League of Women Voters of Washington County, AR

Health Care Reform Resources

Prepared in connection with program held in January 2010

 

Proposed Legislation

President's Proposal, February 22, 2010,

H.R. 3590 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. This bill is the vehicle for the version of health care reform that passed in the Senate on December 24, 2009. Text is here (select #6). See also links under "Summaries and Comparisons of Proposed Bills" below.

H.R. 3962 Affordable Health Care for America Act. This is the version of health care reform passed by the House. Text of bill (select #2).

S. 1796 America's Healthy Future Act of 2009. The Senate Committee on Finance reported this bill to the Senate on October 19, 2009. Text of bill.

Summaries and Comparisons of Proposed Bills

President's Proposal, Feb. 22: White House Summary -- White House Blog Walk Through.

Comparing the House and Senate Health Care Proposals (New York Times, updated December 23, 2009). This is an interactive comparision of the bills before Congress.

Health-Care Reform: How the Bills Stack Up (Washington Post, updated December 24). Compares cost, coverage, and key positions of the bills.

Side-by-Side Comparison of Major Health Care Reform Proposals Share (Kaiser Family Foundation, updated February 24, 2010)

Reports and Analysis

Health Care Forum Video (Leflar, U. of Arkansas School of Law, October 10, 2009). Video of presentation on Health Care Reform by Professor Robert B. Leflar.

COMMENTARY Health Reform: Arkansas Impacts (Leflar, Northwest Arkansas Times, Monday, March 1, 2010). PDF. This is the fourth guest column on the health care debate by U. of Arkansas professor Robert B. Leflar.

GUEST COMMENTARY: Health Care: Yellow Lights, Red Flags (Leflar, Northwest Arkansas Times, Monday, November 16, 2009). This is the first of three guest columns on the health care debate by U. of Arkansas professor Robert B. Leflar.

GUEST COMMENTARY Health Bills: What's At The Core (Leflar, Northwest Arkansas Times, Monday, November 30, 2009). PDF. This is the second of three guest columns on the health care debate by U. of Arkansas professor Robert B. Leflar.

GUEST COMMENTARY: Medical Malpractice Reform? (Leflar, Northwest Arkansas Times, Monday, December 14, 2009). This is the third of three guest columns on the health care debate by U. of Arkansas professor Robert B. Leflar.

Among Doctors, Many Opinions on Health Care Reform (PBS NewsHour, Oct. 5, 2009). Interview with Drs. Hershey Garner and Donald Palmisano shortly after Dr. Garner's visit to the White House with Doctors for America. Transcript with link to streaming video.

Video: Health Care Reform Bubble. Cartoon illustration of the health care debate.

Health Care Reform 2009: Tracking the National Health-Care Debate (Washington Post). Provides news and analysis on the national health care debate.

Times Topic: Health Care Reform (New York Times). Provides overview, news, and analysis on national health care reform

Prescriptions: Making Sense of the Health Care Debate (New York Times). A blog by the New York Times on "what changes in the health care system might mean for Americans."

The Treatment: Your Must-Read Guide to Health Care Reform (The New Republic). A blog by Jonathan Cohn.

Turning Two Health Care Bills into One: Transcript -- Audio (Fresh Air, January 12, 2010). Interview with Jonathan Cohn.

League of Women Voters of the United States Action Page on Health Care Reform

Health Reform Reports (US HHS SAMHSA). Includes links to these and other non-government reports: "Blue Cross Blue Shield Association Weighs In On Effects of Health Care Reform Legislation," "Why Rural America Needs Health Care Reform," and "Immigrants and Health Care Reform: What's Really At Stake?"

Ensuring that Health Care Reform Will Meet the Health Care Needs of Minority Communities and Eliminate Health Disparities: A Statement of Principles and Recommendations submitted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Advisory Committee on Minority Health (ACMH) (US HHS, July 2009)

Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports on Health Care Reform. These reports are prepared at the request of members of Congress. Selected reports are:

Health Care Reform: A Introduction (August 31, 2009)

Health Reform and the 111th Congress (October 14, 2009)

A Comparative Analysis of Private Health Insurance Provisions of H.R. 3962 and S.Amdt. 2786 to H.R. 3590 (December 16, 2009)

Employment-Based Health Coverage and Health Reform: Selected Legal Considerations (June 12, 2009)

Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Provisions in Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962) (November 10, 2009)

Medicare Program Changes in H.R. 3962, Affordable Health Care for America Act (November 09, 2009)

Noncitizen Eligibility and Verification Issues in the Health Care Reform Legislation (November 02, 2009)

A Comparative Analysis of Private Health Insurance Provisions of H.R. 3962 and S.Amdt. 2786 to H.R. 3590 (December 16, 2009)

Private Health Insurance Provisions of S. 1796, America's Healthy Future Act of 2009 (November 16, 2009)

The U.S. Mental Health Delivery System Infrastructure: A Primer (April 21, 2009)

State Health Reform Strategies (April 14, 2009)

Medicare Primer (March 10, 2009)

Setting and Valuing Health Insurance Benefits (April 06, 2009)

Congressional Budget Office Reports on Health Care and Health Care Reform

HealthReform.gov. An "official U.S. Government Web site managed by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services" which provides news, forums, and reports on health care reform. Reports available through this site include:

The Case for Change. For each state, provides a report on the current status of health care and the benefits of reform.

2008 National Healthcare: Quality & Disparities Reports (US HHS AHRQ)

White House Reports on Health Care Reform

Health Care Reform (White House). Describes the President's plan for health insurance reform.

The Cost Conundrum: What a Texas Town Can Teach Us About Health Care (Gawande, New Yorker, June 1, 2009)

Health Reform (Kaiser Family Foundation)

State Variation and Health Reform (Kaiser Family Foundation)

StateHealthFacts.org: Health Reform (Kaiser Family Foundation)

Health Reform (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation)

Health Reform Resources (Commonwealth Fund)

Analysis of the Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962) (Rand Corporation, Jan. 2010)

Arkansas

Health reform: Side-by-SideAnalysis of Senate and House Bills (UPDATED 1/12/10) (Arkansas Advocates for Children & Families)

Health Insurance Reform and Arkansas: The Case for Change (HealthReform.gov)

Arkansas: Health Care Quality Compared to All States (US HHS AHRQ)

Health Reform Fact Sheet: Arkansas & the U.S. (StateHealthFacts.org, Kaiser Family Foundation)

County Health Rankings--Arkansas (Mobilizing Action Toward Community Health (MATCH) project, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and U. WI Population Health Institute)

Sen. Blanche Lincoln's Health Care Resources Page

Sen. Blanche Lincoln's Issue Page on Health Care

Sen. Mark Pryor's Issue Page on Health Care

Rep. Marion Berry's Issue Page on Health Care

Rep. John Boozman's Issue Page on Health Care

Rep. Mike Ross's Issue Page on Health Care

Rep. Vic Snyder's Issue Page on Health Care

Background

Speech by TR Reid on his book The Healing of America. Select "chapters" on the basic models of health care, systems in other countries based on those models, or the combination of models in the United States.

An Interactive History of Health Care Reform: Nearly 100 Years of Legislative Milestones and Defeats (New York Times, July 19, 2009)

Process of Health Care Reform Legislation (Kaiser Family Foundation)

Healthcare Reform (Wikipedia). Describes health care systems in various countries.

Health Care Reform in the United States (Wikipedia)