healthinsurance.org editors comment ...

What the ACA means for mental health coverage - Addiction services researcher Keith Humphreys and Harold Pollack discuss health reform's implications for mental health treatment

Harold Pollack — Fri, 17 May 2013 15:27:50 +0000

Perhaps the most under-covered aspect of health reform is its dramatic expansion of coverage for the treatment of psychiatric and substance abuse disorders. The Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion will finance care for millions of low-income Americans, now uninsured, who suffer from these conditions.

Health Wonk Review for May 9, 2013 - All the news about health reform that's fit to ... uh ... blog

Steve Anderson — Thu, 09 May 2013 22:59:40 +0000

The latest greatest edition of Health Wonk Review is live over at Managed Care Matters and, as host Joe Paduda notes, it’s all about health care cost trends, reform implementation. This edition includes a collection of posts speculating about the likelihood of decreasing health care costs over the next decade. It also offers several pieces focused [...]

No shortage of health insurance ‘flavors’ ahead - Consumers shouldn't fall for headlines predicting that carriers will provide few plan options in ACA's health insurance marketplaces

Wendell Potter — Tue, 07 May 2013 20:15:02 +0000

It will be almost five months before the states’ health insurance exchanges will be up and running and already we’re seeing media stories suggesting that some insurance companies will not sign up to sell their policies on the exchanges – at least not right away. “Big insurers wary of entering new Obamacare markets,” read the [...]

Medicare Advantage – or DISAdvantage? - Overpaid by federal government, private program may actually keep critically ill patients from from getting the coverage they need

Wendell Potter — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 22:41:12 +0000

Wendell Potter says he believes his mother is alive today because she was disenrolled from a Medicare Advantage plan that wouldn't have covered costs of care that Traditional Medicare covers.

26 million eligible for help paying premiums - Affordable Care Act's premium tax credits will help low- and middle-income Americans purchase private insurance coverage

Ron Pollack — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 15:59:06 +0000

We at Families USA estimate that nearly 26 million Americans will be eligible for premium tax credits to help make health coverage affordable.

ACA opponents spread doubt, confusion over business exchanges - 'Doomsters' grasp at opportunity to predict Obamacare's demise

Maggie Mahar — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 20:06:46 +0000

The HHS has announced a temporary change to rules for the ACA's SHOP program. Critics of the ACA are using the change to spread confusion and doubt about the law.

Health Wonk Review for March 28, 2013

Steve Anderson — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 19:47:54 +0000

In case you missed it last week, the latest edition of Health Wonk Review is live. This week, it's hosted by Julie Ferguson over at the Workers' Comp Insider.

A helping hand for Rep. Marsha Blackburn: - Industry insider Wendell Potter offers help get to the bottom of premium increases faced by Tennessee business owners

Wendell Potter — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 16:45:27 +0000

In fact, one of the real objectives of the “Time for Affordability” PR and advertising campaign the insurance industry is waging is to obscure a reality they want us and our lawmakers to ignore or forget: insurance premiums have become unaffordable not because of health care reform but because insurers have been able to get away with raising rates as high as necessary to meet profits expected by board members, shareholders and Wall Street financial analysts.

Title of Congressional hearing said it all: - At 'Unaffordable' hearing, House Majority lawmakers wanted to hear only that reform law makes health insurance unaffordable

Wendell Potter — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 20:43:47 +0000

I was stunned when Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-N.C.), accused me of being disingenuous because I told the story of a Florida woman who might be alive today had she not been blackballed by insurance companies after being treated for breast cancer several years ago.

Health Wonk Review for March 14, 2013

Steve Anderson — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 04:39:00 +0000

The latest edition of Health Wonk Review is up, hosted over at the Health Business Blog. Thanks to David E. Williams for the great wrap-up.

Who is Douglas Holtz-Eakin and why is he saying such terrible things about health reform? - A preview of tomorrow’s House hearing on Obamacare

Maggie Mahar — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 06:00:10 +0000

Douglas Holtz-Eakin uses some pretty fuzzy "facts" (and we use that term loosely) in his attempts to badmouth the Affordable Care Act.

