Friday Wrap -Up : Health Care Reform Takes Center Stage
May 15, 2009 —This week was all about health care reform. As we mentioned on Monday, President Obama met with stakeholder industries to discuss voluntarily cutting health care costs. On Tuesday, Obama continued his focus on health care reform by meeting with employers to discuss strategies to improve the health of workers and reduce the rising rate of health care spending. The fact sheet released from the meeting highlights specific companies’ innovative workplace practices.
The White House is trying to keep everyone informed and to facilitate as much support of health care reform as possible - on www.healthreform.gov you can watch video updates on the progress (“A Weekly Update on Health Reform”) from Nancy-Ann DeParle, Director of the White House Office of Health Reform.
The White House does appear to be serious about getting input and feedback from the public. This week the President launched the White House Office of Public Engagement’s new website on the whitehouse.gov website.
In other total rewards news, Workplace Flexibility 2010 released its Public Policy Platform on Workplace Flexibility. WorldatWork was pleased to be able to participate in the process of drafting and review of the platform and will continue to participate with Workplace Flexibility 2010 in the public discussions of the platform ideas. The document has some great ideas on workplace flexibility public policies and looks towards innovation, best practices and training in a blueprint designed to provide guidance to policy makers.
The report represents the culmination of a five-year process of listening to employer, employee and consumer representatives. It also provides numerous examples of effective business practices, including the WorldatWork work-life certification. What great timing for the report to be released on the heels of First Lady Michelle Obama’s challenge to find ways to encourage employers to provide more flexibility to employees.
Finally, I want to remind you that we are still looking for input on some health care reform proposals that impact employers and also for your feedback on proposed regulations on the Mental Health Parity Act. WorldatWork will be filing comment letters to Congress and regulatory agencies based on the feedback we recieve on these issues, through comments on our blogs, direct e-mails, and input from our advisory boards. Thanks so much for your comments in advance!
Paul Weatherhead Program Manager Member Since: 5/1/2000 Comments: 553
A dialogue on national health care reform has begun on the WorldatWork Online Community discussion boards. See what others are saying and add your own thoughts on this critical total rewards issue here http://www.worldatwork.org/waw/community/discussions/discuss.jsp?did=7203.
E James Brennan, III Senior Associate Member Since: 4/19/1979 Comments: 406
We need to hurry and adopt the Canadian single-payer chaos model where each Province has its own required programs and the waits for elective surgery are endless, before the masses of Canadians seeking superior care and service flooding into American hospitals drive our prices even higher. Health care is booming, especially below our Northern border. I'm just below the BC border, and there are more Canadian license plates than US in the parking lots of our hospital, clinics and doctor offices.
Paul Weatherhead Program Manager Member Since: 5/1/2000 Comments: 553
I am somewhat confused about the White House stoking the flames of public sentiment saying that the US health care system is broken, while at the same time experts in the Congressional hearings in the last month or so testified that the US has the best health care system in the world and that the private sector produces best practices in health care. Why is it so imperative that we do something in such haste by the end of July?
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