Commentary about the stimulus plan and health care

Editorial writers had varied reactions to the proposal. In this new feature, we bring you opinion highlights from around the nation.

A health-tech monopoly

Both the House and Senate stimulus bills include about $20 billion in incentive payments (mainly through Medicare and Medicaid) to encourage the digitization of medical records. Fair enough. But one of the reasons only an estimated 17% to 29% of doctors use health IT is because there are still many technical issues to work out. The Wall Street Journal, Feb. 11

Don't sacrifice privacy when digitizing medical records

The worst fear of privacy experts is that medical data, once computerized, will go the way of financial data -- something to be sliced and diced by data miners. Credit bureaus tag consumers with credit scores. Medical data in the hands of businesses outside strict privacy laws could be turned into health scores, which would follow an individual through life, leading to discrimination by employers or other punitive actions. USA Today, Feb. 16

Strong medicine for the recession

The U.S. has high and relentlessly growing healthcare costs, but approximately 46 million Americans are uninsured. We've got to find innovative ways to improve this situation, especially with costs expected to rise further as Baby Boomers age and the national obesity rate climbs. Fort Worth (Texas) Star-Telegram, Feb. 12

Time for health reform

With a stimulus package done, health care should be next for President Obama. Opponents of so-called socialized medicine would have a better case if the current system was working, but clearly it is not. As it stands, health care is a budget-buster from the federal to the personal level. Rutland (Vt.) Herald, Feb. 16

Health "efficiency" can be deadly

One provision causing increasing concern is the future role of the National Coordinator of Health Information Technology, who will be in charge of collecting and monitoring the health care being provided to every American. Think of it, a centralized, federal database tracking your every visit to a health care provider -- where you went, who you saw, what was diagnosed and what care was provided. Chilling. The Washington Times, Feb. 11