Families USA

http://healthreformaction.blogspot.com/2011/03/celebrating-one-year-of-health-care.html (via my blog) or direct http://tinyurl.com/4327hkl


From families usa with videos of 7 personal stories of folks and businesses helped
by ACA.  Highly recommended

b) Video: How Health Reform Really Works  [From Ellen-Marie
Whalen, CAP]

http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2010/04/health_reform_video.html

3) Radio tape

http://healthreformaction.blogspot.com/2011/03/cbs-radio-interview-with-tony-hausner_28.html

Tape of my CBS Local Radio Interview on Affordable Care Act on 1 year anniversary. 

4) Kaiser Poll

http://healthreformaction.blogspot.com/2011/03/new-and-noteworthy-march-health.html

Kaiser poll on attitudes to affordable care act (ACA)

5) Summaries of ACA (Affordable Care Act):  Here are 4 of the best summaries of the ACA. 

a)      Times magazine  tinyurl.com/yj7pp82

This is the best package, has a simple set of charts, plus a good article on
the cost efficiency issues which has been missing for the most part from other reviews.
b)      Kaiser summary   http://www.kff.org/healthreform/8061.cfm   Excellent summary
c)  Consumer Reports  http://tinyurl.com/yj2ls4c  Excellent summary
d) Another useful source healthreform.gov  this site is operated by USHHS

* note tinyurl’s are shortened versions of websites.

Shop Talk: Democrats Gear Up to Sell Health Care, Again

http://tinyurl.com/3ecwbcu