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A Selection Of Editorials And Opinions
Health Care Overhaul: The Public Option Debate CQ Politics
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The European Biotech Industry Applauds UK Efforts To Place Industrial Biotech At The Center Of A Low Carbon Economy
EuropaBio, the European biotech industry association applauds the report "IB 2025: Maximising UK Opportunities from Industrial Biotechnology in a Low Carbon Economy" (1) released today by the UK"s Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR). The biotech industry welcomes the report which is completely in line with the EU"s Lead Market Initiative for Biobased Products (2). EuropaBio is also pleased to note that the report also embraces EuropaBio"s policy recommendations (3) developed to help the EU realise the vision of a Knowledge-Based Bio-Economy (KBBE).
News of the day
Dems' Health Care Reform Plans Would Include Abortion Coverage, Washington Times Opinion Piece States
As lawmakers work to pass health reform legislation, "few are talking about" the "essential question" of whether "health reform will force taxpayers to pay for abortions for the first time in 30 years," Family Research Council President Tony Perkins writes in a Washington Times opinion piece. According to Perkins, "the short answer is yes" because there is no "explicit provision" in any Democratic health plan that would "[p]revent taxpayer funding of abortions as part of the health care benefit Congress is considering"; avert "delays in health care services that result in the death of the patient waiting for care"; or allow health care providers "to refuse to participate in health care-related action that violates their conscience." Perkins continues that the House"s reform proposal would provide federal coverage for ""family planning," the well-worn buzz word that includes abortion unless specified to the contrary." He adds that "it would be naive to assume, unless there is an explicit prohibition in the bill, that [HHS] Secretary Kathleen Sebelius will not use her discretion to fund abortions with taxpayers" money." Perkins also writes that the Democratic reform plans, "in short, ... attempt to be silent on the key question of whether or not to allow the U.S. government to fund abortions with taxpayers" money," and also give the HHS secretary "the power to allow taxpayer-funded abortions."He writes, "The Family Research Council"s answer is clear: There must be a permanent prohibition on taxpayer-funded abortions," as well as "provision to allow a right of conscience for doctors and nurses and other health care providers" to refuse to participate in treatments they oppose. He adds that "there can be no system of denial or delay or rationing of care." Perkins concludes, "Euthanasia by any other name is a poison pill in the health reform debate" (Perkins, Washington Times, 7/5)
Cardiovascular

Obama Defends Reform To Seniors Worried About Medicare Cuts

On Tuesday, President Obama pitched Democrats" health reform plans to senior citizens and assured them that Medicare benefits would not be cut to pay for covering the uninsured, the New York Times reports. Meanwhile, members of Congress said they were "deluged" with constituent calls expressing concern over the future of their Medicare coverage. The Times adds: "Speaking at a town-hall-style meeting organized by AARP, Mr. Obama said his proposals would slow the growth of health spending and avoid the need for future cuts in Medicare, the insurance program for 45 million people who are 65 and older or disabled. Democrats in Congress plan to finance about half the cost of the legislation by squeezing savings from Medicare. The White House says benefits will not be cut and beneficiaries will not be hurt" (Pear and Herszenhorn, 7/28). Rather, "Mr. Obama said the Medicare cuts will be targeted at wasteful spending, such as overpayments to insurance companies that participate in private Medicare plans, as well as unnecessary hospital readmissions," the Wall Street Journal reports. Obama also defended a plan to reimburse doctors for helping patients plan for end-of-life care, which could help lower costs across the system. "Republicans call the proposal evidence that the government wants to interfere with personal medical decisions." Obama said it instead helps seniors make their own decisions (Adamy, 7/29). CBS News reports "Obama said that .... As health care costs rise, Congress would have to make decisions -- based on politics -- about what to potentially cut from Medicare" (Condon, 7/28). Meanwhile, the nation appears to be close to evenly split in its assessment of the president"s policies to date, and there is great intensity on both sides of the debate with dwindling numbers in the middle, a new National Public Radio poll of registered voters finds. Nearly half, a plurality, opposed the Democratic health reform proposals moving through Congress. And while 53 percent approv of respondents approved of the president"s handling of his job, a majority believed the country was heading in the wrong direction, saying their chief concern is the economy, which continues to struggle (Liasson and Elving, 7/29). This information was reprinted from kaiserhealthnews.org with kind permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives and sign up for email delivery at kaiserhealthnews.org. © Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.


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