A draft of a draft of a draft…

Check out Ezra Klein’s article in the Washington Post about the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee’s (HELP, headed by Ted Kennedy) draft of a draft of the legislation they are hoping to put forward starting in the next couple weeks. Looks like Kennedy is going to try to push hard for the public side of the debate.

Sonia Sotomayor and abortion

Emily Douglas wrote an interesting piece for the RH Reality Check blog yesterday. She outlines the unknown that is Sotomayor’s position on abortion. Sotomayor has never ruled explicitly on abortion in a court, or come out publicly on one side or the other. She is expected to be asked about Roe v. Wade during senate hearings.

More talk about this issue:

Charlie Savage’s article in the New York Times: here

And a response, by Julie Hollar from RH Reality Check: here

The Daily Women’s Health Policy Report offers up this report based on attempts by the White House to calm the waters around Sotomayor and abortion.

Also, a National Public Radio piece here with our very own Chuck Schumer.

What do you think?

The problems with ratings

Philip Diamond outlines the social justice and economic issues with gender ratings in the health insurance market.

“A report released in September 2008 by the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) found that women in California under 55 years old paid up to 39% more than men for the same health coverage…gender rating hurts women.”

Health Care for America Now Lobby Day!

Check it out! Find out more and join the effort.

Children and health reform

The Georgetown University Health Policy Institute Center for Children and Families through the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation published a report (with huge pictures of really cute kids) about the 9 million children without health insurance in this country. They make the case for affordable, accessible, comprehensive, and continuous coverage for children and their families.

An excerpt from the summary by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation:

“Based on the research and the experience gained over decades of efforts to cover children, this report provides a blueprint of what children and families need from health reform, including an overview of where the remaining gaps are for children’s coverage and recommendations on the key challenges that must be addressed in order to complete the puzzle.”

Obama says it: now or never

USA Today posted a short story about President Barack Obama’s plea to congress and constituents for support of a health care overhaul. The President stated that “If we don’t get it done this year, we’re not going to get it done”.

A study at the two year mark: health care in Massachusetts

“More than two years after implementation of its landmark health insurance reforms, Massachusetts had achieved historically high levels of coverage and widespread improvements in access to care, according to this study—the latest in a series of updates, funded by the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation, The Commonwealth Fund, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, on implementation of the state’s reforms. The authors find, however, that constraints on provider capacity and rising health care costs—trends that predate reform—have eroded some of the gains. Massachusetts is now seeking ways to contain costs and expand provider capacity, including a proposal to shift from fee-for-service provider payments to global fees that emphasize care coordination and collaboration.” Read the full synopsis, and the paper here.

Anna Deavere Smith is now taking a stab at health care

The actress Anna Deavere Smith is the new artist-in-residence at the Center for American Progress and is performing a one-woman show about healthcare. Listen to the National Public Radio piece here.

We are Raising Women’s Voices together!

As was addressed in our e-newsletter sent out yesterday, there was an overwhelming show of support by our readers and supporters to contact their elected officials about the Senate Finance Committee’s proposal for health care reform. With only one day to write responses, we heard from 25 individuals and organizations!! It was a huge success, even with the *incredibly* short time table. It is this kind of energy and urgency that lets those in the statehouse and in Washington know that we are committed to comprehensive health care for women and female-bodied people in our state and our nation.

The public option

A little news: Charlie Rangel comes out and says it: “It’s my political judgment a plan without the public option would not be able to pass the House”.

A little opinion: Harold Pollack muses – Yeah, we need that public plan.