Today’s Opinions: Helping Small Business Afford Health Care; Improving Hospital Infection Rates; Paying For End-Of-Life Planning
Boosting Health Insurance Access Kansas City StarSmall business owners understandably are nervous about changes coming with health care reform. But then again, health care headaches are nothing new in their world. The good news is that recent studies suggest the new Affordable Care Act is likely to help people who work for small businesses. And over the long run, employers should have better access to low-cost plans and perhaps reduced administrative costs (9/7).
At The End Of Life, A Costly Refusal To Talk About Options Norwich (Conn.) Bulletin
So now, if you or a loved one is handed a terminal diagnosis, and you'd like professional help sifting through the options for end-of-life treatment, you're on your own (Rick Holmes, 9/7).
Open The Window On Hospital Errors Albany (N.Y.) Times Union
As last week's hospital-based infection report underscores, there is a lot of truth in the old saw about how sunlight is the best disinfectant. Our prescription is simple: Apply frequently over a broad area (Jay Jochnowitz, 9/8).
More Rising Costs Lebanon (Penn.) Daily News
Stagnating or falling salaries, disappearing retirement funds and concerns over how long it is before one is unemployed are all part of the picture for today's worker. Then there's this: Amid strong unemployment and a weak economy, workers are paying more of their own health-care costs (9/7).
The Big Small Business Health Insurance Problem Bloomberg/BusinessWeek
We saw no significant effect from providing employee health insurance on firm survival, growth in assets, growth in sales, growth in profits, or growth in employment during the first five years of operation. Stated differently, offering employee health insurance doesn't appear to do anything to improve the performances of young companies, despite what some observers argue (Scott Shane, 9/7). This is part of the Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.