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Hoosier biz groups oppose Senate health bill

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Four business groups told Indiana’s senators this week to vote against the health reform bill being debated in the U.S. Senate.

They join national business groups that have supported Congress’ health reform efforts, but are now turning against the final product. The bill would raise various taxes to fund subsidies to help more than 30 million uninsured Americans buy health coverage.

The presidents of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, the Indiana Manufacturers Association, the Indiana Health Industry Forum and the Indiana Hospital Association all signed letters sent to Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Indiana, and Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Indiana. The letter was released publicly on Thursday.

“The current Senate legislation, while expanding insurance coverage, continues and expands many of the dysfunctions of our current health care system,” wrote Kevin Brinegar, Pat Kiely, Kristin Jones and Doug Leonard, leaders of the four business groups.

They mainly faulted the failure of the legislation to change the way doctors and hospitals are paid. Government insurance programs such as Medicare and Medicaid now pay health care providers based on the volume of procedures they perform.

The business groups want the government to base those payments more on patient results or measurements of quality. They also want financial incentives to encourage hospitals, doctors, employers and patients to all work toward common goals.

Those kinds of changes are in the Senate bill, but only as pilot programs. Proponents of the bill say those efforts will expand in the future, but critics doubt that.

“If passed in its current form, it will add stress to an already flawed health care delivery system by increasing demand for health services by millions of newly insured without fundamentally improving the quality of care that patients receive or bend the total cost curve through smart reforms,” the business group presidents wrote.

The business groups also expressed concern about the Senate bill’s higher Medicare and medical device taxes. They also don’t like proposed expansion of the federal Medicare and Medicaid programs, saying these massive insurance plans pay doctors and hospitals too little.

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  1. If a television station wants to improve viewership, get rid of the local blackout. I was born by the brickyard, and have attended 15 or more races. I have children now, I won't attend unless circumstances are perfect. As those with growing families know, they never are. I'm always impressed that upwards of 250,000 people attend the 500. However, as a growing, or, more apt, sprawling city, Indianapolis and its immediate suburbs count almost 2.2 million. Show the race live, let the venue get a kick-back on revenues, and open-wheel racing might have a fighting chance to be relevant again. Just in time for those tax-payer lights to make sense.

  2. John Moore, I too have had the same issue recently. A property next to my house was on the Land Bank and I was interested in purchasing. When I tried to contact Reggie, I got back emails that had nothing to do with what I asked about. Actually my latest response from him was on this past Friday. I had asked about how to buy the property and if it was still available. His response to me was to contact the mayor's office to get the schedule of his appearances. (???) Hopefully the city is able to do something to fix what this guy has done, it would be nice if they would take the properties back and sell them properly so land owners like me and you mother would have a fair chance.

  3. I too work in the industry, with over 25 years of experience and your political spin has probably nothing to do with any rebranding. "Let's dress it up" would have nothing to do with the government "telling us how and what to eat." Give it a political rest. And being a producer for a radio show doesn't mean you've been involved in advertising and branding for 30 years.

  4. Ms. Morris did not understand the ways of the business world, otherwise, like the IMS, she could have petitioned the State Legislature for a handout of State Funds for her charity work. Ms. Morris should consider becoming a state lobbyist for Lemonade Stand Operators.

  5. David Copperfield!

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