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Obama Presses Case For Health Reform
President Barack Obama pitched his health reform proposal Wednesday at a town hall meeting in Annandale, Va., asking the public and Congress to deliver on health care reform.

Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report Feature Highlights Recent Blog Entries
"Blog Watch" offers readers a roundup of health policy-related blog posts.The blogosphere is buzzing about the GOP "alternative" health reform proposal from Sens. Richard Burr (N.C.), Lamar Alexander (Tenn.) and Tom Coburn (Okla.), and Reps. Devin Nunes (Calif.) and Paul Ryan (Wis.). Known as the Patients" Choice Act (.pdf), it would create state-based private health insurance exchanges and provide U.S. residents tax credits to subsidize coverage premiums. Yuval Levin of conservative stalwart The Corner calls the plan "the best comprehensive health care proposal Republicans have produced to date, and shows that at least some in the party understand the need to engage the issue with a grasp of the differences between underlying problems (like cost control) and symptoms of those problems (like access to coverage), and with an actual appreciation for economic incentives and pressures." Marguerite Higgins of the Heritage Foundation"s The Foundry says the plan "features several important conservative principles for health care reform that would allow free-market solutions to take root in the broken U.S. health care system, and give patients more decision-making power with their health care dollars."But Michael Cannon of the libertarian Cato@Liberty blog says he is "troubled" by aspects of the plan that are "self-contradictory." He writes, "On the one hand, it lists "No Tax Increases" as a core concept. Do its authors not know that imposing price controls on health insurance premiums imposes a tax on healthier-than-average consumers? And where do they think the money for "risk-adjustment" payments will come from? Heaven?" The New Republic"s Jonathan Cohn seems to agree, saying, "The details are pretty unappealing, except where there are none; and the whole thing is presented as the antithesis of big government when, in fact, it too would require at least some government intervention." Overall Cohn thinks the plan indicates good news for Democrats, concluding, "Passage of a bill seems ever more likely, to the point where potential opponents feel they must offer alternatives that embrace some of the same concepts."The Washington Post"s Ezra Klein examines the structure of the plan, calling it "the bastard child of the Massachusetts health reforms and the McCain campaign proposal." He also seems to think it"s positive news for reformers, adding, "But it"s still a step forward for the Republican Party. It"s an admission that individuals can"t go it alone. That the state has a large and important regulatory role to play. The business model of insurers is not simply broken but actively cruel. A Republican Party that accepts the principles of this plan is a Republican Party that is much likelier to accept the principles of Obama"s eventual plan." He notes that GOP leadership was not involved in the proposal.Interesting elsewhere:
News of the day
Taxing Fatty Foods Or Health Insurers Gains Traction
Lawmakers are considering two new taxes to help pay for a health care overhaul: a tax on fatty foods and taxing insurers on so-called Cadillac plans. Both proposals were scrutinized in news articles.
Nutrition

New Machel Report Calls For Urgent Action To Protect Children Affected By Armed Conflict

UNICEF and the Special Representative of the Secretary General on Children and Armed Conflict launched the Machel Study 10-Year Strategic Review today, calling on governments, UN agencies, and civil society to urgently step up efforts to protect all children affected by conflict. The report emphasizes that war violates children"s rights: the right to life, the right to family unity, the right to health and education, the right to protection from violence and abuse, and the right to receive humanitarian assistance. Globally, it is estimated that over one billion children live in countries or territories affected by armed conflict - almost one sixth of the total world population. Of these, some 300 million are under the age of five. They suffer from both the direct consequences of conflict, as well as the long-term effects on their development and well-being. With the changing nature of armed conflict, the impact of war on children and young people is more brutal than ever. They are affected by the proliferation of small arms and armed groups, landmines and unexploded ordnances, as well as terrorism and counterterrorism measures. They are recruited as combatants, targeted during attacks against schools and hospitals, victims of aerial bombardments, or illegally detained. Girls and boys also face sexual violence, including rape, which has been used as a weapon of war. Children living in countries of conflict are also more likely to be out of school and threatened by poverty, malnutrition, displacement, and diseases. Since the groundbreaking study by GraÃýa Machel on the impact of armed conflict on children in 1996, the international community has achieved a number of milestones in developing a solid legal protection framework and international standards to prevent the recruitment of children in armed conflict, and ensure their reintegration into communities. Children"s concerns are now also more frequently reflected in peace negotiations and agreements, as well as in the mandates of peacekeeping missions. "Progress has been made in improving international legal protections for children in armed conflict," said UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman. "Children who have lost their childhoods to war should not also lose their futures." The report recommends that all states uphold their responsibility to protect their youngest citizens by stepping up efforts to develop legislation, policy, and action on behalf of children at the national level. "However, much more needs to be done to implement international standards and to ensure compliance in order to hold perpetrators accountable and to stop grave violations against children in times of war. Everybody has a role to play," said Radhika Coomaraswamy, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict. Children and young people also have a powerful role to play in shaping their own futures and in building peace. They can be empowered to rebuild communities, and need to be involved in relief, recovery and reconstruction programs, as part of transition and national reconciliation. The Machel Review is an advocacy tool, resulting from a broad consultation process with governments, UN agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other civil society representatives, including young people. About UNICEF UNICEF is on the ground in over 150 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. The world"s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. About the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict In 1996, Ms. GraÃýa Machel, appointed as an independent expert by the Secretary-General, submitted her report to the General Assembly entitled Impact of Armed Conflict on Children (A/51/306). The report led to the establishment of the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict (OSRSG). The Special Representative serves as a moral voice and independent advocate for the protection and well-being of boys and girls affected by armed conflict. To learn more about the OSRSG"s work, please visit: http://www.un.org/children/conflict UNICEF


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