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Mayo Clinic Blasts House Democratic Health Care Bill

By Philip Klein on 7.20.09 @ 3:28PM

The Mayo Clinic, which President Obama has touted as a model for the rest of the health care system, has delivered a blistering critique of the House Democratic health care bill:

Although there are some positive provisions in the current House Tri-Committee bill – including insurance for all and payment reform demonstration projects – the proposed legislation misses the opportunity to help create higher-quality, more affordable health care for patients. In fact, it will do the opposite.

In general, the proposals under discussion are not patient focused or results oriented. Lawmakers have failed to use a fundamental lever – a change in Medicare payment policy – to help drive necessary improvements in American health care. Unless legislators create payment systems that pay for good patient results at reasonable costs, the promise of transformation in American health care will wither. The real losers will be the citizens of the United States.

Mary Katherine Ham has a good roundup of Obama's past statements praising the Mayo Clinic.

View all comments (6) | Leave a comment

Tim| 7.20.09 @ 3:42PM

How long till the Mayo Clinic gets pushed down the stairs?

JJC| 7.20.09 @ 4:02PM

Like gravity, the laws of economics are not going away. Those laws will eventually hold sway.

Sorry about that folks. Supply, demand, scarcity, etc... They are going to impact what ever we do.

Everything is rationed, it is simply a matter of how. Money? Time? Availability?

Each has its own drawback.

My feeling is that we would be much better targeting a solution to the specific problem rather than messing up what does work for the 270,000,000 of us who do have adequate insurance.

JJC.

Bob| 7.20.09 @ 4:22PM

The Mayo Clinic couldn't be more correct. Republicans should rally behind the Mayo concepts instead of sticking to the ideology of tax cuts. Furthermore, Judd Gregg has some reasonable fiscally conservative ideas in his plan.

But again, Republicans want to make a point about tax cuts, not health care.

JJC -- the problem is that health care accounts for 16% of GDP and it is growing. We cannot be competitive in many industries with that kind of expense. Furthermore, consumption accounts for close to 70% of our GDP -- and greater health care expenses takes away from consumption and thus hurts our economy.

However, you are right about rationing.

Bill| 7.20.09 @ 5:10PM

Off topic, but it appears that Manuel Zelaya had rigged the voting machines for the Honduran plebesite. Details and more links at Slashdot.org -
http://news.slashdot.org/story/09/07/19/1646201/Computerized-Election-Results-With-No-Election?art_pos=5

jr| 7.20.09 @ 5:34PM

Mayo -- thou shalt not raise doubts. Hereandtowith you shall be on the list -- first to become a puppet of the ONE, the Messiah, my way or no way, transparent, and furthermore, changed. Your Board will be confiscated and replace with an Obama Board and a Czar. Next in line and be quick!