The editorial page of the Wall Street Journal has sounded the alarm about a bill proposed by Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., a bill that could cripple consumer-driven healthcare saving accounts plans. According to the editorial, not only does the Reid bill change the tax provisions to make HSAs less desirable, but its regulations threaten the… Continue reading HSAs in the Crosshairs of Congressional Healthcare Reform
Tag: Congress
Integrative Healthcare Included in Senate Healthcare Bill’s Language
The American Association for Health Freedom (soon to be The Alliance for Natural Health-USA thanks to our merger with The Alliance for Natural Health) has worked for months to gain recognition for integrated healthcare in President Obama’s Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER) plan (part of the stimulus bill) and in multiple iterations of healthcare reform legislation.… Continue reading Integrative Healthcare Included in Senate Healthcare Bill’s Language
Drug Companies’ Sponsorship of Continuing Medical Education a Scandal
Not surprisingly, the pharmaceutical industry is resisting legislation that would force drug manufacturers to disclose how much money they spend to provide continuing medical education (CME) to doctors. (The legislation passed in the House; Senate versions make no mention of disclosure.)
Victory in the Senate!
We usually publish our newsletter on Tuesday. We held it overnight in order to report on the outcome of the Senate HELP Committee’s “FDA Food Safety Modernization Act” (Food Safety) mark up hearing. This hearing would decide whether to amend the dangerous Codex provision. The decision would have a momentous impact on the future of… Continue reading Victory in the Senate!
Update on Last Week’s House Healthcare Bill Story
Last week we discussed the difficulty of knowing what is and is not in the nearly 2,000 page House Healthcare bill. Here is a really bizarre example. Some commentators noted that the House bill provided for jail time of up to five years for anyone who failed to buy mandated insurance and also did not pay the financial penalty. Reference was also made… Continue reading Update on Last Week’s House Healthcare Bill Story
The House Has Passed Its Healthcare Legislation by the Narrowest of Margins
What is and what isn’t in a bill that is nearly 2000 pages and weighs nearly 20 pounds?
Alert: Healthcare Legislation — Last Chance to Get it Right!
Now that the House is set to debate the merged healthcare bill, we need to make sure they get it right!
47 Members of Congress Support Consumers’ Right to Choose Their Health Practitioners
The legislators have sent House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., a letter proposing a ban on discrimination against integrative MDs, DOs, chiropractors and other well-trained and credentialed healthcare providers who have not previously been discriminated against under federal law. If discrimination is not forbidden, conventional licensed practitioners will try to use federal law, as they have… Continue reading 47 Members of Congress Support Consumers’ Right to Choose Their Health Practitioners
Does the Safeway Amendment Address Workplace Wellness in a Financially Responsible Manner?
As the debate for healthcare reform continues inside the beltway, on the airwaves, and around many a dinner table and water cooler, how can we — a nation known for ingenuity and entrepreneurship — deliver quality care for a reasonable price? Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, in his book Saving Lives, Saving Money, is but… Continue reading Does the Safeway Amendment Address Workplace Wellness in a Financially Responsible Manner?
Citing Steroids in Supplements, Congress Considers Tweaking Dietary Regulations
According to the New York Times, federal agents have recently raided several companies suspected of making bodybuilding products that illegally contain steroids and selling them as over-the-counter dietary supplements. On September 29, 2009, Sen. Arlen Specter, D-Pa., chair of the Senate sub-committee on Judiciary, Crime and Drugs, convened a hearing on the topic. The forum… Continue reading Citing Steroids in Supplements, Congress Considers Tweaking Dietary Regulations