Today's Opinions: Coloradans' insurance concerns, contraception and New York's Medicaid burden

Sep 23 2010

Health Reform Helps Coloradans The Denver Post
For years, Coloradans have lived with uncertainty about their health insurance: lifetime caps, recisions, coverage for life-saving screenings. New provisions that begin Thursday, the six-month anniversary of the signing of the Affordable Care Act, address some of the biggest concerns consumers had about the failing health system (Dede de Percin, 9/22).

Obamacare Will Significantly Reduce Choice Of Health Plan The Hill
Senator Max Baucus recently admitted that he never read the Obamacare legislation. But that hasn't stopped him from trying to re-write it after the fact, asserting that Congress intended to give people even less choice of private health plans than described in the bill! (John Graham, 9/21).

Bishops Make A Preventive Strike The Philadelphia Daily News
What is astonishing is that, in 2010, there is any question that contraception qualifies as a preventive health service. But a decision on whether to include it in the health-care-reform guidelines - which, evident from the initial debates, was the intent of Congress when it passed health-care reform - has been put off for months (9/22).

Healthcare Reform Should Be Here To Stay The Miami Herald
[T]weaking the law and trying to get rid of it altogether, as a lawsuit filed by Florida's attorney general and others aims to do, are two different things. The law is an investment in the health and future of the American people. It can be improved, but it should become a permanent feature of American society (9/22).

Benefits And Burdens Of Medicaid The New York Times
The vital importance and the staggering cost of Medicaid have become painfully clear over the last two years. Millions of out-of-work Americans have turned to Medicaid to help pay their medical bills (9/21).

Don't Cut Nursing Home Assistance The San Antonio (Texas) Express
Some members of Congress want to cut the cost of Medicaid by making it more difficult to obtain nursing home care for economically struggling Alzheimer's patients. I believe this is meant to be a slow but sure death of Medicaid help for the elderly (Fred Sinclair, 9/22).

Role of State Attorneys General in Health Policy The Journal of the American Medical Association
[T]he lawsuit appears to be crafted to fuel national controversy and ultimately overturn legislation that will provide millions of uninsured individuals with health care coverage. For many, it is difficult to reconcile this with the knowledge that the Florida and Virginia lawsuits were initiated by elected officials charged with protecting the public interest (Lainie Rutkow and Stephen Teret, 9/22).