Today's OpEds: Mass. health reform and small business; Mccain's ideas not in Obama plan; Wellpoint's impact on law

May 13 2010

Health Care Fails Small Businesses The Boston Globe
The Commonwealth's 2006 health care reform was supposed to help address rising health insurance costs for small businesses. It hasn't — and small businesses are paying the price (Jim Stergios and Amy Lischko, 5/12).

Obamacare Not Like McCain's Plan Politico
But after a bitter partisan battle, it's ironic that its first element — setting up high-risk insurance pools — is touted as a major example of bipartisanship. These are based, the argument goes, on Sen. John McCain's campaign proposal, the guaranteed access plan. Not so fast. Obamacare high-risk pools are a far cry from McCain's GAP (Douglas Holtz-Eakin, 5/11).

Feds Offer A Better GAMC Solution Minneapolis Star Tribune
It's always hard to admit that carefully crafted plans aren't working as intended. That bit of human nature may explain Gov. Tim Pawlenty's unwillingness to recognize that the March changes he engineered in a health care program for about 35,000 of the state's poorest adults won't serve any of them very well, and likely won't serve some of them at all (5/11).

Obama vs. WellPoint  Slate
No corporation can claim a more vital role in passing and starting to implement the health care reform law than WellPoint, which has a larger customer base (34 million) than any other health insurer in the United States. This is not to say that WellPoint supported health reform; quite the opposite (Timothy Noah, 5/10).

One Million Votes Against Obamacare The Washington Times
This voice needs to be heard. By fining people who fail to purchase a health insurance coverage package deemed acceptable to federal authorities, Obamacare oversteps the limits on federal powers set by the Constitution. It is a testament to the health of our democracy that so many states are fighting back -- even more so now that the public will have the chance to take part in the effort (5/12).

Health Care Costs Will Continue To Go Up The New Haven Register/Torrington (Conn.) Register Citizen
It is impossible to expand health care coverage to 34 million people without spending more money. A month after the president signed the law in March, a study by the chief actuary for Medicare and Medicaid confirms this (5/12).

Give Soldiers Access They Need To Mental Health Services MyCentralJersey.com
Those Ready Reserve soldiers do not have access to the same mental health and suicide-prevention services as their counterparts, a deficiency that came to light after the 2008 suicide of a 25-year-old sergeant from East Brunswick, Coleman S. Bean (5/12).