Can we control spending AND improve quality? - Michael Chernew discusses the realities of health reform's goals

Harold Pollack — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 12:55:25 +0000

Harold Pollack continues his series of interviews with health policy experts, talking this month with Michael Chernew, Professor of Health Care Policy in the Department of Health Care Policy at Harvard Medical School. The two discuss a wide range of topics, including the ACA's daunting goal of controlling spending while improving quality.

Want to fix health care? Watch this movie. - Tonight: Escape Fire, The Fight to Rescue American Healthcare

Wendell Potter — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 05:50:31 +0000

Escape Fire, The Fight to Rescue American Healthcare, describes how health care in America has turned into a business. How the quest for money has hurt the quality of care provided to patients and how it has kept millions of us from having access to even mediocre care.

Health Wonk Review for February 28, 2013 - Insightful nuggets edition

Steve Anderson — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 17:08:30 +0000

Miss last week's edition Health Wonk Review? No worries, it's still up over at the Disease Management Care Blog.

Why is it that the truth never goes viral? - First, Obamacare critics used 'death panels.' Now it's 'rate shock.'

Maggie Mahar — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 02:49:24 +0000

If conservatives and insurers join to make young Americans afraid of Obamacare, they might persuade a fair number to opt out of insurance, and pay the penalty instead. This could, indeed, hurt health care reform.

Study reveals health insurance ‘sticker shock’ - Even consumers who research plan costs find themselves stymied by carriers who increase premiums after an application is submitted

Kev Coleman — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 18:20:11 +0000

Imagine visiting a car dealership to buy a minivan. After reviewing your options, you tell the dealer “I want the $15,000 Dodge Caravan.” The dealer takes your purchase paperwork and then tells you afterwards “You can have the minivan for $22,000. We only sell this car at $15,000 to people under 170 pounds.” If this happened to you, you would feel you were the victim of a ‘bait-and-switch.’

HHS gets specific on ACA’s essential benefits - Regulations offer clarity on 10 categories of health services

Linda Bergthold — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 21:25:45 +0000

What's "basic" in health care is an issue of heated debate. Individuals and groups as diverse as cancer advocates, children's hospitals, parents of disabled children, physical therapists, dentists, and optometrists have been waiting for final clarification from HHS.

Health Wonk Review for February 14, 2013 - The Valentine's Day Edition

Steve Anderson — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 22:14:08 +0000

The latest edition of Health Wonk Review went live over at the Health Talent Transformation Blog today.

The ‘wild ride’ ahead for Obamacare - Jonathan Cohn, Senior Editor at The New Republic, talks about health reform's journey, and what's ahead for the ACA in 2013

Harold Pollack — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 20:02:08 +0000

Harold Pollack talks with Jonathan Cohn, Senior Editor of The New Republic about the "wild ride" ahead for the Affordable Care Act, now that it's survived a fierce Congressional battle, a Supreme Court challenge and the recent Presidential election.

IRS ruling a ‘disaster for Obamacare?’ Not quite. - Ruling may be 'unfortunate,' but it won't leave 'millions' uninsured

Maggie Mahar — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 18:22:08 +0000

The claim that - as a result of an IRS ruling - “millions” will be left uninsured under Obamacare is "fear-mongering, pure and simple," says healthy policy writer Maggie Mahar.

Health Wonk Review - Waste, Warnings and the Future

Maggie Mahar — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 15:33:36 +0000

Maggie Mahar provides a round-up of some of the most provocative healthcare posts of the past two weeks in this edition of Health Wonk Review.

Is pain-free Medicare reform possible? - Health policy experts offer ideas for reducing waste without punishing seniors – and the Obama Administration may be listening

Maggie Mahar — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 23:13:29 +0000

Last week, President Obama signaled that he is 'open to making modest adjustments to programs like Medicare.' Should seniors brace for bad news? No. There are many ways to cut Medicare spending without drawing blood. It’s a matter of using a scalpel, not an axe, to trim the fat.

