Rob Horowitz: Obamacare: Hold the Shovels
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Tuesday, December 03, 2013
Rob Horowitz, GoLocalWorcester MINDSETTER™
The goals of the Affordable Care Act remain important and essential and it will be ultimately judged by how well it meets them over the long-term—not on its admittedly shaky beginning, believes Rob Horowitz.
The self-inflicted wound of the botched October launch of
Healthcare.gov—the national web site designed for individuals and small businesses to purchase insurance under Obamacare—has done far more political damage than years of loud and insistent Republican attacks. National polls record a significant decline in support for the landmark law, which was not popular in the first place, along with a significant drop in President Obama’s over-all approval rating with specific measures of trust in President Obama moving below 50% for the first time in his Presidency. The widespread operational difficulties are also making it much harder to meet the goal of 7 million new people signed up for health insurance by the March 31, 2014 deadline for purchasing it.
State exchanges
But people who are dancing on the grave of Obamacare, otherwise known as the Affordable Care Act, are doing so prematurely. While as the insurance companies are accurately pointing out there are still major backend difficulties to surmount, it appears that the White House met its self-imposed deadline of November 30 for fixing most of the access problems for consumers. Further, by and large, states that built their own exchanges, the preferred method for individuals purchasing new insurance policies as outlined in the new law, are signing up people at a good pace. Kentucky, California and Rhode Island are examples of state health care exchanges that are working particularly well. Also, data now available from some of the state exchanges show that a sufficient percentage of young healthy people are enrolling. This is a critical component to keeping the price of new insurance policies with-in bounds.
Giving credit where credit is due
Lost in the understandable focus on the problems with the website, is the fact that it is just one aspect of a sweeping comprehensive and needed reform of our broken health care system. Among other important features, Obamcare prevents insurance companies from denying insurance to people with pre-conditions; offers strong incentives for stepped-up primary care and preventive medicine; puts in place needed cost-containment measures and for participating states expands the amount of people eligible for health care coverage under Medicaid.
Premature celebration
Obama is also lucky in his ‘just say no’ opponents. Congressional Republicans do not help their cause by doing flamboyant end zone dances over the problems with the web site. Further, they continue to fail to offer any real substantive alternatives. As a result, they look as if the pre-Obamacare status quo, including unsustainable rising costs and 48 million people without health insurance is just fine with them.
Growing pains
While the jury is certainly out about how well Obamacare will end up working, it is still very much alive and kicking. The history of sweeping policy reforms are that they usually require some adjustments during the implementation phase and it is clear already that this law will be no exception. The goals of the Act remain important and essential and it will be ultimately judged by how well it meets them over the long-term—not on its admittedly shaky beginning.
Rob Horowitz is a strategic and communications consultant who provides general consulting, public relations, direct mail services and polling for national and state issue organizations, various non-profits and elected officials and candidates. He is an Adjunct Professor of Political Science at the University of Rhode Island.
Related Slideshow: Check Out The Grades: Massachusetts Hospitals Report Card
A recent survey released by The Leapfrog Group assigns a Hospital Safety Score, using the report card system of A to F to each of the hospitals in Rhode Island. These grades are based on expert analysis of injuries, infections and errors that cause harm or death during a hospital stay.
Let's see how each of Massachusetts' hospitals were graded from highest to lowest:
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Addison Gilbert Hospital
Gloucester, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: A
Spring 2013 Grade: A
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Anna Jaques Hospital
Newburyport, RI
Fall 2013 Grade: A
Spring 2013 Grade: B
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Baystate Franklin Medical Center
Greenfield, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: A
Spring 2013 Grade: A
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Baystate Medical Center
Springfield, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: A
Spring 2013 Grade: A
(Photo: John Phelan, Wikimedia)
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Berkshire Medical Center
Pittsfield, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: A
Spring 2013 Grade: A
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Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital Milton
Milton, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: A
Spring 2013 Grade: B
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Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Boston, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: A
Spring 2013 Grade: A
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Beverly Hospital
Beverly, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: A
Spring 2013 Grade: A
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Boston Medical Center
Boston, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: A
Spring 2013 Grade: A
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Brigham and Women's Hospital
Boston, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: A
Spring 2013 Grade: A
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Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital
Boston, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: A
Spring 2013 Grade: A
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Cambridge Health Alliance: Cambridge
Cambridge, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: A
Spring 2013 Grade: A
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Cambridge Health Alliance: Whidden
Everett, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: A
Spring 2013 Grade: A
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Cape Cod Hospital
Hyannis, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: A
Spring 2013 Grade: A
(Photo: Davee, Flickr)
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Carney Hospital
Dorchester, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: A
Spring 2013 Grade: A
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Charlton Memorial Hospital: Southcoast Hospitals Group
Fall River, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: A
Spring 2013 Grade: B
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Emerson Hospital
Concord, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: A
Spring 2013 Grade: B
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Hallmark Health System: Lawrence Memorial Hospital of Medford
Medford, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: A
Spring 2013 Grade: A
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Hallmark Health System: Melrose-Wakefield Hospital
Melrose, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: A
Spring 2013 Grade: A
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Harrington Memorial Hospital
Southbridge, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: A
Spring 2013 Grade: A
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Holy Family Hospital
Methuen, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: A
Spring 2013 Grade: A
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Jordan Hospital
Plymouth, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: A
Spring 2013 Grade: C
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Lahey Hospital and Medical Center
Burlington, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: A
Spring 2013 Grade: A
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Leonard Morse Hospital
Natick, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: A
Spring 2013 Grade: A
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Lowell General Hospital
Lowell, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: A
Spring 2013 Grade: A
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Marlborough Hospital
Marlborough, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: A
Spring 2013 Grade: A
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Mercy Medical Center of Springfield
Springfield, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: A
Spring 2013 Grade: C
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Merrimack Valley Hospital
Haverhill, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: A
Spring 2013 Grade: C
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Framingham Union Hospital
Framingham, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: A
Spring 2013 Grade: A
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Milford Regional Medical Center
Milford, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: A
Spring 2013 Grade: A
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Morton Hospital
Taunton, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: A
Spring 2013 Grade: A
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Mount Auburn Hospital
Cambridge, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: A
Spring 2013 Grade: A
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Nashoba Valley Medical Center: A Steward Family Hospital
Ayer, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: A
Spring 2013 Grade: B
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Newton-Wellesley Hospital
Newton, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: A
Spring 2013 Grade: A
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Noble Hospital
Westfield, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: A
Spring 2013 Grade: A
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North Shore Medical Center - Union Hospital
Lynn, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: A
Spring 2013 Grade: A
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Quincy Medical Center
Quincy, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: A
Spring 2013 Grade: A
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Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital
Brockton, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: A
Spring 2013 Grade: A
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South Shore Hospital
South Weymouth, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: A
Spring 2013 Grade: A
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Steward Good Samaritan Medical Center, Inc.
