Election 2012

The national debate around healthcare has intensified in the 2012 elections. The issue is front and center in national, state and local political conversations. But amid the rhetoric, the soundbites, and the spin, many of the realities of healthcare and truths about reform are lost along the campaign trail. In response to these concerns, MedTech Media's leading healthcare publications, Government Health IT, Healthcare IT News and Healthcare Finance News, are deciphering the political doublespeak and asking the questions our readers find most pertinent – about politicians, healthcare policies and delivery system reform at the federal, state, and local levels.

 
New York: Healthcare in local politics
February 14, 2012 | Tom Sullivan
Rockland County, N.Y. legislator Alden Wolfe speaks with Government Health IT about the effort to save a public health system via HHS grant money, bipartisan efforts at the local level and what the prospect of an administration change might mean to his constituency.
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Missouri: Healthcare at the heart of an AG battle
February 8, 2012 | Tom Sullivan
Amid making a run for Congress in a state actively opposed to health reform, Missourian Ed Martin shifted his sails to take on the Attorney General instead -- and is tacking on the issue of healthcare.
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Colorado shows insurance exchange can be bipartisan
February 7, 2012 | Mary Mosquera
Colorado presents a mixed picture on health reform implementation but is considering options to improve quality and reduce costs.
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Will health IT bipartisanship survive the elections?
February 6, 2012 | Mike Miliard
Parties and candidates will inevitably stoke the health reform debate fires between now and November but the one aspect they all seem to agree on, at least publicly, is the raft of benefits health IT brings. But the survival of HIT's bipartisan nature will ultimately be a matter of federal funding -- and not all health-centric technologies are equal.
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GOP underdogs eye Nevada to revive campaigns
February 3, 2012 | Diana Manos
In the state with our nation's shortest life-expectancy, all the Republican candidates face something of a quandary: How to entice voters with talk of cutting healthcare reform and services in a land ranking low in care quality measures.
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Minnesota: A shining star for health IT
February 2, 2012 | Mike Miliard
Often considered the healthiest state, Minnesota began harnessing HIT to bridge private and public health years before the HITECH Act. It's building on that EHR foundation for health information exchange, and is also currently cultivating a new crop of HIT professionals: informaticians.
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Florida physicians view anxious future
January 31, 2012 | Mary Mosquera
GOP presidential candidates offer no details on where they see health care headed, Medicare reimbursements or primary care shortage solution.
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Florida plans to slash Medicaid funds ahead of health reform
January 30, 2012 | Mary Mosquera
Florida is one of three states that did not take advantage of enhanced federal funds to upgrade Medicaid eligibility and enrollment systems.
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How politics distort Americans' perception of health reform
January 30, 2012 | Tom Sullivan
Soundbites and slogans don't approximate the whole PPACA picture, but many U.S. citizens base their understanding -- and potentially their votes -- solely on what politicians tell the public.
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Gingrich's health center was power player in a host of Washington policy debates
January 27, 2012 | Fred Shulte and Joe Eaton
Newt Gingrich’s Washington-based advocacy on behalf of a broad array of health care interests has been far more extensive than the Republican presidential candidate has acknowledged, a review by the Center for Public Integrity has found.
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Healthcare in Florida: A reform laggard with much to gain
January 27, 2012 | Tom Sullivan
Leading up to the primaries, Florida is trailing on health reform, and Governor Rick Scott is under fire from both sides for his plan to cut Medicaid while he carries health insurance at the very low state rate.
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Majority of Americans think ideology will affect SCOTUS ruling on health law
January 26, 2012 | Kaiser Health News www.kaiserhealthnews.org
Six in 10 people think that the justices' decision on the individual mandate will be based on their own ideological views rather than legal analysis.
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Will health IT bipartisanship survive the elections?
February 6, 2012 | Mike Miliard
Parties and candidates will inevitably stoke the health reform debate fires between now and November but the one aspect they all seem to agree on, at least publicly, is the raft of benefits health IT brings. But the survival of HIT's bipartisan nature will ultimately be a matter of federal funding -- and not all health-centric technologies are equal.
More

How politics distort Americans' perception of health reform
January 30, 2012 | Tom Sullivan
Soundbites and slogans don't approximate the whole PPACA picture, but many U.S. citizens base their understanding -- and potentially their votes -- solely on what politicians tell the public.
More

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Santorum: Romneycare is 'uniquely unqualified'
February 13, 2012 | Kelly Mehler
Last week, Rick Santorum gave a speech billed as his "major speech on healthcare." One young child asked the Pennsylvania senator about the costs of medical care in America. He asked what Santorum would do in order to lower the costs of healthcare in the country.
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As Romney takes Florida, Gingrich forges ahead with 'Day One' ACA repeal
February 1, 2012 | Tom Sullivan
Gingrich stays on point that the initial step toward dismantling 40 percent of President Obama's government on his first day would be repealing health care. Romney maintains he would enable states to opt out.
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Editor's Desk: T.W.I.G. Notes
January 27, 2012 | Tom Sullivan
This week in Government Health IT: ONC contests and initiatives, the Care Innovation Summit, appealing EHR incentive denials, reasons why President Obama largely avoided healthcare in SOTU, social media reactions, and more.
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Healthcare 'flubs in Florida,' Santorum under the gun, Sebelius on Jon Stewart
January 24, 2012 | Tom Sullivan
The GOP candidates are in full swing this week leading up to the Florida primaries, which does not necessarily mean sticking to facts about healthcare. And Secretary Sebelius is a guest on The Daily Show.
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Editor's Desk: T.W.I.G. Notes
January 20, 2012 | Tom Sullivan
This Week in Government Health IT ... VC skyrockets in PHRs but speculation about Microsoft's HealthVault continues, Perry backs Gingrich, a look at Newt's long history with HIT, Vermont plans single-payer system, tips for HIEs, and ONCs new video contest.
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Perry's out, a new Iowa winner is in - kinda sorta
January 19, 2012 | Tom Sullivan
The campaign trail twist today with some unexpected turns, and some that are not so surprising.
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What Huntsman’s exit means for healthcare in the elections
January 17, 2012 | Tom Sullivan
Remaining GOP candidates have one less reason to discuss healthcare in depth, now that the former Utah Governor, who signed a law to overhaul the state's health system, has suspended his campaign.
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Editor's Desk: This Week in Government Health IT
January 13, 2012 | Tom Sullivan
Talk with a Tea Party leader, ONC head on why meaningful use will soar in 2012, turning tablets into security tools, and Big Data inside the Beltway.
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New Hampshire GOP debate, round two (Twitter recap)
January 9, 2012 | Kelly Mehler
In their second debate in 12 hours, the Republican presidential candidates hashed it out Sunday morning during the television program Meet the Press. We live-tweeted the debate (@HITNewsTweet) and present here a full recap of the event and the reactions it prompted.
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Bowing out, Bachmann maintains health reform 'must be stopped'
January 4, 2012 | Tom Sullivan
The critic of health reform and other federal regulations is ending her bid to defeat President Obama and, in so doing, garnered praise from formerly-bitter rivals.
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A Jon Huntsman surge could help the health care debate
January 4, 2012 | David Williams
Republican primary voters could help trigger a substantive health care policy debate in this country by giving Jon Huntsman a turn among the frontrunners.
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The Iowa Caucuses and healthcare: What Twitter users are saying
January 4, 2012 | Kelly Mehler
The 2012 Iowa caucuses take off tonight, as candidates compete for the Republican presidential nomination. But where do the hopefuls stand on healthcare legislation, and how will that sway voters in the Hawkeye state? Here is a Twitter recap of what users have been saying on the subject matter.
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