Consumer protections in industry crosshairs - Insurance industry campaign targets Obamacare provisions that outlaw 'junk insurance,' prevent price gouging based on age

Wendell Potter — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 07:29:54 +0000

If you're a 20- or 30-something and have health coverage, you're being targeted by insurance industry campaign to eliminate two important consumer protections in the Affordable Care Act.

The future of YOUR health insurance premiums - Why you shouldn't believe predictions that everyone will pay more for health coverage costs under the Affordable Care Act

Maggie Mahar — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 19:09:42 +0000

Today, many Americans are asking, "Will my premiums go up in 2014?" There is no simple answer ... but the answer for many Americans is that premiums will actually fall.

Health Wonk Review for January 17, 2013 - The 'Inaugural' Edition

Steve Anderson — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 18:51:31 +0000

The latest edition of Health Wonk Review went live over at the Health Affairs Blog yesterday. Host Chris Fleming decided to kick off the New Year with an "Inauguration" theme (because of the Presidential inauguration and because this is the inaugural edition of 2013). Fittingly, the review started with a collection of health policy predictions for 2013 from Health Wonk Review cofounder Joe Paduda.

How I became a health policy wonk, my favorite policy charts, and what’s ahead for health reform - A Curbside Consult with Aaron Carroll, health services researcher and health policy blogger at The Incidental Economist

Harold Pollack — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 21:51:14 +0000

Harold Pollack talks with blogger Aaron Carroll about how he became a policy wonk, about his favorite health policy charts and the road ahead for health reform.

Health Wonk Review for January 3, 2013

Steve Anderson — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 19:10:06 +0000

In case you missed it, the most recent edition – the “Baby New Year Edition” of Health Wonk Review is on the virtual stands. This week, it’s over at Wright on Health, and Brad Wright has done a great job of packing it full of great hard-hitting health policy opinion. Thanks to Brad for providing [...]

Will health insurance premiums skyrocket in 2014? - Maggie Mahar: Thanks to tax credits, lower administrative costs, influx of younger customers, many will pay less for coverage

Maggie Mahar — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 08:12:27 +0000

Health reform critics claim Americans will soon feel "sticker shock" over climbing health premiums, but Maggie Mahar says they aren't telling the whole story … and that coverage will actually cost less for many small firms and individuals.

Health Wonk Review for December 20 - The Holiday Edition

Steve Anderson — Sat, 22 Dec 2012 10:56:07 +0000

If you haven't caught this week's edition already, Saturday morning's as good a time as any to grab a cup of coffee – or eggnog – and drink in the Health Wonk Review. It's posted this week over at Workers' Comp Insider, and it features a stocking full of posts – one each, actually – from 16 different health policy blogs.

Obamacare’s health insurance premium subsidies: - Whether you receive a tax credit to help you purchase insurance – and its size – will depend on your income, age, and where you live

Maggie Mahar — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 18:20:19 +0000

Beginning in 2014, millions of Americans will discover that they qualify for subsidies designed to help them purchase their own health insurance. The aid will come in the form of tax credits, and many will be surprised by how generous they are.

Obama wins Round One of budget standoff - Now, president needs to compromise on government spending

Maggie Mahar — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 14:52:12 +0000

Now, the president will have to decide where he is willing to compromise on cutting government spending. There are, in fact, places where he could rein in Medicare without hurting beneficiaries.

Health Wonk Review for December 6 - Featuring Maggie Mahar, Harold Pollack and lots of Chanukah food

Steve Anderson — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 22:37:48 +0000

Being what it is, Health Wonk Review is chock full of great blog posts – including a handful of them addressing the issue nearest and dearest to our hearts at healthinsurance.org: health reform.

Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion: - The President and the governors need to get along

Harold Pollack — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 23:12:36 +0000

The governors and the president needs the other. Each side has a (possibly perverse) stake in the other’s success. Each would also be wise to make some concession, if for no other reason than to provide their counterpart with a dignified path to compromise during the second Obama term.

