We'd welcome your thoughts on President Barack Obama's speech to the AMA on Monday. Here are some excerpts of the speech:

As you read in this week's Part B News, the swine flu is not going away. The World Health Organization (WHO) says there's a "phase 6"  global pandemic, meaning "the same virus has caused sustained community level outbreaks in at least one other country in another WHO region." Here are the latest U.S. statistics on the H1N1 influenza virus outbreak from the CDC. The number of reported cases has reached more than 17,800, and has caused 45 deaths. Subscribers can read more of our coverage, which includes Medicare billing advice, here and here.

The creation of a public health insurance plan - optional for patients, of course - is one of the biggest obstacles to passing a bipartisan health reform bill.

It's also a highly politically sensitive subject, as a recent spat between the AMA and The New York Times shows. The Times ran an article today stating that the AMA "is letting Congress know that it will oppose creation of a government-sponsored insurance plan, which President Obama and many other Democrats see as an essential element of legislation to remake the health care system."

We've wrapped up day two of our 2009 Medicare Provider Enrollment Workshop in Denver and, as I'm typing this, the sun is dipping beneath the rugged skyline, dominated by the eastern range of the Rocky Mountains. Sadly, the (presumably) majestic, snow-capped peaks are hidden by a layer of smoky smog, which has been floating above the city of Denver all week.

Three committees in the House of Representatives released an outline of their health care reform bill, which they hope to pass by August. Here's a list of the proposed changes to Medicare. As always, we're interested in your thoughts.