Montana’s Democratic Governor Brian Schweitzer believes his state should follow Vermont’s lead in progressive health care reform at the state level. He plans to ask the federal government to grant Montana waivers to adopt a better system modeled after the one used in the neighboring Canadian province of Saskatchewan.

The percentage of young American adults between the ages of 18-25 without health insurance decreased over the past year, while the percentage of adults over 26 without insurance increased, according to Gallup.

The only thing worse than Washington being foolishly swept up in unnecessary deficit hysteria when our political leaders should be focused on jobs, is that all these so called “deficit hawks” entirely ignore the actual best solutions to shrink our long term deficit. That is why it is encouraging to see more regular exposure of the fact that adopting Medicare for All is the best way to address our long term deficit concerns.

Regular voters actually like real progressive health care reforms when that is what is offered. Expanding public health insurance programs is popular. During the health care debate large majorities always supported allowing people to buy into Medicare, the public option, and expanding Medicaid. It is the corporatism people hate.

The main problem with our health care system is… the health care system itself. The chart shows that the US has the lowest life expectancy when plotted against 19 other affluent nations, AND spends the most money on health care. We have the worst of all possible worlds, and the Affordable Care Act isn’t going to radically improve matters,

John McCain has now signed on for Mitch McConnell’s debt limit plan. I don’t think there’s much doubt that the votes are there in the Senate – even over 60 if someone like Jim DeMint or Rand Paul filibusters – to pass the bill. The House is another matter, as Eric Cantor has gone rogue and is making his leadership play by creating wild demands that nobody will accept. Ultimately, the President still wants a bipartisan deal, but I still think it’s a good bet that the bomb gets defused, one way or another.

Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley has released a new report that indicates Gov. Deval Patrick’s goal of controlling health care cost by moving the state towards a global payment method is unlikely to product real savings

Think that Medicare for all is something that has to be done all at once nationally? Thank again, Libby MT. has it, and so could the rest of the nation, if HR 676 could be passed.

Another problem for Romney-care. Even with an individual mandate private insurers in Massachusetts costs to consumers rise faster than public plans. How much more evidence do we need that single payer health care is the only affordable way to go?

The oft confused Sen. Lieberman gets taken to the woodshed by Nobel winner Paul Krugman. It turns out that the best way to hold down costs is not to cut Medicare but expand it.