Our Health Policy Matters

The Affordable Care Act amendment offered by House leadership yesterday seems well-intended. But it falls far short of the “repeal and replace” promises that have been made for years. Instead of offering better health insurance, more choices, and greater affordability as promised, the draft proposal pushes more people into private health insurance exchanges, through which insurers will offer poorer coverage at a higher cost.  Older adults will immediately pay as much as 60 percent more for their health insurance. All individuals will find themselves subjected to a new “individual mandate,” disguised as a 30 percent premium surcharge for those who lose their coverage for more than two months and for those 26 year olds who fail to enroll as soon as they leave their parents’ policies. A new high risk pool for those with chronic diseases will become a multi-billion dollar unfunded mandate on the states by 2026. Employers will no longer have to provide insurance ...

The Affordable Care Act amendment offered by House leadership yesterday seems well-intended. But it falls far short of the “repeal and replace” promises that have been made for years. Instead of offering better health insurance, more choices, and greater affordability as promised, the draft proposal pushes more people into private health insurance exchanges, through which insurers will offer poorer coverage at a higher cost.  Older adults will immediately pay as much as 60 percent more for their health insurance. All individuals will find themselves subjected to a new “individual mandate,” disguised as a 30 percent premium surcharge for those who lose their coverage for more than two months and for those 26 year olds who fail to enroll as soon as they leave their parents’ policies. A new high risk pool for those with chronic diseases will become a multi-billion dollar unfunded mandate on the states by 2026. Employers will no longer have to provide insurance ...

As the December 14 th and February 14 th dates draw near for states to say whether they will create Affordable Care Act health insurance exchanges and what they will look like, the world seems upside down. Traditional “states’ rights” advocates such as South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, and Texas all say they will let the federal government set up their exchange.  Historically “strong federal government” allies like Connecticut, Massachusetts, California, New York, and the District of Columbia are setting up their own exchanges. In all, sixteen states so far have said they want the federal government to set up their exchange, while eighteen states and the District of Columbia have decided to run their own .  The rest are either undecided or looking to partner with the federal government.  No states are considering a multi-state exchange – so much for “selling insurance across state lines.” The states that are deferring to the federal government...

As the December 14 th and February 14 th dates draw near for states to say whether they will create Affordable Care Act health insurance exchanges and what they will look like, the world seems upside down. Traditional “states’ rights” advocates such as South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, and Texas all say they will let the federal government set up their exchange.  Historically “strong federal government” allies like Connecticut, Massachusetts, California, New York, and the District of Columbia are setting up their own exchanges. In all, sixteen states so far have said they want the federal government to set up their exchange, while eighteen states and the District of Columbia have decided to run their own .  The rest are either undecided or looking to partner with the federal government.  No states are considering a multi-state exchange – so much for “selling insurance across state lines.” The states that are deferring to the federal government...

Here is a question I’d love to see candidates answer before the election. Source: NY Times Does the continuing activity around the implementation of the Affordable Care Act signal the collapse of American capitalism – at least as it pertains to health and health care? The myth of American capitalism is so powerful that I imagine they won’t touch this one with a ten foot pole – or even a ten-foot long poll!  In the politics of our $2.6 trillion healthcare economy, however, capitalism takes a back seat. The recent activities of the Connecticut health exchange board explain why capitalism in health care is about as relevant as a Democratic voter in Utah.  Connecticut is one of the dozen or so states embracing ACA, and is making an impressive effort to implement its health insurance exchange on time in 2014.  By contrast, more than half the states have yet to even declare their intentions, even though the deadline for doing so is mid-November. Accord...

Here is a question I’d love to see candidates answer before the election. Source: NY Times Does the continuing activity around the implementation of the Affordable Care Act signal the collapse of American capitalism – at least as it pertains to health and health care? The myth of American capitalism is so powerful that I imagine they won’t touch this one with a ten foot pole – or even a ten-foot long poll!  In the politics of our $2.6 trillion healthcare economy, however, capitalism takes a back seat. The recent activities of the Connecticut health exchange board explain why capitalism in health care is about as relevant as a Democratic voter in Utah.  Connecticut is one of the dozen or so states embracing ACA, and is making an impressive effort to implement its health insurance exchange on time in 2014.  By contrast, more than half the states have yet to even declare their intentions, even though the deadline for doing so is mid-November. Accord...