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

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.