Is health care headed for the ‘fiscal cliff?’ - Sacrifices on health care entitlements will likely be the brakes that help President Obama, Congress avoid 'fiscal cliff' pile-up

Linda Bergthold — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 17:43:12 +0000

It's hard not to think about the movie "Thelma and Louise" with all the dire predictions about the coming"fiscal cliff." House Speaker Boehner and President Obama may be our modern day Thelma and Louise, playing a little chicken with us all, with Obama proposing some pretty dramatic solutions and Boehner and the Republicans offering little except "no" to tax rate increases and raising the Medicare eligibility age.

Can businesses really NOT afford Obamacare? - Threats that Affordable Care Act will force businesses to downsize have less to do with profits and more to do with politics

Maggie Mahar — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 07:53:16 +0000

U.S. workers may think ACA-mandated health benefits from their employers are "priceless," but some business owners believe employees and customers should think twice.

Why Obama succeeded, why Clinton failed, and why the fight over health reform STILL isn’t over - A Curbside Consult with health policy historian Paul Starr

Harold Pollack — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 19:33:39 +0000

Health policy historian Paul Starr, author of Remedy and Reaction, explains why Barack Obama succeeded on health reform while Bill Clinton failed ... and why the battle over reform is far from over.

Why there is no “Next Big Idea” for health reform - President got it right with Obamacare. Best idea now? Dig in.

Maggie Mahar — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 21:02:08 +0000

Bottom line: The President doesn't need to come up with new ideas. He just has to stand firm on implementing what we have.

Health Wonk Review for November 9 - Post-election edition is heavy on health reform and, yes, the election

Steve Anderson — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 17:03:34 +0000

Joe Paduda over at Managed Care Matters put together a great collection of posts focused on the Affordable Care Act and what's ahead now that President Obama has won re-election.

Romneycare, Obamacare, and reform after tomorrow - Economist Jon Gruber talks about his work with Obama and Romney, about tomorrow's election, and the challenges ahead for health reform

Harold Pollack — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 16:20:38 +0000

EDITOR’S NOTE: HIO Curbside Consult is a periodic informal dialogue with medical and health policy experts about pressing issues of the day. For this edition, I conversed by Gchat with Dr. Jonathan Gruber, a professor of economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and director of the health care program at the National Bureau of [...]

Future of health reform may turn on Senate races - Republican majority in Senate could rescind individual mandate, eliminate ACA's premium subsidies, halt Medicaid expansion

Maggie Mahar — Sun, 04 Nov 2012 15:07:23 +0000

Even if Mitt Romney were elected, he alone could not overturn major provisions of healthcare reform. Only Congress can pass the legislation needed to change the ACA. Republicans are expected to maintain control of the House, but if Democrats hold the Senate, they will be able to block House bills aimed at eviscerating "Obamacare."

Blogger launches 11th-hour assault on Obamacare - Series of Forbes pieces appealing to voters in seven battleground states are as unreliable factually as they are late in the game

Harold Pollack — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 04:17:47 +0000

Blogger Avik Roy, a Romney campaign advisor, has released a last-minute - and misleading - flurry of posts purporting to demonstrate the harmful impact of Obamacare.

Obamacare: six truths that matter to women - What voters need to know: ACA insures more than 14 million women, bans discrimination, adds maternity coverage, preventive services

Harold Pollack — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 14:46:55 +0000

Extreme statements of a few Senate candidates have brought the abortion issue center-stage in this electoral campaign. Abortion certainly deserves attention. Yet it should not overshadow other women’s health issues, which were a major focus of health reform. - Harold Pollack

Health Wonk Review for October 26 - A dozen questions voters should consider before heading to the polls

Steve Anderson — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 17:28:31 +0000

If you haven’t yet had a chance to check out the most recent edition of Health Wonk Review, no worries: it’s still live over at HealthBeat. Maggie Mahar, who blogs regularly here, hosted this week’s edition, and spared no ink … uh pixels … in reviewing a nice collection of election-related health policy blogs. Her [...]

Fears of crowded doctors’ offices unwarranted - Study: access to health care won't congest waiting rooms

Maggie Mahar — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 12:56:46 +0000

In 2014, 12 million Americans will begin purchasing health insurance in the new marketplaces known as “exchanges.” Some are now uninsured and will be gaining coverage for the first time. Others have insurance through a small employer, or purchase their own policies. But few have the comprehensive coverage that will be available in the Exchanges [...]

