Week 2/Article: Gingrich Push on Health Care Appears at Odds With G.O.P.

Date: December 16, 2011

Author: Jim Rutenberg and Mike McIntire 

Page Number: 1

Summary:

Shortly before the passage of President Obama’s stimulus bill in 2009, Newt Gingrich’s political committee put out a video of Mr. Gingrich denouncing it as a “big politician, big bureaucracy, pork-laden bill.”

Mr. Gingrich supports the $19 billion part of Obama's package that promoted the use of electronic health records.

After the bill was passed a month later, Mr. Gingrich’s consultancy, the Center for Health Transformation, joined two of its clients, Allscripts and Microsoft, in an “Electronic Health Records Stimulus Tour” that traveled the country, encouraging doctors and hospitals to buy their products with the billions in new federal subsidies.

As Mr. Gingrich runs for president, he is working to appeal to Republican primary voters in the realm of health care. Mr. Gingrich has been in promoting a series of recent programs that have given the government a bigger hand in the delivery of health care.

He has indicated his agreement with the most controversial aspect of President Obama’s heath care plan, the requirement that every American buy health insurance.

Mr. Gingrich has also defended his support for the prescription drug benefit, and other health care spending. Mr. Gingrich also worked with Dr. McClellan and other Bush administration health officials on electronic records.

Over the years, Mr. Gingrich accumulated more and more clients with an interest in building a national electronic health records system: Allscripts, Siemens, Microsoft and GE Healthcare.

Certainly, his belief in the importance of electronic health records fit with his futurist bent. Huge advances in technology, the argument goes, can enable doctors from different hospitals, different fields and even in different states to work off a single electronic file that would include every medical decision and diagnosis in a given patient’s history. Mr. Gingrich was among leaders of both parties who argued that the technology would save lives and billions of dollars while also providing a huge database of results to judge the efficacy of treatments.

I. The main problem addressed here is the conflict between Gingrich and Obama.

II. N/A

III. N/A

IV. The information doesn't affect me and can't be used by me.

V. The author of the article seems to take a positive position. He makes Gingrich seem appealing by citing information of Gingrich's support for health care and for the betterment of citizens.

VI. The information that is presented will directly affect Gingrich who is a candidate in the political arena. This information will affect him positively because it shows Gingrich's support for health care and for the betterment of citizens.

Work Cited:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/16/us/politics/gingrichs-health-care-policy-history-at-odds-with-gop.html?pagewanted=all