Today's opinions and editorials

Getting The Bugs Out Of Health Reform Kaiser Health News
But when it comes to making medical care not only cheaper but also better, reducing hospital infections is among the easiest changes to make--something reform really should be able to do, even in this political universe of such limited possibility (Jonathan Cohn, 11/23).

Conservatives To The Rescue The Washington Post
Maybe [Sen. Jon] Kyl is right, and I should be able to have as many prostate exams as I want while paying 12 cents on the dollar? (Kevin Huffman, 11/23).

House Health Bill Would Hit Michigan With $500M Medicaid Hike The Detroit News
Michigan couldn't afford that kind of an added budget line item — now or then — and Congress shouldn't mandate it (11/23).

Necessary Health Overhaul Moves Step Closer To Success USA Today
As the action moves to the floor after Thanksgiving, this plan will be called "big government" and worse. If its cost control elements turn out to be credible, however, it is a reasonably good start down the road of fixing a broken health care system (11/23).

The End Of HSAs The Wall Street Journal
Democrats say flex accounts encourage wasteful spending, because an arbitrary "use it or lose it" rule doesn't allow balances to roll over year to year. But they really hate them because they give consumers a more active role in managing spending, instead of having the government decide (11/23).

Medical Home Concept May Lead To Better Health Care Fort Worth Business Press
A medical home integrates all elements of the health care system. … As a result, patients receive a far more logical flow of care than is available in today's expensive, fragmented, specialty approach (Dr. Scott Ranson, 11/23).

It's Time To Take Up Kennedy's Mantle Politico
Now is the time to pass health care reform and fulfill what [Sen. Ted Kennedy] called "the cause of his life" for all Americans (Sen. Paul Kirk, 11/23).

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This article was reprinted from khn.org with permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent news service, is a program of the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonpartisan health care policy research organization unaffiliated with Kaiser Permanente.