Ceasefire on Health Care Podcast
The nation’s health care system is in crisis. There are millions of Americans without health insurance and the numbers continue to grow at a staggering pace. That problem, coupled with rising health care costs, increased health disparities, and technology that has not kept up with the 21st century, all led former Senator John Breaux to conclude that the time has come for bipartisan health care reform. Ceasefire on Health Care is a campaign Senator Breaux is spearheading to identify areas of common ground between the political parties by bringing together Republican and Democrat policymakers and key opinion leaders to ask meaningful questions about where compromise can be made. As the 2006 midterm elections and 2008 presidential elections loom, it is crucial to avoid the partisanship and rhetoric that normally surrounds the topic.
As part of the campaign, Ceasefire on Health Care will provide weekly podcast episodes that feature different aspects of the health care system that need reform, recommendations from policymakers, and Senator Breaux’s comments. Speakers include Senator Hillary Clinton, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, former HHS Secretaries Donna Shalala and Tommy Thompson, former Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, and former Budget Committee Chair Don Nickles. Each new episode will be posted every Wednesday and will run approximately five minutes in length.
Episodes
Individual Responsibility in Managing Your Health
Senator John Breaux discusses with Peter Pitts, Center for Medicine and the Public Interest, and David Kendall, the Progressive Policy Institute, on being proactive in your health care regimen.
The Current Status of Health Care in America and the Future
Highlights of a discussion with leading policy thinkers Rick Pollack of the American Hospital Association (AHA) and John Rother of AARP on the current status of health care in America.
Lincoln and Smith
Senator John Breaux discusses the challenges of reforming the health care system, especially during the 109th Congress, with Senators Gordon Smith and Blanche Lincoln.
Communicating Reform - Breaux
Senator John Breaux comments on strategies and techniques for successfully communicating health care reform messages to policy makers across both aisles and the general public.
Fleischer and McCurry
Senator John Breaux provides an overview of a forum held recently with former Press Secretaries Ari Fleischer and Mike McCurry, who provided valuable insight on packaging health care reform communications for the public.
Massachusetts' Uninsured Plan - Breaux
Senator John Breaux talks about the new, revolutionary insurance program that Governor Mitt Romney recently signed into law in Massachusetts to cover the uninsured.
Daschle and Nickles
Senator John Breaux takes a retrospective look at a panel held where former Senators Tom Daschle and Don Nickles found common ground on a wide range of health care topics.
MMA - Breaux
Senator John Breaux comments on the implementation of the Medicare Modernization Act (MMA) and its impact on the heath care of our nation's seniors, while reviewing its private-public partnership model and the role of preventative services in the new law.
Thompson and Shalala
Senator John Breaux moderates a panel discussion with former Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretaries Tommy Thompson and Donna Shalala, in which they talk about the Medicare Modernization Act and the Massachusetts' new insurance program.
HIT - Breaux
Senator John Breaux explores the implications of using health information technology to achieve health care reform, addressing its benefits, barriers to adoption and the pressing need to modernize our nation's medical records.
Hillary and Newt
Senator John Breaux reviews the need to modernize our nation's medical records with health information technology while listening to highlights from a forum held with former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and Senator Hillary Clinton.
Ceasefire Intro
Senator Breaux gives listeners an introduction to the Ceasefire on Health Care campaign, an effort to stimulate dialogue among leading Republican and Democratic policymakers to come to a consensus on public policies to address health care issues.
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