Will the real Mitt Romney stand up? or SHOW up? - Candidate changes mind on women's issues with 'dizzying frequency'

Linda Bergthold — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 03:38:21 +0000

The trouble with these "changes of mind" is that they occur with dizzying frequency. Not more than a few months ago, he said he supported the "Blunt Amendment," which explicitly allows employers to deny their women employees coverage of services such as contraception. Where he used to support Planned Parenthood, he now opposes federal funding and has promised he would eliminate it.

Could President Romney repeal Obamacare? No. - Republican candidate's promise is another you shouldn't believe.

Maggie Mahar — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 18:10:00 +0000

Mitt Romney’s web site makes a bold promise: ‘On his first day in office, Mitt Romney will issue an executive order that paves the way for the federal government to issue Obamacare waivers to all 50 states. He will then work with Congress to repeal the full legislation as quickly as possible.’ Many of Romney’s supporters assume that this is what will happen if he wins. But in truth, even if Republicans take both the White House and the Senate, Romney wouldn’t have the power to ‘repeal the full legislation.’ Nor could a new president grant waivers that would let states ignore the Affordable Care Act (ACA). We live in a nation ruled by law, not magic wands.”

Romney earns points for his attack in first debate, but most voters will agree with Obama on substance - Challenger continues to play 'rope-a-dope' on policy specifics; Romney's debate arguments will face close scrutiny in coming days

Harold Pollack — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 06:04:53 +0000

During Wednesday's first Presidential Debate, President Barack Obama faced a confident Mitt Romney, who continued to play "rope-a-dope" on specifics regarding health and tax policies, says blogger Harold Pollack.

“A clear choice on election day” - Harold Pollack talks Medicare and premium support with Austin Frakt

Harold Pollack — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 15:45:13 +0000

EDITOR’S NOTE: Welcome to our first HIO Curbside Consult – a periodic informal dialogue with medical and health policy experts about pressing issues of the day. Tonight, President Obama and Governor Romney will face off in their first debate. Medicare and Medicaid will be central topics of the conversation there. HIO’s Harold Pollack caught up [...]

The next step for ‘Obamacare’ - Tackling wide variations in how much providers charge

Maggie Mahar — Sat, 29 Sep 2012 06:04:18 +0000

Blogger Maggie Mahar says a second stage of health reform will focus on disparities in health providers' prices that have little to do with the quality of care. A study in Health Affairs revealed that in some cases, reimbursements for medical procedures varied by as much as 250 percent.

Health Wonk Review for September 26

Steve Anderson — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 21:36:13 +0000

We almost forgot to remind you that the latest edition of Health Wonk Review hit the virtual stands on Wednesday over at Wing of Zock. Fortunately, it's filled with plenty of great articles that aren't yet past their wonkspiration date.

RomneyCandidateCare: RomneyCare’s evil twin? - Health care solutions envisioned by Romney would raise premiums, increase number of uninsured, wipe out ACA's consumer protections

Ron Pollack — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 20:54:31 +0000

Romney's Massachusetts health reform is simply not the health reform he plans to take to the White House. All Romney has promised is higher out-of-pocket costs, higher costs for preventive services and prescription drug coverage for seniors, and that millions more Americans will be unable to get affordable health insurance. Is that the future you want to help create?

More myths about emergency care and the uninsured - Romney gets it wrong: emergency departments were not designed – and are ill equipped – to provide safety net for millions of uninsured

Harold Pollack — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 14:48:58 +0000

Conservatives have claimed for years that emergency care provides a suitable safety net for people who cannot or do not obtain health insurance coverage. As I described early in the health reform debate, these conservatives are wrong.

Health Wonk Review for September 13 - Featuring posts from Harold Pollack, Maggie Mahar

Steve Anderson — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 21:45:03 +0000

The latest edition of Health Wonk Review is on the virtual stands over at Colorado Health Insurance Insider. As usual, it's chock full of compelling health policy wonkery from HWR's usual gang of respected contributors.

