A nonpartisan government watchdog said Thursday that the Obama administration is violating the law by directing funds in an ObamaCare program to insurers instead of to the U.S. Treasury. Republicans, who had argued that the payments were illegal, hailed the Government Accountability Office (GAO) opinion. At issue is ObamaCare’s so-called reinsurance program, which is designed to stabilize … [Read more...] about Watchdog: ObamaCare program made illegal payments
Health Insurance
A Behind-The-Scenes Look At The House Republican ‘Better Way’ Proposals
When he was chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, Paul Ryan was frustrated when decisions about tax and other legislation under his committee’s jurisdiction emanated from the House leadership offices rather than from his committee. When he was elected Speaker last fall, he promised to change that, and, in the “Better Way” package of policy proposals, he has delivered. House committee … [Read more...] about A Behind-The-Scenes Look At The House Republican ‘Better Way’ Proposals
‘Are Out-of-Pocket Medical Costs Too High?’ – NO: Artificially Lowering Costs Will Impede Crucial Innovation
Doctors who stare at computer screens rather than look at their patients. Mountains of incomprehensible medical bills and statements. Soaring premiums and deductibles. What do these have in common? They are the result of a system that does not provide meaningful incentives for innovation, cost-efficiency or higher-quality, consumer-friendly health care. Of course people want no out-of-pocket … [Read more...] about ‘Are Out-of-Pocket Medical Costs Too High?’ – NO: Artificially Lowering Costs Will Impede Crucial Innovation
The pros and cons of selling health insurance across state lines
Obamacare has not done much to slow the growth of health care costs. Government actuaries project that health spending will grow 5.8% a year over the next decade — substantially faster than growth in the economy. Could Republican proposals to sell health insurance across state lines bend the cost curve and make premiums more affordable? The idea seems simple enough. Right now, if you are buying … [Read more...] about The pros and cons of selling health insurance across state lines
Selling Health Insurance Across State Lines––A Really Dumb Idea
Any candidate that suggests such a scheme only shows how unsophisticated he and his advisers are when it comes to understanding how the insurance markets really work––or could work. I gave a speech to 750 health insurance brokers and consultants in DC last week. When selling health insurance across state lines, something Trump and a number of other Republican presidential candidates have … [Read more...] about Selling Health Insurance Across State Lines––A Really Dumb Idea
Major Companies Band Together to Control Health Care Costs
Twenty of the nation’s largest corporations have formed a coalition to create a more cost-efficient way of delivering health benefits to their employees. The Health Transformation Alliance (HTA), an initiative conceived by the American Health Policy Institute, wants to open the health care black box by increasing transparency of health care costs. The Institute is headed by Tevi Troy, a former … [Read more...] about Major Companies Band Together to Control Health Care Costs
Congress Must Stop the Flow of Corporate Welfare to Insurers
This could be a very merry Christmas for Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) of Texas. The Obama administration wants to stuff its stocking with $257,172,917.34 – at your expense – to compensate the company for losing scads of money last year selling Obamacare policies in the Lone Star State. That would bring that single company’s total corporate welfare haul for the 2014 plan year to $843.3 … [Read more...] about Congress Must Stop the Flow of Corporate Welfare to Insurers
400,000 Citizens To Lose Health Insurance (Again) Because Of Obamacare Co-Op Failures
The two largest state health insurance co-operatives created as part of a grand ObamaCare experiment have announced they are closing at the end of this year, joining others that have failed and even more that are insolvent and likely to fail. The Kentucky Health Cooperative announced on Friday it is going out of business and will not enroll new members next year, leaving 51,000 members to find … [Read more...] about 400,000 Citizens To Lose Health Insurance (Again) Because Of Obamacare Co-Op Failures