I get asked to speak about health reform on a fairly frequent basis. It is actually quite fun, because health reform is so topical and there is always something new going on. I also enjoy the subject because there is always a range of viewpoints in any given audience: from those who strongly advocate for a single payer system to …

With the announcement of  Rep. Ryan’s proposal to convert Medicare into a voucher program and Medicaid into a block grant, contrasting visions of health care reform became very clear. The Ryan/Republican House approach embraces a market strategy and would effectively cap federal government payments for health care. A Medicare voucher program would leave seniors to purchase health insurance with government …

Mayor Bloomberg of New York made headlines when he decided to take on the soda industry (ok, I know, my New York roots are showing – pop for those of you from the Midwest!). Specifically, Mr. Bloomberg is seeking a federal waiver in the food stamp program (now called SNAP – supplemental nutrition assistance program) to ban the purchase of …

For years, many in the health policy world have talked about the emphasis that pharmaceutical manufacturers were putting on “me too” drugs – drugs that are structurally similar to existing drugs with only subtle differences. And for a long time, I have been reading articles about the lack of new drugs in the drug development pipeline – especially blockbuster drugs …

The April 13 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine includes an important article on how comparative effectiveness research can pay for itself.  In it, the authors describe two procedures to treat osteoporotic vertebral fractures (compression fractures caused by osteoporosis): one in which cement is injected into the vertebral body to support the fractured bone; and one in which …

Lately I’ve noticed a resurgence of the term “population health” in the health policy literature. It seems to me that the term is being used differently today than in the past, and I wonder how that might affect our ability to actually affect and improve population health. Like many who read this blog, I was trained in a school of …

In the April issue of the journal Health Affairs, my colleagues and I descibe the success of a broad collaborative effort that has been in place in Michigan to improve quality of health care. The focus of the April Health Affairs is what has happened since the seminal work by the Institute of Medicine – Crossing the Quality Chasm – was published. The Quality …

I met a young man last week who lost his job in December of 2009, and despite his best efforts, still hasn’t found another. He told me he had excellent health benefits through his previous employer, but rarely needed to use them. He described himself as a typical young and healthy patient – going in for routine cleanings at the dentist’s …

In November 2010 we released an issue brief on the cost of prematurity in Michigan. In that issue brief we noted that in 2008/2009, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Michigan spent a total of more than $46 million on preterm infants in the first year of life. The average cost of medical care for a preterm baby in its …

Well, the polling data are in! And, the results: people are just as confused about health reform today as they were when it passed a year ago; maybe, more so. In fact, 22 percent of those polled by the Kaiser Family Foundation believe health care reform has already been repealed and another 26 percent aren’t sure. How could it be …