Viewpoints: Michelle Nunn's confusing stance on health law; seeking to assess Wis. wxperiment

May 22 2014

The New Republic: It's Time For Michelle Nunn to Stop Running From Obamacare
In Georgia, where the Republican Senate primary takes place today, the early campaign season has been spent with the candidates vying to out-conservative each other. One Senate candidate ran an ad declaring that "no one in Congress should get a subsidy to pay for their own health care," thus resurrecting the long-discredited canard that Capitol Hill has carved out a special deal for itself with an exemption from Obamacare. Actually, that ad was not run by one of the many Republicans on the ballot in Georgia. It was run by Michelle Nunn, the Democrat who is waiting to face the winner of the GOP primary. ... now that things are looking brighter for the law, Nunn is still treating it as if it's some sort of toxic goop (Alec MacGillis, 5/20).

Tampa Bay Times: If Gov. Scott Is Can-Do Guy, Why Doesn't Florida Have Medicaid Expansion?
Once upon a time, Gov. Rick Scott called a news conference to say Medicaid expansion, at least in the short term, was just common sense. He declared he could not "in good conscience'' deny access to health care to our "poorest and weakest." That was 455 days ago. Since then, Scott has barely spoken about Medicaid expansion. He has been content to allow House Speaker Will Weatherford be portrayed as the villain while the governor pretends money and lives aren't at stake. This hologram-like leadership would be humorous if it wasn't so dangerous (John Romano, 5/19). 

Wisconsin State Journal: Key Medicaid Number Still To Come
The math, for now, works like this: 81,731 adults added to BadgerCare minus 62,776 adults dropped from the program equals a net gain of nearly 19,000 people. ... But the most telling number is still to come. How many of those adults who lost BadgerCare because they earn more than poverty wages have successfully transitioned to Obamacare? ... Gov. Scott Walker rejected the dollars, citing concern the federal government might renege on its pledge to continue funding most of the cost into the future. Instead, Walker guaranteed BadgerCare for all adults at or below poverty, some of whom had been shut out. At the same time, he pledged to transition those just above the poverty line from BadgerCare to Obamacare. Turning down the federal money was riskier for Wisconsin than taking it would have been (5/21).

The Washington Post's Right Turn: Mike Pence Talks To Right Turn
It is a disagreeable aspect of modern presidential politics: Politicians who have no business running are convinced they should run while those actually qualified seem overwhelmed at the prospect. The latter may betray a sign of normalcy, but if they don't run we wind up with too few accomplished and mature candidates and too many blowhards with little experience or knowledge. It's this phenomenon -; and the experience of the Obama presidency -; that is leading Republicans to consider governors for their 2016 nominee. Recently, attention is turning to Indiana Gov. Mike Pence (Jennifer Rubin, 5/20).

Vox: Solving The Mystery Of Health-Care Prices Could Save $100 Billion
One new policy paper from West Health suggests that increasing price transparency could reduce health care spending by $100 billion over the next decade. But whether these efforts can work is still really uncertain -; and something that policy experts and businesses alike are still trying to understand (Adrianna McIntyre, 5/21).

Journal of the American Medical Association: Problems With The Medicalization Of Marijuana
Projections of substantial revenue rather than evidence-based medicine may explain the eagerness of many states to legalize medical marijuana. Physicians have been invited to participate in the development of medical marijuana programs late in the process. ... if marijuana is to be used for medical purposes, it should be subjected to the same evidence-based review and regulatory oversight as other medications prescribed by physicians. Potentially therapeutic compounds of marijuana should be purified and tested in randomized, double-blind, placebo- and active-controlled clinical trials. ... Otherwise, states are essentially legalizing recreational marijuana but forcing physicians to act as gatekeepers for those who wish to obtain it (Samuel T. Wilkinson and Deepak Cyril D'Souza, 5/20).

Journal of the American Medical Association: Physicians, Medical Ethics, And Execution By Lethal Injection
Execution is, intrinsically, the involuntary taking of the life of another human being, an act that can never be aligned with the goals of medicine. ... Of course, some physicians may choose to engage in these executions under the veil of secrecy and anonymity, but their actions and the state laws that grant these privileges are inconsistent with the principles of medical professionalism and medical ethics. If capital punishment is warranted-;and it is important to acknowledge the arguments that favor this view-;then it should be done without the involvement of medical professionals (Robert D. Truog, I. Glenn Cohen and Mark A. Rockoff, 5/19).