Obama healthcare plan moves a step closer

BBC reports that after a long, often acrimonious debate Senators voted 60 to 40 along party lines to end debate on the health reform bill at 0100 (0600 GMT) on Monday.Four further votes are scheduled this week on the issue before the final Senate vote on Christmas Eve.

Under the Senate bill, most Americans would have to have health insurance. This marks a significant breakthrough to help ensure that Americans can receive the health treatment they need - regardless of whether they are rich or poor. Historically the US health system has been one of the most expensive in the world.  The proliferation of private providers funded by private insurance companies has led to significant waste and duplication.  At the same time many low income Americans have been unable to pay the premiums which are now required to fund this private healthcare monster.

Time To Change Failed Recipe

Peter's Position blog sees the United Future leader advocating greater use of voluntary and not for profit organisations to help grapple with the thorny social and family issues that have been languishing in the "too hard" basket for decades now.

While there is always the risk that under-resourcing could compound existing social inequalities surely the time has come to try a new approach from the tried and failed framework of centralised government agencies attempting and failing to deal with entrenched failure in education, health, welfare and skills training?

If the challenges of appropriate accountability for public funding and necessary audits can be maintained or made simpler and more effective then perhaps the time has come for a decentralised approach to social service delivery.  Such an approach could work well with the desire by many iwi organisations to take greater autonomy for delivery of services to their own people.

Obama Health Reform Passes First Hurdle

President Obama's landmark healthcare legislation was narrowly passed by the US House of Representatives. The vote marks a significant step towards the Obama administration's goal of extending health coverage to millions of people lacking it.

It's not surprising that the US is slowly moving towards a universal health care system. What is surprising is the unrelenting opposition to the reforms from what appear to be a large number of Americans on the grounds that it is some sort of socialist experiment.

The House voted 220-215 in favour of the bill, which will impose tougher regulations on the health insurance industry and provide cover for around 36 million more Americans.

In a statement, Obama praised the Representatives and said he was "absolutely confident" that the Senate would pass its version of the legislation. "I look forward to signing it into law by the end of the year," the US president said.http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/08/representatives-pass-obama-healthcare-legislation

NZ Immunisation Rates Well Below Par

Our immunisation completion rates are far lower than in many other developed and underdeveloped countries (which have completion rates up to 95%), and there are significant inequities for many of our most vulnerable children. (Māori uptake in Auckland and Counties Manukau is 64%).

The Health Select Committee is inquiring into these matters and is seeking submissions. The terms of reference for this inquiry are as follows:

1. To collate current statistics for New Zealand children on timeliness of delivery and completion of immunisation, and how we compare internationally.
2. To assess how well the New Zealand Immunisation Register is working, and the effectiveness of utilisation.
3. To search relevant world literature for optimal methods of how to achieve timely and high immunisation completion rates.
4. To seek up-to-date information on community concerns, informed consent and conscientious objection issues.
5. To seek an analysis of benefits and disadvantages.
6. To define, and make recommendations as to what methods could be applied at minimal cost to improve immunisation in New Zealand,( bearing in mind the first 60% are easier to get, the next 20-30% require more effort, the next 5% lots of effort and around 5% are declines).

The Health Select Committee committee will be advertising for submissions in the next few days.

The Importance of Social Cohesion

Social cohesion is important not just because it helps make society more stable, more productive and less violent but because it helps all citizens develop positive aspirations for themselves and their families.
Those societies that have a large underclass that is disconnected from the economic mainstream tend to exhibit a greater range of social and economic problems such as crime, racial tensions, violence and industrial unrest.
A progressive income tax, a strong and responsive public health service and high quality public education service are all foundational to a socially cohesive nation. Most mainstream political parties have now come to recognise this. Parties on the Left have long advocated such measures – albeit at times out of a desire to punish the rich. But today some liberal and conservative parties on the centre-right are also choosing to re-incorporate such policies as part of a socially inclusive form of liberal democracy.