Wednesday, March 31, 2004

Health care bill plays down race
Story in the Times-Picayune (New Orleans) - "There is little dispute that when it comes to health, race matters. A bookshelf full of studies has shown that African-Americans, Hispanics and American Indians get sicker and die sooner than white people. A landmark scientific report in 2002 found that they also receive worse health care, sometimes because of doctors' prejudices. But legislation that the Republican Senate leadership says is a top priority diverges from the notion that race is the most important factor separating the sick from the healthy. The bill, sponsored by Majority Leader Sen. Bill Frist, R-Tenn., with Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., as the only Democratic co-sponsor thus far, would make poverty a bigger part of the equation. That could make more poor white people eligible for government assistance..."  
  

Covering The Uninsured: What Is It Worth?
A "web exclusive" in the latest Health Affairs in both HTML and Acrobat format - "One out of six Americans under age sixty-five lacks health insurance, a situation that imposes sizable hidden costs upon society. The poorer health and shorter lives of those without coverage account for most of these costs. Other impacts are manifested by Medicare and disability support payments, demands on the public health infrastructure, and losses of local health service capacity. We conclude that the estimated value of health forgone each year because of uninsurance ($65-$130 billion) constitutes a lower-bound estimate of economic losses resulting from the present level of uninsurance nationally." See also related papers and two other related articles, How Federalism Could Spur Bipartisan Action On The Uninsured and The Institute Of Medicine Committee’s Clarion Call For Universal Coverage.