Blogs

jtaylor's picture
No longer wheezing but 18-wheelers are overhead
Monday, May 21, 2007 - 9:41am

Just back from a trip to Seattle, wondering how many liters of clean air I pumped into my lungs hiking the streets and riding the ferry to Bainbridge Island.


One thing clean air does to someone with 26 years worth of ozone- and particulate-besotted Valley lungs -- it makes you cough.  And in Seattle there is at least one place where coughs and gasps intersect --- a pedestrian causeway that gets you from Pier 52 into the downtown area near Pioneer Square.

jtaylor's picture
Tool kit for talking health care
Wednesday, May 9, 2007 - 10:30am

I'm always on the lookout for soundbites conveying the complexities of health care without causing MEGO. Here are some handy sniglets, gathered by the Tennessee Hospital Association from a variety of sources.



  • Paperwork: Every hour of patient care in the emergency department creates one hour of paperwork. Also, there are at least 36 different reports that measure hospital quality.
jtaylor's picture
Docking debtor docs
Friday, May 4, 2007 - 2:47pm

Reimbursements for docs can be lousy, but two lawmakers are taking a different approach to docs and dollars. Sens. Carl Levin and Norm Coleman are introducing legislation that would withhold Medicare payments to MDs and other health providers who owe money to the IRS.

jtaylor's picture
Mr. Butts rules
Monday, April 30, 2007 - 10:21am

Ya gotta love the political intrigues surrounding hikes in tobacco taxes.  Look no farther than Mr. Butts, a man dolled up to resemble a cigarette butt, wandering around the Oregon House gallery on April 26. During a long debate, one lawmaker stretched out on a bedroll next to his desk, the Portland Oregonian reported, while four others played cards.

jtaylor's picture
As the political murk clears, we find ...
Tuesday, April 24, 2007 - 9:11am

All the promises, confused comments and best intentions are now being put into legalese as hearings intensify on health care reform legislation in Sacramento. April 27 is the deadline for lawmakers to complete work on bills that have fiscal impact -- they can push them ahead, vote them down or shelve them.


Here are the current key reform bills (nothing as yet from Gov. Schwarzenegger): SB 840, from Sen. Sheila Kuehl; SB 236, from Sen. George Runner; SB 48, from Sen. Don Perata; and AB 8, from Assembly Member Fabian Nunez.