The Des Moines Register recently published a series of articles, editorials and opinion pieces that examined how health care costs affect Iowa residents. The complete series, titled "U.S. Health Care: Critical Condition," is available online.

Articles
"Iowans' List of Top Concerns for the Legislature": The article includes results of a poll of 801 Iowa residents, 76% of whom cited health care as top issue the state Legislature should address (Roos, Des Moines Register, 12/4).

"God Provides, but Churches Struggle": The article examines how many small businesses and not-for-profit organizations, such as churches, have problems with the cost of health insurance for employees (Dominick, Des Moines Register, 12/5).

"Overseas Competition, Health Costs Nip at Manufacturer": The article profiles Interpower, an electrical equipment company in Oskaloosa, Iowa, that has about 90 employees. Health care costs for Interpower will increase by 24% in 2006 (Dominick, Des Moines Register, 12/5).

"Pair Can't Afford Coverage for Workers": The article profiles two restaurant owners who do not offer health insurance to employees because of the cost (Dominick, Des Moines Register, 12/5).

"Working Parents Fight To Keep Government Help for Sick Child": The article examines how the parents of a boy with several medical problems appealed a state decision to deny a Medicaid waiver to help cover the cost of his care (Dominick, Des Moines Register, 12/6).

"Costs Exceed Moderate Incomes": The article profiles a woman from Des Moines, Iowa, who "walks a tightrope between keeping her income low enough" to qualify for a state health insurance program for low-income families and "high enough to cover their other living expenses" (Dominick, Des Moines Register, 12/6).

"Canada's System Offers Lesson for Americans": The article examines a recent study conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics at CDC and Statistics Canada that "suggests Americans should rethink their misperceptions about" health care systems in the U.S. and Canada (Dominick, Des Moines Register, 12/7).

"Four Approaches to Reform": The article summarizes the findings of a National Coalition on Health Care report on health care reform (Des Moines Register, 12/7).

"Politicians Respond": The article includes the responses of ten politicians -- such as Senate Finance Committee Chair Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack (D) and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R) -- to a three-question survey on universal health care (Des Moines Register, 12/7).

Editorials, Opinion Pieces
"Fractured System Hurts Everyone": The U.S. spends more of its gross domestic product on health care than any other country, "in part because no other country comes close to spending so much on red tape," a Register editorial states, adding, "Americans don't have to accept [the existing health care system] just because it's the only thing they know" (Des Moines Register, 12/4).

"Medical Bills Bury Business": "It's time businesses start speaking up" about health care because "[w]hat's good for health insurance and pharmaceutical companies isn't necessarily good for other American businesses," a Register editorial states (Des Moines Register, 12/5).

"Who Pays Biggest Tab? Taxpayers": Because the U.S. "already pays part of the [health care] bill for nearly [all U.S. residents], at least indirectly," the government should "allow everyone to buy into a uniform government program such as Medicare," a Register editorial states (Des Moines Register, 12/6).

"A System That Works for America": The "fractured" U.S. health care system's "very structure -- or lack of it -- makes it wasteful," a Register editorial states, adding that the "business and medical lobbies" should use their "considerable clout in the halls of Congress" to push for "reform, rather than resisting it" (Des Moines Register, 12/7).

"Expand Medicare To Cover All Americans": "Expanding Medicare to cover all Americans would provide a ready-made solution to address" the need for health care reform in the U.S. and "would save our economy billions of dollars in administrative costs," Betty Ahrens, co-executive director of Iowa Citizen Action Network, writes in an opinion piece (Ahrens, Des Moines Register, 12/8).

"Don't Limit Choice by a Socialized Model": A "nationalized, socialized health model is not the best solution" because either the "number of providers will shrink or taxes will need to increase to pay for it, resulting in a system that limits choice, reduces access and places an undue tax burden on the American public," Cliff Gold, vice president of Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield and president of Wellmark Health Plan of Iowa, writes in an opinion piece (Gold, Des Moines Register, 12/8).

"Try a Blend of Approaches": The U.S. should "blend today's health savings accounts and health insurance in an entirely different fashion, while maintaining the principles of shared risk and solidarity common to all equitable health care financing systems," Anne Kinzel, director of policy and research for Selzer, writes in an opinion piece (Kinzel, Des Moines Register, 12/8).

"First, Address Basic Questions": The "costs of trying to untangle the different plan designs far outweigh any benefit they provide," and the "system should be changed so health plans deliver a limited number of nationally approved standardized health insurance packages to all Americans," David Lind, an employee benefits adviser, writes in an opinion piece (Lind, Des Moines Register, 12/8).

"Agree on Policy, Financing": "Universal coverage might be possible if Americans can first agree on a unified health care policy and then on a universal financing mechanism," Norris, president and CEO of the Iowa Hospital Association, writes in an opinion piece (Norris, Des Moines Register, 12/8).

"Enable All To Have Insurance": An expansion of Medicare "sounds reasonable," but "one prescription for reform will not do the trick" because U.S. residents are "too diverse and selective when it comes to health care for our family and friends," Richards, president of the Iowa Medical Society, writes in an opinion piece (Richards, Des Moines Register, 12/8).


"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.