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CPR #173

This is one of the best issues of your newsletter. I often refer to it on the HCREI [Health Care Reform Education Institute] website www.healthcarereform.com.
   Keep up the great work.
- Vince Cangello, MD

CPR #172

Great comments on your most recent newsletter. Heritage’s situation reminds me of the limerick about the lady and the tiger. Except in this case, we’ll all be eaten.
- John LaPlante

Thanks to you and Larry for the e-mails. They are truly appreciated. I bring many of them up to colleagues on the CMA [California Medical Association] executive committee for discussion. Keep the faith.
- Jim Hinsdale

CPR #171

Masterfully done, as usual from you.
   May our great God bless you with continued wisdom and good health to carry on in this great cause.
- dh leavitt

CPR #169

This is undoubtedly, in my humble opinion, the most common sense description of what drives medical usage.
   Statistical analysis is fine, but understanding is something else. Understanding requires personal contact and a love of people. It requires patience and listening. In the case of differences between Miami and Minneapolis, it would be worth asking if there is something about Miami’s Jewish culture that results in a different use of health care than the largely Lutheran culture in Minneapolis.
   It is cultural, just ask my wife who works in Hartford’s inner city Children’s hospital. Understanding patients and applying common sense are the two most important factors going forward in this whole medical service delivery debate.
   Excellent observation.
- Rick Willard

Great stuff in here as usual.
- Eric Remjeske

Loved your slam of Kelley Butler’s editorial. EB News should be ashamed.
- Anne Silverman

CPR #168

Your comment on “underinsurance” is one of your best ever. I cannot believe that this trope has been inserted so solidly into the media mindset.
- John R. Graham

CPR #167

Thanks Greg! This was very timely, as I just got off the phone with a Democratic friend of mine who was praising (putting it mildly) Obama and saying how Bobby Jindal had “lied” about the super train from LA to Las Vegas and how Republicans always lie in their response. I have never thought either party had an exclusive on that. Political expediency makes liars out of both sides! I appreciate the fodder to keep my friend and my exchange of ideology going.
   Best wishes to you for all the work you do!
- Richard A. Beale

Interesting. You make good points. I wonder who gave Obama these data.
- Uwe Reinhardt

Excellent work on the bankruptcy data. Why not an editorial on this?
- Regina Herzlinger

Damn you’re good, Greg. If I could pay you in kudos, you’d be a rich man. Thanks as always for this fine work.
- Stephen A. Moses

In a fit of electronic tidiness I managed to delete a few files I wanted to keep. In particular, I wiped out my copy of Consumer Power Report #167 (2/25) that had a great article about the medical bankruptcy baloney. Could you send it to me when you get a chance? The points you made and the references are valuable, and this idiotic issue just keeps coming up. Thanks.
- Joe Antos

CPR #165

Thanks for all your hard work ... and we will prevail!!!
- Harv Randecker

You do GREAT stuff! Excellent.
   Keep it going!
- Jim Gordon

CPR #164

Thank God for you. ... I really admire what your work has given me personally and how I have been able to take it to the marketplace. I can’t imagine not having your common sense that you provide me/us to give to our clients all. ... God Bless you and continued success ... on to a 100!
- Livio Andreatta

CPR #162

Very good piece on that KFF survey. OK to republish with attribution? Keep up the great work. Discouraging times, I know, but persistence pays in the end.
- Steve Moses

Well said and I couldn’t agree with you more on the above. I enjoy your reports and find the information always useful and relevant. Keep up the good work!
- Lori Gluth

Good stuff as usual, Greg. Here’s another kick at the can from this end.
- John B. Torinus Jr.

Just wanted to drop you a note to say I fully enjoy reading these. Yes, you are up to the task with these missives! They are excellent, and really help me stay up-to-date on the details as we are battling on all fronts for small business.
Thanks again!
- Karen Kerrigan

I agree with everything you said. There is wisdom in the masses. I think the masses respect education and are willing to pay for good service in the right setting. Thanks for what you do.
- M. Baldwin, Jr., M.D.

CPR #160

You hold your ground like no one I know. To be uncompromising in one’s values is nearly non existent in D.C. so congratulations on being a point of light there.
   You have said we must say what we want and stick with it ... too many deals with the devil going on out there.
- Steve Bassett

CPR #159

Good job on this one especially regarding “The Ponzi Nation”. I loved it!
- Rich Dolinar, MD

Thank you for your tireless work again in 2008 on behalf of a rational health care system in the USA.
- Frank Richards

CPR #154

You are doing great work by assembling all the information out there and then cutting through it. Thanks.
- John B. Torinus Jr.

