UHCEF Article of Interest

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Lynda Gledhill
San Francisco Chronicle, Sacramento Bureau
Tuesday, August 29, 2006

(08-29) 04:00 PDT Sacramento — The Democratic-controlled Legislature is on the verge of sending Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger a bill that would create a state-run universal health care system, testing him on an issue that voters rate as one of their top concerns in this election year.

On a largely party-line 43-30 vote, the Assembly approved a bill by state Sen. Sheila Kuehl, D-Santa Monica, that would eliminate private medical insurance plans and establish a statewide health insurance system that would provide coverage to all Californians. The state Senate has already approved the plan once and is expected this week to approve changes that the Assembly made to the bill. (more…)

UHCEF Article of Interest

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David Gram
Associated Press
August 29, 2006

MONTPELIER, Vt. –Vermont could offer health coverage to all its residents and spend $51 million less a year on health care under a single-payer system, according to a legislative consultant’s report released Tuesday. (more…)

Health Insurance Coverage: 2005

For complete details on health insurance coverage data for 2005, click here.

Highlights:

• The number of people with health insurance coverage increased from 245.9 million in 2004 to 247.3 million in 2005.1.
• In 2005, 46.6 million people were without health insurance coverage, up from 45.3 million people in 2004 (Table 8).

(more…)

U.S. Census Bureau News
U.S. Department of Commerce - Washington, D.C. 20233

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TUESDAY, AUGUST 29, 2006, AT 10:10 A.M. EDT

*
* Public Information Office
* 301-763-3030/457-3670 (fax)
* 301- 457-1037 (TDD)

Income Climbs, Poverty Stabilizes, Uninsured Rate Increases

Real median household income in the United States rose by 1.1 percent between 2004 and 2005, reaching $46,326, according to a report released today by the U.S. Census Bureau. Meanwhile, the nation’s official poverty rate remained statistically unchanged at 12.6 percent. The percentage of people without health insurance coverage rose from 15.6 percent to 15.9 percent (46.6 million people). (more…)

Senator Sheila Kuehl
08/28/06
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

KUEHL’S HEALTHCARE BILL, SB 840, PASSES CALIFORNIA ASSEMBLY

On Monday, August 28th, Senate Bill 840, authored by State Senator Sheila Kuehl (D-23), passed out of the California State Assembly on a preliminary vote of 43-30 (final vote expected to be 44-31).

SB 840 provides a concrete plan for covering every California resident with comprehensive health insurance, saves the state of California, businesses and working families nearly $8 billion in the first year, and guarantees our right to choose our own doctor. The bill will now return to the State Senate for concurrence and is expected to reach the Governor’s desk by September 1st. (more…)

UHCEF Article of Interest

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Judy Deutsch
Subbury Town Crier Newspaper (click here for link to article)

Universal health care is not too expensive (as the headline over John Brodkin’s article suggested it might be in the Aug. 13, issue of The Sunday Crier), but health care that includes the health insurance industry as middleman is too expensive to be universal.

That is the elephant in the room that our legislators fail to admit - perhaps because the biggest insurance companies and some hospitals spent $7.5 million lobbying them to get Chapter 58 (our present health care law) passed. (more…)

UHCEF Article of Interest

Click here for link to the original survey and report by Harris Interactive.
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Jennifer Warner
Reviewed by Louise Chang, M.D.
WebMD (click here for link to article)

Half of middle- and lower-income Americans have serious problems paying their medical bills, and more than three-fourths say the system is in need of a major overhaul, according to a new survey.

The results show Americans are growing increasingly concerned about the affordability of health care and want better coordination and improved access to information and care. (more…)

UHCEF Article of Interest

Romney charities fund conservative Heritage Foundation to develop state’s health care policy. See below.
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Cristina Silva
Boston Globe (click here for link to article)
August 17, 2006

Governor Mitt Romney’s private foundation — which often sends money to religious organizations, schools, and social services groups — gave $50,000 in 2005 to two prominent conservative think tanks that have provided him with a platform as he readies for a potential run for president, public records indicate.

The Tyler Charitable Foundation, headed by Romney and his wife, Ann, gave $25,000 each to the Heritage Foundation and the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies, two nonprofit groups based in Washington that are pillars in the conservative community. Romney addressed both groups in 2005 and 2006. (more…)

The Commonwealth Fund Commission on a High Performance Health System
August 2006
Public Views on Shaping the Future of the U.S. Health System
By Cathy Schoen, Sabrina K. H. How, Ilana Weinbaum, John E. Craig, Jr., and Karen Davis

Abstract:

On behalf of The Commonwealth Fund Commission on a High Performance Health System, Harris Interactive surveyed U.S. adults to determine the public’s perspectives on ways to improve patient care and on health policy priorities facing the President and Congress. Overall, the representative sample of 1,023 adults ages 18 and older revealed strong public support for efforts to improve care coordination and access to information. There is a shared belief that expanded use of information technology, care teams, and improved delivery of preventive services could improve the quality of care. Patients reported recent experiences of wasteful, inefficient, or unsafe care. In addition, half of middle-income and lower-income families reported serious problems paying for care and insurance coverage. Three-quarters of all adults said the U.S. health care system needs either fundamental change or complete rebuilding. Expanding insurance and controlling costs, they said, should be top priorities for federal action. (more…)