Comparison Shopping for Medicine

Obama’s Stimulus Package Funds Research on Cutting Costs

Washington Post, By Ceci Connolly, Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, March 17, 2009; Page A02

To help doctors and patients decide, President Obama has dedicated $1.1 billion in the economic stimulus package for federal agencies to oversee studies on the merits of competing medical treatments.

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Obama’s health principles, translated

Politico, By CARRIE BUDOFF BROWN, 3/10/09 4:07 AM EDT

When it comes to health care reform, details are key, but it seems that President Barack Obama plans to avoid the minutiae and let eight vague principles speak for him. As written into the budget delivered to Congress last month, these delicately worded principles were crafted to appeal to the broadest possible audience, but behind each lies hints about Obama’s intentions — and the polarizing debates over taxes, mandates and government-run insurance plans on the horizon.

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Obama open to health-reform board

Politico, By MIKE ALLEN, 3/1/09 11:26 AM EST

Peter Orszag, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, said Sunday that President Obama would consider the idea of a health-care board or commission that would de-politicize the process by taking some power from Congress.   “I think it’s clear that we need some changes in the process,” Orszag told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos on “This Week.”

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