Brockton, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: A
Spring 2013 Grade: A
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St. Luke's Hospital: Southeast Hospitals Group
New Bedford, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: A
Spring 2013 Grade: B
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Steward Norword Hospital
Norwood, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: A
Spring 2013 Grade: A
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Steward St. Anne's Hospital
Fall River, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: A
Spring 2013 Grade: A
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Steward St. Elizabeth's Medical Center
Boston, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: A
Spring 2013 Grade: A
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Sturdy Memorial Hospital
Attleboro, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: A
Spring 2013 Grade: A
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The Cooley Dickinson Hospital
Northampton, MA
Fall 2013 Grade:
Spring 2013 Grade:
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Tobey Hospital: Southcoast Hospitals Group
Wareham, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: A
Spring 2013 Grade: A
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Wing Memorial Hospital & Medical Centers
Palmer, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: A
Spring 2013 Grade: A
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Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital: Needham
Needham, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: B
Spring 2013 Grade: A
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Falmouth Hospital
Falmouth, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: B
Spring 2013 Grade: C
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Holyoke Medical Center
Holyoke, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: B
Spring 2013 Grade: A
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Lawrence General Hospital
Lawrence, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: B
Spring 2013 Grade: B
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Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: B
Spring 2013 Grade: B
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North Shore Medical Center: Salem Hospital
Salem, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: B
Spring 2013 Grade: B
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Saints Medical Center
Lowell, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: B
Spring 2013 Grade: B
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St. Vincent at Worcester Medical Center
Worcester, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: B
Spring 2013 Grade: A
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Tufts Medical Center
Boston, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: B
Spring 2013 Grade: A
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Winchester Hospital
Winchester, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: B
Spring 2013 Grade: B
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HealthAlliance Hospital
Leominster, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: C
Spring 2013 Grade: B
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North Adams Regional Hospital
North Adams, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: C
Spring 2013 Grade: A
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U Mass Memorial Medical Center
Worcester, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: C
Spring 2013 Grade: Not Graded*
*Not graded because the hospital did not respond to Leapfrog's voluntary survey
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U Mass Memorial Medical Center: Memorial Campus
Worcester, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: C
Spring 2013 Grade: C
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Athol Memorial Hospital
Athol, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: Not Graded*
Spring 2013 Grade: Not Graded*
*Not graded because the hospital did not respond to Leapfrog's voluntary survey
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Baystate Mary Lane Hospital
Ware, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: Not Graded*
Spring 2013 Grade: Not Graded*
*Not graded because the hospital did not respond to Leapfrog's voluntary survey
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Boston Children's Hospital
Boston, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: Not Graded*
Spring 2013 Grade: Not Graded*
*Not graded because the hospital did not respond to Leapfrog's voluntary survey
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Clinton Hospital
Clinton, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: Not Graded*
Spring 2013 Grade: Not Graded*
*Not graded because the hospital did not respond to Leapfrog's voluntary survey
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Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Boston, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: Not Graded*
Spring 2013 Grade: Not Graded*
*Not graded due to lack of publicly available data
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Fairview Hospital
Great Barrington, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: Not Graded*
Spring 2013 Grade: Not Graded*
*Not graded because the hospital did not respond to Leapfrog's voluntary survey
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Martha's Vineyard Hospital
Oak Bluffs, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: Not Graded*
Spring 2013 Grade: Not Graded*
*Not graded because the hospital did not respond to Leapfrog's voluntary survey
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Massachusetts Eye And Ear
Boston, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: Not Graded*
Spring 2013 Grade: Not Graded*
*Not graded because the hospital did not respond to Leapfrog's voluntary survey
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Nantucket Cottage Hospital
Nantucket, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: Not Graded*
Spring 2013 Grade: Not Graded*
*Not graded because the hospital did not respond to Leapfrog's voluntary survey
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New England Baptist Hospital
Boston, MA
Fall 2013 Grade: Not Graded*
Spring 2013 Grade: Not Graded*
*Not graded because the hospital did not respond to Leapfrog's voluntary survey
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