The "Kennedy Effect" on Healthcare Reform

As flags fly half-staff on Capitol Hill, the frenetic media coverage around the Lion of the Senate is focusing on his muliple crusades for better U.S. Health care. Despite your views, Ted Kennedy was a good for healthcare and politics which have morphed into one. When he took ill, several friends of mine in the Oncology field were contacted by his personal physician who served as command central, triaging the best options in our complicated system. Brain cancer found a formidable competitor in the Lion.

There is Kennedy irony in that he died of cancer. On December 23, 1971 (my birthday) a modified bill he sponsored providing over $1B dollars to the National Cancer Institute was enacted-- it was larger than what Nixon proposed. Also ironically during this period he turned downed Nixons offer for Universal Healthcare. And like today War consumed the political agenda which made getting healthcare done impossible.

In the end, the Senator got the best care and knew it. More importantly he wanted every American to receive the same treatment as an old famous U.S. senator could. On June 2009, Kennedy offered us his final work of health care art "The Affordable Health Choices Act" where despite alterations from both parties is expected so is a signed bill. Finally.

-Meg

For more on his timeline of achievements (and great healthcare history) visit: kaiserhealthnews.org. Also take the Kennedy Quiz on Healthcare below

http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Daily-Reports/2009/August/27/3khnstory.aspx

Reconsidering the Scope and Timing of Reform

The latest on health care reform from John K. Iglehart, national correspondent for the New England Journal of Medicine

http://healthcarereform.nejm.org/?p=1635&query=TOC

Urbanization- An Emerging Humanitarian Disaster

In 2008, the proportion of the world's population living in urban areas crossed the 50% mark. The current rates of urbanization suggest that in China, 870 million people — more than half the population — will be living in cities within less than a decade, and the capital of Botswana, Gaborone, will grow from 186,000 to 500,000 inhabitants by 2020.1 Most observers believe that essentially all population growth from now on will be in cities: the urban population is projected to grow to 4.9 billion by 2030, increasing by 1.6 billion while the rural population shrinks by 28 million.1
This transition is happening chaotically, resulting in a disorganized urban landscape. Although many expect urbanization to mean an improved quality of life, this rising tide does not lift all boats, and many poor people are rapidly being absorbed into urban slums. Urbanization, in fact, is a health hazard for certain vulnerable populations, and this demographic shift threatens to create a humanitarian disaster. The threat comes both in the form of rising rates of endemic disease and a greater potential for epidemics and even pandemics. To protect global health, governments and international agencies need to make commensurate shifts in planning and programs, basing all changes on solid epidemiologic and operational research.

Global health: Urbanization—An emerging humanitarian disaster, The New England Journal of Medicine, August 20, 2009. (Free full text)

Imagine if the U.S. decreased healthcare spend to 12% of GDP?

http://www.milliman.com/expertise/healthcare/publications/rr/pdfs/imagining-16-12-RR02-01-09.pdf

China outlines plans on healthcare reform 2009

Xinhua General News Service
July 23, 2009 Thursday 1:17 AM EST
China outlines plans on health care reform in 2009

BEIJING July 23

China's State Council Thursday issued a medical reform plan of 2009, as its first year's move of the three-year health care reform.
The plan called for acceleration in building basic medical insurance system and essential drug system, and promotion on primary health care facilities and pilot reform of state-run hospitals.
According to the plan, about one hundred state-run hospitals chosen from 12 cities will be designated as the pilot hospitals for the reform.
It also includes the access of nearly six million retirees from bankrupt stated-owned enterprises to the basic health insurance.
Moreover, the number of employees and citizens in urban areas joining basic health insurance is to reach 390 million by the end of this year, an increase of 72 million from a year earlier.
The standard of building primary health care facilities will be released this year, with 986 county hospitals, 3,549 town hospitals and 1,154 community medical service center to be established.
The nation unveiled a three-year plan on health care reform on April 7 this year. With 850 billion yuan (124 billion U.S. dollars) investment, the plan is considered to lay a solid foundation for equitable and universal access to essential health care for all in China by 2020.
July 24, 2009