Word from the White House: Economists Say Reform Will Strengthen America's Fiscal Health

Word from the White House: Economists Say Reform Will Strengthen America's Fiscal Health
Posted by Jesse Lee on November 18, 2009 at 12:07 PM EST
It's no secret that institutions of all stripes focus their communications on certain messages day to day. We thought it would all be a little more open and transparent if we went ahead and published what our focus will be for the day, along with any related articles, documents, or reports.

Supporting letter: 20 Leading Economists Write to President Obama, 11/17/09

Talking Points: Economists Say Reform Will Strengthen America’s Fiscal Health

•Yesterday, a group of 20 leading economists wrote a letter to the President confirming that measures that are included in the Senate Finance Committee legislation and that they hope to see considered on the senate floor "will reduce long-term deficits, improve the quality of care, and put the nation on a firm fiscal footing."
•The measures, they say, will "help transform the health care system from delivering too much care, to a system that consistently delivers higher-quality, high-value care."
•The economists lauded the following key measures:
◦A fee on insurance companies offering high-premium plans — which would create a strong incentive for more efficient plans that would help reduce the growth of premiums.
◦Establishing a Medicare commission — which would develop and submit proposals to Congress aimed at extending the solvency of Medicare, slowing Medicare cost growth, and improving the quality of care delivered to Medicare beneficiaries.
◦Reforms in the delivery system to ensure that patients receive high-quality, high-value care.
◦And, as the President has insisted from the beginning, the legislation does not add a dime to the deficit.