Mike Hennessy

New expanded health-insurance coverage recently kicked in under ObamaCare, and one might think that that politicians facing difficult re-election campaigns would be trumpeting these benefits as part of their last-minute stumping, and that physician groups would now be finding the silver lining in what has otherwise been perceived as a failed legislation. None of this has happened. In fact, what was billed as the crowning achievement of the 111th Congress is turning into an issue its backers would rather simply ignore.

I've frequently discussed the appeal of using blogs and other forms of social media as a means of adding one's voice to the ongoing national conversation about healthcare delivery and finance, and what the future holds for physicians in this country. Now, we're looking for physicians like yourself to join our HCPLive.com network and write about the issues and ideas that matter most to you -- you pick the topics, you set the tone, we'll do the rest.

As the regulations that will define the shape of our reformed healthcare system are fleshed out, evidence continues to emerge that our legislators may have burdened us with a raft of new rules that could do lasting damage to physicians and their patients. Far from promoting greater access and improved care, these changes may instead end up denying patients' freedom of choice, degrading physicians' clinical decision-making authority, and disrupting the trusted physician-patient relationship.

We live in a "crisis culture" -- the financial crisis, the energy crisis, the subprime-mortgage crisis. By calling every upheaval a crisis, the word gets watered down to the point of meaninglessness. Here's a real impending crisis: The primary care crisis. The profession of primary care physician in this country is dying. Fast. Physicians must find a leader who can articulate the serious repercussions of a growing primary care shortage. Otherwise, it will simply become the next crisis of the times.

President Obama and Democratic leaders told us when they passed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that the American public would grow to like it. That certainly hasn't happened yet. My hope is that this law will be repealed, and not because it would be a political disaster for Democrats -- it's a disaster for them already.

One of the more amusing quotes to come out of the healthcare reform debate was this Nancy Pelosi classic, "[Congress has] to pass this bill so that you can find out what's in it." How refreshing and revealing the unvarnished truth can be.

Hello and welcome to the all-new Physician's Money Digest, a web-only version of the august resource that has helped physicians improve their practice, their money, and their lives since 1993.

We are reaching a critical juncture in the steamroll toward healthcare reform a majority of Americans don't want. The political arrogance of a President trying to ram through a sweeping legislative change by means of reconciliation is staggering. The willful disregard of an informed and engaged American public is sobering.

As we speed toward reconciliation of the House and Senate version of the healthcare reform bill that Americans don't want, it's a useful time to look at the bigger picture of the Obama Administration's eventful first year. It isn't a pretty picture.

After months of debate, the House has finalized a healthcare reform bill that the Wall Street Journal recently called "The Worst Bill Ever." The Senate is now bringing a bill to the floor for debate.

The spectacular rejection of the public option earlier this week should be a huge victory for the plan's opponents. So why do I feel like everybody somehow lost?

Of all parties taking part in the national discourse regarding healthcare reform, it is surprising that physicians have not answered the call to arms on the one issue on which all should agree.

In previous blogs, I’ve been highly critical of the “public plan option” that is a part of most of the healthcare reform plans we’ve seen to date. It’s been easy to discredit a trillion dollar reform plan that relies on the efficiencies gleaned through federal involvement.

The cost estimates for universal healthcare seem to change daily, but the one number that seems to keep bubbling up to the surface is $1 trillion. In case you missed that, I repeat: $1 trillion.

Few would deny that our current health system needs a fix, but the consensus ends when we get to the questions of how to fix it and who should fix it. Now, the Obama administration and a Democratic congress are diving in head-first.

Slowly but surely, President Obama's plan for radically shifting our economy from a private sector-led enterprise to a public-led state is beginning to take shape. Because the President is eloquent and confident, the exact message he is delivering often seems obscured by his skill in delivering it.

Whether or not you voted for President Obama, it's hard to imagine someone watching the inauguration ceremony without feeling a sense of hope and optimism. It was, indeed, a historic day, and perhaps it is the beginning of a new culture in Washington.

As 2008 grinds to a close, economic uncertainty has reappeared in a big way after 7 bullish years. Physicians will face a host of challenges in 2009, including continued declines in reimbursement, a new administration likely to increase taxes on capital gains and high earners, and the possibility of sweeping changes to our healthcare system on the distant horizon.

In a free-market economy, everything is connected to everything else. Just like higher gas prices affect your wallet in ways large and small, the current credit crisis has far-reaching implications for your life and your investment strategy, whether or not you’re in the market for a new home or a new car.

With the election now behind us and a new administration taking office in a few short weeks, now is the time to look at what the political and economic landscape might look like under President Obama and a substantial Democratic majority in both houses of Congress.

As a physician, you are a decision maker. Should you open your own practice or join a group? Which, if any, insurance plans will you accept? What treatments will you recommend to your patients?

I have come to the uneasy realization that Senator Obama is going to be the next president of the United States. Senator Obama has struck a chord with many voters by appearing likable and at ease on the campaign trail and in televised debates.