Quality. Independence. Impact.

Home | Contact Us | Media Resources

Wednesday November 25, 2009

Welcome   |   Register   |   Log in

SPOTLIGHT: Health Care


Reuters/Jessica Rinaldi - Customer paying bill in Boston

Save to My Portfolio Bend the Revenue Curve: Health Reform Alone Won't End Deficits

Henry J. Aaron and Isabel V. Sawhill, October 13, 2009

Although health care reform is intended to bend the curve of spending and reduce the deficit, it alone will not be enough, say Henry Aaron and Isabel Sawhill. They propose that Congress enact a value-added tax, the equivalent of a broad-based sales tax on all goods and services. The revenue from the new tax, and other sources, should be linked directly to public health care spending through a newly created trust fund which would pay for all federal health care spending. Read More

Health Care, Taxes, U.S. Economy

UPCOMING EVENT

Save to My PortfolioUsing Data to Support Better Health Care: One Infrastructure with Many Uses

Wednesday, December 02, 2009
9:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Washington, DC

The United States will spend $2.4 trillion on health care this year, yet there is no system in place to efficiently evaluate the quality, effectiveness, and safety of the care that is delivered. On December 2, the Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform at Brookings will host a forum to outline a vision and practical next steps toward a health information infrastructure that could quickly and efficiently generate evidence for health care decision-makers. Read More

VIDEO

Save to My PortfolioThe Senate Votes to Open Debate on Health Care Reform

Henry J. Aaron, November 23, 2009

The Senate voted Saturday night to allow the health care reform debate to proceed to the Senate floor. Senior Fellow Henry Aaron cautions that any legislation to revamp the system must be fiscally responsible and should improve the quality of care. He says lawmakers have many long discussions ahead of them.

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioLetter to Obama on Health Care Reform

Henry J. Aaron, November 20, 2009, The Brookings Institution

Letter to Obama on Health Care ReformThe White House recently released a letter sent to President Obama by a group of more than twenty economists, including two Nobel laureates and five former presidents of the American Economic Association, urging that health reform should include four key measures to rein in health care spending and promote fiscal responsibility. Read More

PAST EVENT

Save to My PortfolioWhat Health Care Innovation Means for Consumers

Thursday, November 05, 2009
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM
Washington, DC

Reuters/Jessica RinaldiHealth care innovation, done right, creates opportunities for consumers to control their own health records, rate physicians and hospitals, learn from other patients and focus on positive health outcomes. On November 5, Brookings hosted a policy forum to discuss the ways in which digital technology can empower patients and enhance the quality of the American health care system. Read More

VIDEO

Save to My PortfolioTechnological Advances in Health Care

Darrell M. West, November 04, 2009

Technological advances in health care can give consumers more control over key aspects of their care and health outcomes. Darrell West examines the benefits of new technology in the medical system and what it will mean for the quality, accessibility and affordability of health care.

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioOpting Out: Not As Simple As It Looks

Darrell M. West, October 28, 2009, Politico

Opting Out: Not As Simple As It Looks"Opt-out” has become the most powerful phrase in the health care debate, thanks to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s decision to include it in Senate legislation. If particular jurisdictions do not like a public option, they simply can exit the government health insurance system for uninsured residents. This is a very American idea, writes Darrell West. However, from a governance standpoint, the public option creates a worrisome precedent for other policy areas. Read More

PAST EVENT

Save to My PortfolioHealth Care and Health Insurance for Childhood Disorders

Friday, October 23, 2009
9:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Washington, DC

On October 23, Brookings host eda discussion featuring a group of individuals committed to the cause of childhood health care. In particular, the discussion focused on health care and insurance coverage for autism spectrum disorders and vascular birthmark issues, which together affect over two million Americans. Read More

PAST EVENT

Save to My PortfolioThe Scouting Report: Flu Contagion in Schools

Wednesday, October 21, 2009
12:30 PM to 1:30 PM
Washington, DC

As the nation and the world continue to grapple with H1N1, and while delivery of the vaccine in the United States faces delays, school closures are one policy tool under consideration to slow spread of the pandemic. Ross Hammond, co-author of a recent report that quantified the economic effects of school closures, and Fred Barbash, Politico senior editor, answered questions in a live web chat about the implications and potential costs of this approach. Read More

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioThe Scouting Report Web Chat: Flu Contagion in Schools

Ross A. Hammond, October 21, 2009, The Brookings Institution

The Scouting Report Web Chat: Flu Contagion in SchoolsAs the nation and the world continue to grapple with H1N1, and while delivery of the vaccine in the United States faces delays, school closures are one policy tool under consideration to slow spread of the pandemic. Ross Hammond, co-author of a recent report that quantified the economic effects of school closures, and Fred Barbash, Politico senior editor, took questions in a live web chat about the implications and potential costs of this approach. Read More

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioFix Baucus' Health Reform Rx: Three Big Changes Democrats Must Make for the Bill to Work

Henry J. Aaron, October 14, 2009, New York Daily News

Henry Aaron argues that it is essential that the health care reform bill authored by Sen. Max Baucus and recently passed by the Senate Finance Committee undergo some modification if it is to truly expand coverage, improve care and drive down costs. Read More

My Portfolio

My New Content

View suggested content based on items you have saved to your Portfolio.
Log in or register now