CPR #152

Thanks Greg. Great work.
- Dave Racer

Keep up the fine work. Thanks for everything.
- Bob Geist, MD

This is an outstanding overview of the situation. I’ve been working very closely with the ABA HSA Council to stay on top of these issues and try to have an impact. Thanks for your insights.
- Beth Griffin

Well said, Greg.
   Thank goodness we have a few like you fighting the good fight and standing our ground. Hang in there.
- Stephen A. Moses

Excellent, prophetic commentary.
- Beverly Gossage

As ever, you are right on target.
- DH Leavitt

Excellent review. ... McCain got outsmarted by a Chicago Politician who saw through the campaign finance fraud.
- Henry Kruse

I hope this email finds you well! Thank you as always for the wonderful updates!
- Molly Sandvig

You are doing a great job! Keep up the good work! Glad to support your efforts!
- Larry S. Chapman MPH

CPR #151

Your study of the distribution of income and health status could/should give the lie to the commonly heard objection that HSA’s and CDHC in general attract only the “healthy and the wealthy.”
- Larry Kneisley, MD

CPR #150

I’ve been on your email list for some time now. I’m not sure how I got on your list, but I’m glad I did, I’ve enjoyed learning through your emails and website.
- Steve Parkhurst

CPR #148

I enjoyed this issue as always. I did hear that Anthem is dropping their Medicare MSA next year. Seems like they had very little interest (plus nobody knew it existed). Keep up the good work!
- John Velines

CPR #147

This issue was exceptionally good in understanding the perspective on single payer. I can’t think of a single item that could be worse for this country or our citizens’ well being than single payer. Keep up the good work.
- Del Meyer, MD

CPR #146

Fascinating to read your response to the Kaiser study in light of what the Pioneer Press reported today. Almost like two different planets, and I like yours much better.
- Dave Racer

Always enjoy reading CPR ... and it’s a lot better than having the other CPR administered on me.
- Jan Ozga

CPR #145

We appreciate your kind words about Mr. Rooney. No question in my mind that Pat saw a vision that inspired individuals like me to become involved in the CDHC movement and build out innovative business platforms. We will miss Pat in the industry but know that gentlemen like Dan Perrin and yourself will continue the fight on our behalf. We all pray for his family and owe a debt of gratitude for his inspiration and accomplishments.
- Craig Keohan

I am deeply saddened by the terrible news of Mr. Patrick Rooney’s passing away and would like to convey my sincere condolences to all his admirers. May God bless his soul.
- Gity Toufanian

CPR #143

I always find your newsletter interesting and am a strong advocate of CDHPs and HSAs having had an individual Golden Rule HSA family plan since early in 2004.
- Howard Berry

This is another outstanding edition of CPR. Thanks.
- John R. Graham

CPR #141

You do us all a great service keeping us in your loop.
- Dave Durenberger

CPR #140

Your expose on the Commonwealth Fund is excellent. That’s just the kind of stuff we need to make the other side look silly.
- Merrill Matthews

CPR #139

Awesome, awesome issue, Greg. Jam-packed with tremendous facts and info that anyone in the health insurance reform debate should be able to take to the bank.
- Joe Guarino

Great report as usual.
- Rick Willard

Thank you Greg for all the encouraging information and news updates.
   Your work is greatly appreciated.
   I continue to inform patients regularly about HSAs at the end of their medical visits.
   I will add your website link to my HSA section soon.
- Dr. Robb

CPR #138

Your piece about the “pooling effects” and premium increases in MN strikes a familiar chord. Thanks for doing all the right things.
- Steve Barchet, MD

CPR #135

Keep up the good fight.
   You might not have seen these from yesterday’s MA Commonwealth Connector meeting:
   2009 will bring about the enforcement of “comparability” rules in the MA health plan process. Many plans will not meet these requirements--even with the modifications proposed this week (which do attempt to address HSAs). Any innovation or new medical delivery approaches seem to have no room to flourish under the comparability rules.
   No wonder the cost of coverage is so high in MA. Last, I predict an ERISA preemption lawsuit once the 2009 comparability rules sink in.
- Andy Anderson

CPR #134

Thanks for your wonderful words of insight. A lot of great progress for the health care finance reform movement on my side. Wishing you and yours a great holiday weekend as well.
- Tom Schmidt