Cost and Compassion

In his New York Times column, economist Paul Krugman finally discusses some of the things that drive the high costs and low health outcomes of our current health care system: Many health care experts believe that one main reason we spend far more on health than any...

$6,500 Health Care Stealth Tax

As part of the New York Times’ Economic Scene series, David Leonhardt exposes the hidden tax in our current health care system: The United States now devotes one-sixth of its economy to medicine. Divvy that up, and health care will cost the typical household...

Health Care Costs: Read Atul Gawande

In his blog post on Blue Oregon, Steve Novick joins President Obama and former Oregon governor John Kitzhaber in declaring that we can’t do health reform without addressing the cost of care. Here’s how he begins: As the health care battle rages on, I...

Massachusetts Panel Backs Radical Shift in Health Payments

From today’s New York Times: A high-level state commission recommended Thursday that Massachusetts seek to rein in health care costs by radically restructuring the way doctors and hospitals are paid. The commission’s action kicks off the second phase of a...

Trillion Dollar Mind Game

I’ve been frustrated for some time by the “$1 trillion over 10 years” price tag that has been placed on federal health reform legislation. First, because it was an arbitrary number that entered the debate, and second, that it has been touted as a...