Grace-Marie Turner

In a recent speech to several hundred legislators and state health officers, Secretary Sebelius categorically asserted “this is not a bait-and-switch.”  She was referring to the federal government’s commitment to funding 90% of the Medicaid expansion in perpetuity. There is widespread fear among the states that Uncle Sam will renege on this promise, leaving them holding the bag for whatever … [Read more...] about Chris Conover: Secretary Sebelius, Obamacare Has Become A Massive ‘Bait and Switch’

If Massachusetts residents have the feeling they’re getting less coverage from their health insurance even though it’s costing more, there’s now evidence that they’re right. A state report says Bay State premiums rose 9.7 percent between 2009 and 2011, while the value of that coverage shrank 5.1 percent. “What we’ve seen over the last couple of years is that premiums are growing faster than … [Read more...] about Martha Bebinger: Mass. Residents Paying More, Getting Less From Health Insurance

If the ObamaCare health insurance exchanges are to function properly, it is crucial that a substantial number of people ages 18-34 join them. This age group that is young and relatively healthy must purchase health insurance on the exchanges in order to "cross-subsidize" people who are older and sicker. Without the young and healthy, the exchanges will enter a "death spiral" where only the older … [Read more...] about David Hogberg: Why The “Young Invincibles” Won’t Participate In The ObamaCare Exchanges and Why It Matters

We are not in the habit of quibbling with academic studies, but the recent report on health exchange rate submissions by the office of the HHS Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) needs some truth-in-labeling. Using an obscure and debatable methodology, ASPE claims to demonstrate that the cost of insurance in the Affordable Care Act’s new health exchanges is actually going to … [Read more...] about Joel White: Health Exchanges Will Not Lower Insurance Costs

The Obama administration’s recent decision to postpone enforcement of the employer mandate, a key provision of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and the House’s recent vote to delay both the employer mandate and the individual mandate (with 35 Democrats joining most Republicans in supporting delay of the employer mandate, and 22 Democrats on the individual mandate) should come as no surprise to close … [Read more...] about Josh Archambault: Obamacare’s Rocky Start

The American Action Forum catalogues 18 major provisions of the Affordable Care Act that already have been delayed, changed, or repealed – all before the major provisions of the law are scheduled to take effect in 2014. Clearly this law is not ready for prime time.  To protect taxpayers from fraudulent claims on tax dollars and to protect potential ObamaCare applicants from identify theft, the … [Read more...] about ObamaCare: Delays and Cancellations