President Bush and the State of America's Healthcare

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Since President and Hillary Clinton's ill-fated proposals in 1993, the cost of healthcare has doubled and more people than ever have no health insurance at all. In tomorrow's State of the Union Address, President Bush is expected to propose a plan derived from his ideas about ---an ownership society,--- like last year's Social Security reform. As always, the devil is in the details. Health Savings Accounts would shift the costs of medical care from corporate employers to patients themselves, backed by tax breaks. Critics say it's great for the young, healthy and affluent, but bad news for those who get sick. Will it fare any better? We get a preview of a hot debate in this congressional election year. Making News: Jury Selection Begins in Enron TrialIn Houston today, jury selection began in the trial of Ken Lay and Jeffrey Skilling, the former Enron executives accused of fraud, insider trading and lying about Enron's corporate strength. Rebecca Smith, co-author of 24 Days: How Two Wall Street Journal Reporters Uncovered the Lies that Destroyed Faith in Corporate America, has more on the biggest trial in one of America's biggest financial scandals in decades. Reporter's Notebook: US Government Underestimated HamasMahmoud Abbas says he will not step down as President of the Palestinian Authority, despite his Fatah Party's stunning defeat by Hamas in last week's election. Today, President Bush reiterated that the US will not deal with a party that includes an armed wing and whose charter calls for eliminating another country. We hear more about the unintended consequences of the Bush Administration's policy of spreading Democracy in the Middle East from Cliff May of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies and Graham Fuller, formerly of the National Intelligence Council at the CIA.
Since President and Hillary Clinton's ill-fated proposals in 1993, the cost of healthcare has doubled and more people than ever have no health insurance at all. In tomorrow's State of the Union Address, President Bush is expected to propose a plan derived from his ideas about ---an ownership society,--- like last year's Social Security reform. As always, the devil is in the details. Health Savings Accounts would shift the costs of medical care from corporate employers to patients themselves, backed by tax breaks. Critics say it's great for the young, healthy and affluent, but bad news for those who get sick. Will it fare any better? We get a preview of a hot debate in this congressional election year.
  • Making News: Jury Selection Begins in Enron Trial
    In Houston today, jury selection began in the trial of Ken Lay and Jeffrey Skilling, the former Enron executives accused of fraud, insider trading and lying about Enron's corporate strength. Rebecca Smith, co-author of 24 Days: How Two Wall Street Journal Reporters Uncovered the Lies that Destroyed Faith in Corporate America, has more on the biggest trial in one of America's biggest financial scandals in decades.
  • Reporter's Notebook: US Government Underestimated Hamas
    Mahmoud Abbas says he will not step down as President of the Palestinian Authority, despite his Fatah Party's stunning defeat by Hamas in last week's election. Today, President Bush reiterated that the US will not deal with a party that includes an armed wing and whose charter calls for eliminating another country. We hear more about the unintended consequences of the Bush Administration's policy of spreading Democracy in the Middle East from Cliff May of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies and Graham Fuller, formerly of the National Intelligence Council at the CIA.

Enron

Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003

Health Savings Accounts

State High Risk Pool Funding Extension Act of 2005 (HR 4519)

President Bush on Hamas

Credits

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Warren Olney