Health legislation 2007-2008: What's Possible?
By madmax2crazy
@madmax2crazy (1569)
United States
December 16, 2006 11:33pm CST
Suddenly, Capitol Hill is talking about health issues again. Incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi promises that Democrats will roll back the prohibition against the federal government negotiating drug prices on behalf of Medicare beneficiaries. (A Kaiser Family Foundation poll released today found broad bipartisan support for this idea.) Incoming Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says one of his three top priorities will be more funding for stem cell research. Others want to revisit the importation of prescription drugs from Canada. Additionally, the 110th Congress will consider whether to continue the State Children’s Health Insurance Program in its present form.
The election results, and the launch of the 2008 presidential season, mean a wealth of story ideas for reporters in all media. For instance: Who will be the key players in health care on the Hill for the next two years? Given the election outcome, will we see a dramatic new emphasis on health issues, such as a federal mandate that everyone in the U.S. must have health coverage (a la Massachusetts)? Or should we expect more modest steps toward reform? What’s in store for prescription drug reimportation and stem cell research? What about efforts to help small businesses provide health coverage to their employees? How important will health issues be in the 2008 presidential race?
2 responses
@madmax2crazy (1569)
• United States
18 Dec 06
hopefully the budget and healthcare will be the two main issues covered by presidential candidates
@Idlewild (6090)
• United States
11 Feb 07
msq, the problem is that health care spending is rising so quickly that it will blow the budget if it's not reined in. Health care makes up a larger percentage of federal spending every year.
We might finally see some progress. The situation is getting so serious that you're seeing Wal-Mart and and major unions sitting down to talk about it. And when the heads of the three major U.S. car makers met with Bush earlier this year health care was one of the main topics they talked about--company-paid health care is adding to the cost of cars, making them more expensive than foreign competitors.
1 person likes this
@Lydia1901 (16351)
• United States
18 Dec 06
Yep, it'll be a new issue to talk about in the coming year.
@madmax2crazy (1569)
• United States
8 Feb 07
especially small businesses providing health coverage to their employees, that's the part I'm interested in most as I cannot afford health coverage
