   | Dr. Mike Magee's BLOG | Recent Health Commentary Postings | |
| | | November 20, 2008 | Public Health | | Testing is essential | By Mike Magee, MD  Think we have the upper hand on HIV in the U.S.? Think again. The Forum for Collaborative HIV Research will be convening leaders in the field this month to get the word out. In their words, here are the facts: | | |
Guest Blog | Brian Klepper
 November 20, 2008 | Health Care Reform | | The Nation's Most Influential Business Leaders Have Developed Consensus Priorities for America's Future |  This past Monday and Tuesday, The Wall Street Journal convened an extraordinary conference of about 100 CEOs to develop and recommend issue priorities for the new Administration. (See the participant list here.) This meeting brought together the nation's industry power players. Several Senators and Congressional representatives participated, as well as Rahm Emanuel, the President-elect's new Chief of Staff, and others who advise Mr. Obama. | | |
| | November 18, 2008 | Health Care Reform | | Feedback from a reader about Barack Obama | By Mike Magee, MD My post last week on election of President-elect Obama, positive leadership, and our future drew a large number of responses to the site, pro and con. I share with permission one comment from Susan Karim of Braintree, Massachusetts, with her personal wish for openness as we confront significant challenges in our immediate future. | | |
| Story of the Week | November 17, 2008 | | By Mike Magee, MD Recently, issues of elder abuse have resurfaced in both home and institutional settings. As Stephanie Lederman, executive director of the American Federation for Aging Research notes, “A large segment of our population is both dependent and frail. Studies on elder abuse now alert us that seniors are also vulnerable and in need of help.” | | |
Guest Blog | Brian Klepper
November 17, 2008 | Health Care Reform | | Renewed energy and enthusiasm are not enough for health care reform. We need a paradigm shift. | These are, as the Chinese curse reputedly called them, interesting times.
If the burst of new Democratic health care reform proposals is any indication, the fresh breeze of the Obama campaign's "Yes We Can" optimism is blowing across the nation. Mr. Obama’s team is expected to make health care one of its priorities. First out, though, was Senate Finance Committee Chair Baucus (D-MT), who introduced an aggressive health care reform package that builds on Mr. Obama’s campaign platform of cost controls and extended coverage. Senator Kennedy (D-MA) and Representatives Dingell (D-MI) and Stark (D-CA) are expected to offer proposals soon, and undoubtedly there will be others.
The rub is that Congress’ old-guard lobbying system remains in place. Congress is awash in special interest contributions - $2.8 billion from 15,500 lobbyists in 2007 - that exchange money for influence over policy. When the Democrats retook Congress two years ago, they did not substantively change the lobbying rules.
So it is reasonable to ask whether a new day of governance in the common interest is possible. Can we make progress on health care or on any significant problem - climate change, education, energy policy, finance, the social safety net - without addressing the underlying problem of Congress’ receptiveness to special interest influence?
As the new health care proposals unfold, it is worth remembering
that, early in the Clintons’ health care reform effort, things looked
promising. There was general approval in the business and health care
sectors. True, when industry practitioner input wasn’t welcomed, the
process began to go south. But the real trouble came when the draft
product appeared and some segments believed it threatened their
interests. Health care and small business interests acted decisively
against the plan, while the large business sector was indifferent. The
public relations machine of the opposition demonized and killed the
plan. | | |
| Story of the Week | November 11, 2008 | | Creating tobacco free campuses | By Mike Magee, MD In health care, it can sometimes feel like we’re just spinning our wheels -- examples of progress appear few and far between and getting ahead of the disease curve seems just out of reach. But when a ray of hope comes shooting through the clouds, it’s often because good science has met with good policy. Smoking bans in the workplace are a good example – they now exist in many U.S. states. And the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is now taking us one step further, toward a concept it calls the "Tobacco Free Campus” or TFC Initiative. | | |
| | November 05, 2008 | Health Care Reform | | Good reason to hope | By Mike Magee, MD  Yesterday, a former colleague and fellow child of the 60's asked me to participate on a HHS consensus group exploring caregiving. I responded, "For many of us who were involved in the 60's, and saw our worst fears realized in the loss of our great leaders, the war and the terrible divisions, there has been a quiet hope that in our lifetime there would come a similar call to service. We of course are older now but just as passionate, and a bit more experienced. Both fear and indifference have been a problem over the past 8 years. Today's results will define America's readiness for change. I am ready to help in any way I can."
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Guest Blog | Mark J. Lema, MD
November 03, 2008 | Health Care Reform | | Armageddon or brave new world? |  With the economy in a tailspin and the federal government experiencing a record national debt (about $47,000 owed for every American), Draconian changes in healthcare are on the horizon. The twenty-two months of political campaigning and advertizing have really not given us much insight as to how the presidential candidates will actually implement their “chicken in every pot” healthcare reform rhetoric. Indeed, most health care leaders know that post-election policies are seldom in synchrony with pre-presidential campaign promises. | | |
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|  I think we should have health care paid for by the government for everyone. It doesn't have to be elaborate, but a socialized medical system like Canada has."  Hard for the insured, too  Keep health care private!  Work to stay healthy  Testing is important  Please keep it affordable  Everybody deserves a chance  | Dr. Tom Linden's Health Blog | | |  Without the Wilderness, There Can Be No Wilderness Medicine Don't go to the Hospital Without these Ten Safety Tips Ain’t Nobody’s Fault But Mine Can Health Plans Explain Why They Aren't Re-Empowering Primary Care? Post-Election Healthcare Reform Yearning for Universal Coverage Is Not Universal Is America's Health Care System Failing? Probiotics: Hope or Hype? |
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