This week, the Kaiser Family Foundation released a study showing health care providers are charging higher premiums this year over last. Reed Abelson, New York Times, Health Care Industry Reporter discusses the increases not only in light of how much it costs providers but also how much it cost families and individuals. Guest also discusses how increases in prices impact the Obama Administration’s efforts on health care coverage.
Joao Vale De Almeida, European Union Ambassador to the United States: Topic - The 17 euro zone members are in the process of expanding the European Financial Stability Facility to that which most analysts say will be, at $600 billion, grossly inadequate to extinguish the crisis, since it lacks the means to cope with the larger economies of Italy and Spain.
Steve Landefeld, Bureau of Economic Analysis, Director discusses the nation’s productivity and how it is measured, including the gross domestic product and standard of living. Issues include how the GDP is used in policy decisions; whether the government’s indicators of economic growth are up-to-date, and if they reflect the well-being of average Americans.