Most filers who received government subsidies to buy Obamacare plans had to pay money back to the IRS this year, according to an H&R Block analysis released Monday that looks at the health law’s first full tax season. The tax-prep giant studied its own massive customer base and concluded that two-thirds of its filers who got subsidies from Obamacare were overpaid during the course of the … [Read more...] about No free ride: Two-thirds of Obamacare recipients had to repay subsidies to IRS
Bacchus Barua: Waiting Your Turn: Wait Times for Health Care in Canada, 2014 Report
(Originally published November, 26 2014) This edition of Waiting Your Turn indicates that, overall, waiting times for medically necessary treatment have not improved since last year. Specialist physicians surveyed across 10 provinces and 12 specialties report a median waiting time of 18.2 weeks between referral from a general practitioner and receipt of treatment. This wait time is 96% longer … [Read more...] about Bacchus Barua: Waiting Your Turn: Wait Times for Health Care in Canada, 2014 Report
HHS Challenges HSA Plans
King vs. Burwell is on the horizon. If the plaintiffs are successful, so goes the theory, subsidies end in 37 exchanges operated by the Department of Health and Human Services and serviced by HealthCare.gov. Coverage gets more expensive, and people won’t be able to afford their policies. But, this outcome was foretold all the way back in the Senate mark-up of the proposed ACA legislation. … [Read more...] about HHS Challenges HSA Plans
27.49% of Everyone’s Tax Bill Is Spent on Health Care
Every year since 2011, the White House has used tax time to post a "Federal Taxpayer Receipt" showing taxpayers how their federal tax dollars are being spent. President Obama introduced the concept in his 2011 State of the Union address, and Wednesday the White House posted the fifth installment so taxpayers can see how "tax dollars are being spent on priorities like education, veterans benefits, … [Read more...] about 27.49% of Everyone’s Tax Bill Is Spent on Health Care
Health-Care Law Trips Up Some at Tax Time
The tax filing season has uncovered lingering wrinkles in the 2010 health-care law that have caused headaches for consumers who incorrectly estimated their income, didn’t use a government exchange to buy an insurance plan or changed coverage during the year. Marta Chapman saw her anticipated $850 federal refund wiped out because she received too much in advance tax credits in 2014 to pay her … [Read more...] about Health-Care Law Trips Up Some at Tax Time
A Bill That Actually Reforms Medicare
Over the long term, the savings from MACRA are enormous. Tomorrow, the Senate will consider H.R. 2, a Medicare-reform bill that has already acquired a classic Beltway acronym, MACRA. Conservatives should give their full support: According to a report released last week, MACRA not only would pay for itself but would result in large net savings to the Medicare program over time, reducing unfunded … [Read more...] about A Bill That Actually Reforms Medicare
Auditor: Little monitoring of Medicaid spending
MONTPELIER – During the past decade, Vermont has spent $675 million setting up Medicaid managed-care programs but has done such a spotty job monitoring them that they can’t even be audited. That’s the upshot from a letter state Auditor of Accounts Douglas Hoffer sent to lawmakers last week. It followed up on an internal report in January by the Agency of Human Services detailing gaps in answers … [Read more...] about Auditor: Little monitoring of Medicaid spending
Supreme Court must decide law, not popularity.
It's spring in Washington, and time to resume one of the capital's favorite sports. No, not baseball, but throwing mud at the Supreme Court. Pending cases include the legal status of same-sex marriage and whether the IRS can provide billions of dollars in Obamacare subsidies without explicit congressional authorization. Partisans have launched a preemptive bid to undermine the legitimacy of the … [Read more...] about Supreme Court must decide law, not popularity.