Thursday, January 22, 2004

IOM Calls for Universal Coverage by 2010
Medscape Medical News story - "The Institute of Medicine (IOM) said today the U.S. must extend health insurance coverage to all Americans by the year 2010, calling incremental steps toward universal health insurance coverage "inadequate." Some 43 million Americans now lack such coverage, according to recent government data, a phenomenon that has spiked by 10% in the past three years. The IOM, an independent, bipartisan entity that makes recommendations on health and scientific policy to the President and Congress, issued its final report on the consequences of the uninsured as the issue is picking up steam in a presidential election year, noted IOM President Harvey Fineberg, MD. .." [Viewing Medscape resources requires registration, which is free]. See also Insuring America's Health: Principles and Recommendations at the IOM web site, where a report brief is available (in Adobe Acrobat format), as well as a number of related documents.  
  

Oregon Health Plan in jeopardy
Story in the Statesman-Journal - "A decade ago, Oregon captured national attention as the first state to expand health-care coverage to the poor by rationing medical treatments. Now, if voters give a thumbs down to tax-increasing Measure 30, the groundbreaking expansion of the Oregon Health Plan will be wiped out, state officials say. Under that scenario, nearly 50,000 low-income Oregonians enrolled in OHP Standard — launched in 1994 as the state’s bold health-care expansion — would be stripped of their coverage for doctor visits, hospital care and medication...