Achieving comprehensive health reform has emerged as a leading priority of the President and Congress. President Obama has outlined eight principles for health reform, seeking to address not only the 45 million people who lack health insurance, but also rising health care costs and lack of quality. In Congress, a number of comprehensive reform proposals have been announced as the debate proceeds over how to overhaul the health care system. This interactive side-by-side compares the leading comprehensive reform proposals across a number of key characteristics and plan components. Included in this side-by-side are proposals for moving toward universal coverage that have been put forward by the President and Members of Congress. In an effort to capture the most important proposals, we have included those that have been formally introduced as legislation as well as those that have been offered as draft proposals or as policy options. It will be regularly updated to reflect changes in the proposals and to incorporate major new proposals as they are announced. This side-by-side offers a summary of the major components of these proposals; detailed descriptions of provisions relating to the Medicare and Medicaidprograms can be found online..

Instructions:
1. Select one or more proposals.
2. Select one or more topics. The Generate Comparison button will appear on the right, just above the proposals. Click for results.
3. Your results will appear with the options to Print the Comparison, or Create a Different Comparison.

Information updated 10/6/09

Download a printable version of the three Congressional authorizing committee proposals (.pdf)
Download a printable side-by-side comparison of all proposals and topics (.pdf) 

New York, November 7, 2008 -- The leaders of the National Council of Churches have urged President-Elect Barack Obama to make health care coverage "a first priority" of his administration.

 By Deborah White*
Sept. 26, 2008 | LAKE JUNALUSKA, N.C. (UMNS)

A new Center for Health will address growing health concerns among United Methodist clergy and lay workers by focusing on their holistic wellness, Bishop Mike Watson announced during the denomination’s annual health ministries conference.

www.umc.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx

Influenza (the flu) is an infectious disease that increasingly poses a particular threat to the United States, and the world. Influenza has been the source of three major pandemics in the 20th Century, the most severe of which occured during 1918. Public health officials are increasingly warning of the possibility of a new outbreak early in the 21st century.

Read more....www.er-d.org/PlanningforPandemicInfluenza/

 

The proportion of working-age Americans who have medical bill problems or who are paying off medical debt climbed from 34 percent to 41 percent between 2005 and 2007, a new report from the New York City-based Commonwealth Fund finds.

Read more...foundationcenter.org/pnd/news/story.jhtml

BOB ABERNETHY, anchor: The Commonwealth Fund in New York this week released results of a new survey on the U.S. health care system. Eighty-two percent of Americans said the system should be fundamentally changed or completely rebuilt. But how to do it? One of the toughest questions in the national debate, an ethical question, is should health care be rationed? If so, which patients in need should be denied care?

We have a story today about doctors and medical students at a famous Texas hospital who are facing those questions and their painful answers. Lucky Severson reports.
 

Read more...www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/week1149/cover.html

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Principles of Community Engagement

This recent article By Henry G. Brinton Special to The Washington Post on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 highlights the NCC Congregational Health Ministry Survey findings.

Open the Sunday worship bulletin at Fairfax Presbyterian Church, and alongside the prayers, scripture readings and hymns you'll find an invitation to have your blood pressure checked and announcements about church members running 5Ks and marathons, as well as a notice about an upcoming workshop on balance exercises for seniors, offered by an 80-year-old juggler named Don Rapp.  read more

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