Recent health reform news highlights:
The Wall Street Journal’s Health Blog covered the story of Wisconsin Congressman Steve Kagen (D), the only member of the U.S. House to refuse health insurance coverage. He introduced a bill this year, says the WSJ, that “would bar insurers from denying coverage or raising rates because of pre-existing conditions. He’d also require companies to disclose all of their rates.” Jacob Goldstein also wrote about IBM’s consumer-driven health care project in Georgia.
The Associated Press ran a background piece yesterday comparing the leading presidential candidates’ proposals with the systems in Great Britain and Canada.
The Kaiser Family Foundation also issued a Background Brief on Health Care as a 2008 Election Issue.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ran an article on employer-sponsored wellness programs aimed at cutting insurance costs.
On HealthPopuli, Jane Sarasohn-Kohn analyzes reports from Watson Wyatt on factors that will influence retirement timing and a Zogby poll for the American System for Advancing Senior Health. Here are some of the most relevant statistics:
One in 3 older Americans said they need more help with their health decisions, and 71% said they want to be able to find more information about their own health care. 9 in 10 older Americans want to be in control of their health decisions.
One-half of older people believe they themselves are in the best position to help improve the quality of their health.
Read the rest of Jane’s post for additional background and her analysis.
