WATCH NOW:  Senator Baucus thanks Doctors for America for their support of health care reform today.  Look carefully, familiar faces at the beginning of the footage.

 

The Washington Post’s comparison of the Senate and House Health Care Reform bills:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/nation/health/compare-health-plans-2009/?hpid=topnews

 

Check out NPR’s story about a big reform for health insurance — eliminating payment denials based on “pre-existing” conditions.  A fresh take by talking to the real people who determine “Pre-Existing Conditions:”

Health Overhaul May Cure Pre-Existing Conditions

Alex Blumberg and Chana Joffe-Walt

December 18, 2009 

One part of the health care overhaul bill does seem to have broad support. It would change the individual insurance market — that’s where people buy insurance on their own, rather than through an employer. Under the measure, insurance companies would not be allowed to deny you coverage based on pre-existing medical conditions. 
Listen to the NPR audio here:
 

Many have been following the question of the “doc fix” — Wall Street Journal has an update:

Medicare Payments to Docs: Here Comes the Two-Month Patch
By Jacob Goldstein

All year, Congress has been trying to figure out what to do about the 21% cut in Medicare payments to doctors that’s set to take effect on Jan. 1, 2010. The latest legislative maneuver would block the cut — but only for two months.

That short-term patch is tucked inside a big defense spending bill the House passed today.

MORE:

http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2009/12/16/medicare-payments-to-docs-here-comes-the-two-month-patch/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+wsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed+%28WSJ.com%3A+Health+Blog%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher

 

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Dr. Nancy Snyderman talks with ER specialist Dr. Mark Morocco of UCLA Medical Center. He makes the case for health reform and talks about the ways Emergency Rooms should be used… take a look.

 

Check out the video of doctors in their own words about why they support reform (from 12/11/2009)

 

Wanted to quickly share the perspective of a longtime physician and policy analyst, Dr. Philip Caper of Maine. This piece offers insight about how the practice of Medicine has changed over the last generation, and offers prescriptive thoughts on ways to renew the doctor-patient relationship.

Check it out here: http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/12/02-8