The Wall Street Journal, March 30, 2015 Two reports released in the past week demonstrate a potential bifurcation in state insurance exchanges: The insurance marketplaces appear to be attracting a disproportionate share of low-income individuals who qualify for generous federal subsidies, while middle- and higher-income filers have generally eschewed the exchanges. On Wednesday, the … [Read more...] about Chris Jacobs: Obamacare Enrollment Split: Subsidies vs. No Subsidies
Oregon’s Failed ObamaCare Exchange Is A Warning For Other States
By Grace-Marie Turner Forbes, March 31, 2015 Governors in 37 states are weighing their options should the Supreme Court conclude the IRS acted illegally in allowing their citizens to receive tax subsidies for health insurance through the federal government’s healthcare.gov website. The Supreme Court will decide, likely by late June, in King v Burwell whether the subsidies are allowed … [Read more...] about Oregon’s Failed ObamaCare Exchange Is A Warning For Other States
Reihan Salam: Hospitals Are Robbing Us Blind
Slate, March 23, 2015 Five years ago this week, Barack Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law, and we’ve been debating it ever since. Like many Americans, I oppose Obamacare, and I think we ought to repeal it and replace it. Over the past few months, however, I’ve come to the conclusion that the fight over Obamacare is a distraction from a much deeper problem, which is that America’s … [Read more...] about Reihan Salam: Hospitals Are Robbing Us Blind
Medicare Part D: A Model for Future Entitlement Reform
By Grace-Marie Turner (PDF) When Congress created the original Medicare program in 1965, physicians had a limited arsenal of medicines available to treat chronic and acute maladies. Like most health insurers at the time, Medicare did not include coverage for prescription drugs. But an explosion of pharmaceutical research and innovation over the next several decades led virtually all private … [Read more...] about Medicare Part D: A Model for Future Entitlement Reform
Who Invented Health Savings Accounts?
By Grace-Marie Turner A Washington Post Fact Checker has captured a concise history of Health Savings accounts in an article investigating whether former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum is the father of HSAs. Post reporter Michelle Lee gives Santorum two Pinocchios, concluding he was not correct in saying earlier this month in Iowa: “I know Al Gore invented the Internet, but I invented … [Read more...] about Who Invented Health Savings Accounts?
Timothy P. Carney: AARP opposes Medicare bill which reduces its profits
The Washington Examiner, March 24, 2015 A major player in health insurance is resisting a bipartisan Medicare bill that would hurt the company's bottom line. That's to be expected. Here's the odd part: The insurance giant is AARP. AARP, formerly the American Association of Retired Persons, is most famous for its $16-a-year membership card that gets you discounts everywhere from the movie … [Read more...] about Timothy P. Carney: AARP opposes Medicare bill which reduces its profits
Michelle Ye Hee Lee: Did Santorum ‘invent’ health savings accounts?
The Washington Post, March 7, 2015 “I know Al Gore invented the Internet, but I invented health savings accounts, believe it or not. I was the first member of Congress back in 1992 to introduce health savings accounts in the United States Congress.” – Rick Santorum (R), speech at Iowa Agriculture Summit, March 7, 2015 Santorum was among several Republican presidential hopefuls touting … [Read more...] about Michelle Ye Hee Lee: Did Santorum ‘invent’ health savings accounts?
Rachel Feintzeig: Health Overhaul Leads to Shorter Work Hours
The Wall Street Journal, March 25, 2015 The Affordable Care Act, signed by President Obama five years ago this week, sparked a host of changes. For some workers, the law’s legacy amounts to fewer hours of paid work. The law’s requirement that larger employers provide affordable insurance to workers putting in 30-plus hour weeks has led some companies to cap the number of hours employees can … [Read more...] about Rachel Feintzeig: Health Overhaul Leads to Shorter Work Hours