The Medicare drug benefit is a potentially important benefit for many of our most vulnerable Americans, particularly patients with low incomes, who are in poor health. It will be important to monitor whether low-income nursing home residents qualify for premium and cost-sharing subsidies.

These findings provide evidence that high-deductible and consumer-driven plans may undermine the two basic purposes of health insurance: to reduce financial barriers to needed care and protect against high out-of-pocket cost burdens for patients.

The jump in uninsured among those with modest incomes is alarming, particularly at a time when our economy has been improving. If we don't act soon to expand coverage to the uninsured, the health of the U.S. population, the productivity of our workforce, and our economy are at risk.

You can't give it out to some and not others.

High-deductible health plans, with or without health savings accounts, are being designed to try and control health care costs from the demand side, and they are really quite controversial at this point.

Higher spending doesn't mean we receive more or better care. We simply pay more.

In the near future, our nation faces the daunting challenge of meeting the needs of growing numbers of older Americans ? including baby boomers nearing retirement age ? for nursing home, home health, and assisted living care. Healthcare leaders support strategies to spread these costs widely, rather than place the entire burden on individuals or families.

The average premium for health insurance exceeds the annual income of a minimum wage worker.

It's not as if they are ready to say they won't get you the records. It's not an extra thing.

It's a pretty minor, very targeted set of policy prescriptions that don't go to the root of our fundamental problems in the health-care system.