Newsweek - "Bending the Curve - The Wrong Way" - False News Story & Hit Piece

This is the problem with modern journalism. Opinions masquerade as news. For example, notice this article by Newsweek conservative columnist Robert Samuelson. There is no reference to the fact that he is a long term conservative critic of health care reform. Second, notice the reliance on the Lewin Group, a United Healthcare In-House think tank? Frankly, I would expect better from Newsweek than a Fox News like hatchet job.

http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/thegaggle/archive/2009/10/23/bending-the-curve-the-wrong-way.aspx

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Obama administration officials have repeatedly emphasized the need to "bend the curve" of health-care costs. Reducing increases in health spending, they argued, was essential to controlling future federal budget deficits and making insurance affordable for most Americans. Now, in the first comprehensive evaluation by a government agency of one of the major congressional health-reform bills, analysts find that it does bend the cost curve—in the wrong direction. The study of H.R. 3200, as reported by the House Ways and Means Committee, concludes that the legislation would raise total national health spending by $750 billion over the decade from 2010 to 2019.

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The study doubted that many of the bill's provisions designed to reduce overall health spending would have much effect. These include greater use of prevention and "wellness" programs and more emphasis on "comparative effectiveness research"—limiting treatments to those with the best proven records. The CMS study estimated that the comparative effectiveness research might cut national health spending by $8 billion over the 2010-19 period. However, it doubted that the prevention and wellness programs would reduce spending at all. Although these programs might diagnose diseases in early stages and promote healthier lifestyles, they also mean "additional costs incurred as a result of increased screenings, preventive care, and extended years of life."

The CMS study was requested by Rep. Dave Camp of Michigan, the ranking Republican member of the House Ways and Means Committee. The study cautioned that its forecasts were subject to much uncertainty, because the "the scope and magnitude of the changes are such that few precedents exist for use in estimation." An earlier study by the Lewin Group, a health care consulting firm, also concluded that one of the major congressional proposals would increase national health spending. Lewin evaluated legislation passed by the House Energy and Commerce Committee and estimated that the bill would add $525 billion to national health spending in the 2010-2019 decade.

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actually tell the truth. I recognize that both sides should be heard/read, and the intent for Newsweek is to sell product.

I don't have to like it or post it. :boring:

I'll stick with people I believe tell the truth.