blog

Obesity – Worse than Cancer?
In an interview with CBS News last weekend, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius called obesity data “alarming.”  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one-third of American adults are overweight, and another third are obese.  Sebelius says the epidemic...
Oct 28, 2009
If We Were Healthier, We’d Be Wealthier
As the Senate and House consider what to include in a final health reform package, now is a good time to revisit the issue of how current proposals address the high and growing cost of health care. I had the opportunity to comment on this issue twice in the past week: In a Denver Post piece...
Oct 22, 2009
Care Coordination is Clutch in Health Reform
In a recent Health Affairs blog post, Lydia Ogden, Chief of Staff and Administrator of Emory University’s Institute for Advanced Policy Solutions and Center for Entitlement Reform, and I provide a detailed explanation of how care coordination in traditional fee-for-service Medicare—specifically...
Oct 09, 2009
Health Care Reform To Do List
Over the past week and a half I have had the opportunity to discuss health care reform and share my thoughts on what I consider top priorities on a number of news programs (see CNN, Fox Business and Fox and Friends). Just as we make a list of errands to do at home to prepare for fall and winter,...
Oct 07, 2009
Say "Yes" to Health Reform
Today, we launched “Say ‘Yes’ to Health Reform” – a Web-based video campaign featuring testimonials of Americans from across the country who are supporting health reform that helps to combat our problems with chronic illness and help improve prevention, wellness and disease management.   I had...
Oct 02, 2009
"A la carte" approach to prevention and care coordination
At the PFCD’s third quarterly advisory board meeting, which was held earlier this week, we discussed the prevention, disease management and care coordination provisions in the current bills (Senate HELP, Senate Finance and House Tri-Committee).   One point I’d like to share from that discussion...
Sep 25, 2009
Thoughts on Senate Finance bill
Yesterday, Chairman Max Baucus unveiled the highly anticipated Senate Finance Committee health care reform proposal, “America’s Healthy Future Act of 2009.” While some groups have voiced disapproval, many believe that it was worth the wait.  Personally, I believe the release of Baucus’s Mark...
Sep 17, 2009
Weight of Our Nation: Comments on NYT Op-ed on Obesity
In last week’s New York Times, Michael Pollan, author of “In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto,” wrote an op-ed on our nation’s obesity epidemic, a subject that I addressed last week in a joint Newsweek op-ed with Christine Ferguson, head of the STOP Obesity Alliance. Pollan talks about the...
Sep 15, 2009
Closer look at Senate Finance framework
President Obama made many important points in his speech last night, not the least of which was the need to deliver higher quality health care for better value. Looking at the Senate Finance Committee framework released earlier this week, there’s a lot in here that will help to improve quality and...
Sep 12, 2009
The Next 100 Days
Earlier today, I participated in press briefing - "The Next 100 Days: Some Final Hurdles in Health Reform"– held at the National Press Club. C-SPAN video of the event can be accessed here. At the briefing, I enjoyed hearing from my fellow panelists – Gail Wilensky, Dallas Salisbury and Riza...
Sep 04, 2009

Pages