The Pass Through - Compromising America's Public Interests Economic & policy analysis of healthcare reform legislation with a case study of a major government-run insurance program. http://www.campbell-graves.org/cfm/rss/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Fri, 18 Dec 2009 18:45:46 -0700 Thu, 17 Dec 2009 04:56:14 -0700 FeedForAll v2.0 (2.0.2.9) unlicensed version http://www.feedforall.com http://www.campbell-graves.org/cgo09/index_files/TPT_Cover-eBook_Edition-141x182.jpg The Pass Through - Compromising America's Public Interests http://www.campbell-graves.org/cfm/rss/ The Pass Through - Compromising America's Public Interests 141 182 The Pass Through - Compromising America's Public Interests The Pass Through - Compromising America's Public Interests is a case study of a major government-run insurance program that mirrors challenges confronting American families with healthcare reform legislation.

The insurance program is the troubled National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). NFIP is a forty-year-old attempt at reducing flood losses. While the program improved flood knowledge, it has failed in its primary purpose. Not only have losses risen faster than the economy has grown, but NFIP increased the amount Americans paid for those losses by 50 percent.

Congress is using a similar design for healthcare reform.

The Pass Through takes the case study findings as a foundation for understanding when public programs are needed, how they can work, and why some designs simply cannot work. The concluding two sections: define the principles of any 'public option,' particularly healthcare services and financing; and, assess key provisions of proposed healthcare legislation. Two conclusions deserve attention:

- Congress' proposals lack a consistent principle; and,

- Congress' proposals cannot deliver on the promise to deliver affordable healthcare for all, or even most, Americans.

Congress is implementing a plan that it has reason to know does the opposite of affordable. The plan rewards a market failure and legitimizes the U.S. privileged healthcare system.

As one reader put it, The Pass Through "is more eye opening than a double latte."

Visit http://www.campbell-graves.org/cfm/rss/ to learn more about  America's heathcare reform challenges.

The Pass Through Cover]]> http://www.campbell-graves.org/cfm/rss/ 3C3EA237-085B-46ED-A1A0-96B6241EDDC3 Wed, 16 Dec 2009 20:50:05 -0700