Medicare

While the debate continues in Washington, health care systems nationwide struggle to offset money spent to treat patients who cannot afford to pay their bills.

This is definitely bad news for President Obama and Democrats fighting to push through their version of health reform: A new Washington Post-ABC News poll has concluded that the public is losing faith that reform is needed and will produce positive results.

The poll found that 53 percent of Americans expect to see higher costs if current reforms are enacted, and 50 percent of respondents said they preferred the current health system as is. Thirty-seven percent said they felt their quality of care would be better under a reformed system.

While Democrats rejoiced, Republicans responded that gimmicks had been used to hide the measure’s long-term costs.

Earlier today, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi unveiled health reform legislation that promises to expand health care to 36 million people and fortify Medicare and Medicaid. The House democrats sponsored bill calls for an expansion of Medicaid, an end to insurance companies' exemption from anti-trust laws and an employer mandate for businesses with payrolls of more than $500,000. The estimated cost of the reform legislation is $894 billion over 10 years, spurring ongoing debates about just how much this will add to the federal deficit.

For President Obama, giving up on a public insurance plan could punch a hole in Republican arguments but could also alienate liberal Democrats.

Democrats introduced a health care bill that would expand coverage and raise taxes on high-income people.

The hospital industry, the White House and the Senate Finance Committee have struck a deal under which hospitals will agree to $155 billion in Medicare and Medicaid cuts over the next decade to pay for health reform. The deal hinges on the cuts phasing in as uninsured patients gain coverage, presumably covering the gap as the federal money goes away.

You know your healthcare system is expensive when even the wealthiest families are afraid they can't pay their bills. Of late, such families are turning to financial advisers to help them cope with healthcare expenses, including evaluating care options, looking at their insurance options and handling insurance claims.