Editorials, Opinion Pieces Address Democratic Agenda
- Thursday, January 11, 2007, 13:41
- Medicare, Pediatrics, Pharma Industry, Stem Cell Research
- 6 views
- Add a comment
Newspapers recently published editorials and opinion pieces on health care issues included in the Democratic agenda for the 110th Congress. Summaries appear below. Editorials
Chicago Sun-Times: The Democratic agenda includes a number of “worthy items” — such as legislation that would reduce restrictions on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research and require the HHS secretary to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies on prices for medications under the Medicare prescription drug benefit — but whether those bills should “be at the top of the list” is questionable, a Sun-Times editorial states. The editorial states that President Bush likely would veto the stem cell research bill. In addition, the editorial questions the need “to have the federal government negotiate drug prices now, since most Medicare recipients say they are satisfied with the way the new Medicare drug plan works” (Chicago Sun-Times, 1/4).
New York Times: Increasing federal funding for embryonic stem cell research, authorizing HHS to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies under the Medicare prescription drug benefit and other legislation included in the House Democratic leadership’s agenda for the first 100 hours of the 110th Congress “are all commendable goals, … [b]ut what is sorely lacking is the oft-invoked, more often abused ideal of bipartisanship — despite the Democrats’ campaign pledge to end the practice of relegating minority lawmakers to the legislative wilderness,” a Times editorial states. “Of necessity, perhaps, the new Senate majority leader, Harry Reid (D-Nev.), is making a considerable show of promising to reach across the aisle,” the editorial states. In addition, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) “promises bipartisanship will be in evidence after the Democrats get past their opening agenda,” according to the editorial. The editorial concludes, “If Democratic candidates were smart enough during the campaign to realize that voters demand bipartisanship, they should be quick enough to try it from the start” (New York Times, 1/7).
Opinion Pieces
Mike King, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “Democrats and Republicans in the new Congress have widely divergent views about the best way to improve access to health insurance for adults,” but they “should come together quickly and renew” the SCHIP program, editor Mike King writes in a Journal-Constitution opinion piece. “Without an infusion of money from the state or Congress, the program will have to cut eligibility or severely curtail the services covered by the plan” he writes, adding, “The cost of renewing the program is relatively small compared to what it will cost if these children return to the ranks of the uninsured” (King, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 1/4).
Yong Suh, Baltimore Sun: A bill proposed by Democrats that would require the HHS secretary to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies on prices for medications under the Medicare prescription drug benefit “not only could fail to deliver the Democrats’ promise to close the ‘doughnut hole’” but also could “stifle new drug discovery and harm multiple sectors of the economy,” Suh, a former Marshall Scholar in biomedical research at Oxford University who is employed in the finance industry, writes in a Sun opinion piece. “The government would make a poor negotiator compared with private-sector pharmacy benefit managers that have negotiated drug prices for two decades,” he writes, adding, “Medicare lacks the infrastructure, a working formulary of drugs, the experience and the management capabilities necessary to compete against PBMs in negotiating drug prices” (Suh, Baltimore Sun, 1/5).
Grace-Marie Turner, Houston Chronicle: Democrats plan to “fix” the Medicare prescription drug benefit with a bill that would require the HHS secretary to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies on prices for medications under the program, despite a recent announcement by CMS that the program “came in significantly under budget, costing about 30% less than expected,” Turner, president of the Galen Institute, writes in a Chronicle opinion piece. The Medicare prescription drug benefit is a “rare” federal program that is “both successful and under budget,” she writes, adding, “Instead of trying to revamp it, Congress should apply the Part D model to other government programs” (Turner, Houston Chronicle, 1/4).
Victor Fazio, Washington Post: A proposal by House Democrats that would reduce restrictions on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research “is the quintessential example” of how House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) agenda for the first 100 hours of the 110th Congress “is less about radical policy shifts than about bringing policy in line with what Democrats believe is common wisdom to Americans,” former Rep. Fazio (D-Calif.), a senior adviser at Akin Gump, writes in a Post opinion piece. “Of course, no matter how carefully Pelosi has selected the issues for her first 100 hours, the legislation will not necessarily steamroll through Congress unquestioned,” Fazio writes, adding that President Bush might once again veto legislation on stem cells. He adds, “[I]f the speaker can shepherd her initiatives through Congress, she will have established herself and her Democratic caucus as advocates for the middle class as well as the poor — and her party as one that keeps its word” (Fazio, Washington Post, 1/7).
“Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
About the Author
admin has written 6390 stories on this site.
Write a Comment
Gravatars are small images that can show your personality. You can get your gravatar for free today!
You must be logged in to post a comment.