Opponents using scare tactics on health care penalty - But Congressional Research Service numbers counter Tax Foundation claim that penalty will hit low- and middle-income families hardest

Maggie Mahar — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 19:15:49 +0000

ACA opponents are using scare tactics to convince Americans that a mandate to buy comprehensive health insurance represents a tax on the middle class they can't afford.

Ryan and Romney’s fuzzy math catches up to them - Wonks note there's a world of difference between Affordable Care Act pre-existing condition protections and Romney-Ryan proposals

Harold Pollack — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 20:25:06 +0000

"For 30 years, Republicans have been getting away, politically, with providing fuzzy numbers about so many things. The Romney campaign has rather explicitly decided that it's better to offer vague bromides about the virtues of limited government than it is to get down to the specifics in proposing unpopular measures required to make their proposals work." – Harold Pollack

‘Are we better off because President Obama fought for health care reform? You bet we are.’ - – Bill Clinton, 2012 Democratic National Convention

Harold Pollack — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 17:27:54 +0000

Harold Pollack: Clinton delivered the best speech of the 2012 campaign. "No one in American politics can rival Clinton's ability to weave history and policy detail into a stem-winding performance that remains somehow compelling to average voters."

Democrats fall in love with Obamacare – just in time

Linda Bergthold — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 17:04:47 +0000

From the explicit mention in the Democratic platform of the Affordable Care Act to the embrace of the term “Obamacare”, Democrats started off their 2012 Convention by praising health reform not burying it. In contrast to the Republicans, who mentioned it only in terms of opposition to the President, Democrats proudly and loudly touted the benefits of Obamacare in the first night of their convention.

Kennedy’s 1980 message perfect for nation in 2012 - On the eve of Democratic National Convention, speakers should seek inspiration from Ted Kennedy's rousing call for universal healthcare

Maggie Mahar — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 20:12:02 +0000

"Ted Kennedy’s speech at the 1980 Democratic convention still echoes in my mind. It remains the finest, most inspiring political oration that I have ever heard … this was a full-hearted, rousing speech delivered by a man who realized that in the battle ahead, the issues at stake were far, far more important than his own loss. Intuitively, he knew that the country had reached a turning point.” – Maggie Mahar

Makers, takers, and health reform - Alleged 'takers' often go unnoticed in political debate

Harold Pollack — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 15:38:36 +0000

Romney running mate Paul Ryan's speech last week criticized President Obama for enacting "a new entitlement we didn't even ask for." But health policy writer Harold Pollack says the WE Ryan embraced left many people out.

It’s a floor wax. No, it’s a dessert topping. - The Romney/Ryan Medicare plan

Harold Pollack — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 05:41:00 +0000

Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan are peddling a magical Medicare concoction that's appetizing to seniors – promised protection from $716 in purported ObamaCare cuts to Medicare – but also mouth watering to the Tea Party and fiscal hawks salivating for entitlement reform.

Convention rhetoric about Obamacare inflammatory, but mostly because speakers’ pants were on fire - GOP speakers' attacks on ACA are rife with inaccuracies, distortions

Linda Bergthold — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 13:51:07 +0000

Perhaps conventions are not where you expect truth to be told. But should they at least be places where lies are not so blatant?

What would a GOP victory mean for women’s health? - ... wonders Maggie Mahar on the eve of the Republican Convention

Maggie Mahar — Sun, 26 Aug 2012 21:46:11 +0000

On the eve of the Republican Convention, blogger Maggie Mahar wonders, "What would a Republican victory in November mean for women's health?" A review of GOP votes in Congress and recent campaign rhetoric offer solid – and sobering – clues.

Health reform: it’s about having each other’s back - Obamacare-related increase in price of Papa John's pizza ? 11 cents. Ensuring working Americans have a health care safety net? Priceless.

Harold Pollack — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 17:40:50 +0000

Alleged Obamacare-related increase in price of Papa John's pizza ? 11 cents. Ensuring working Americans have a health care safety net? Priceless.

Paul Ryan’s Medicare plan would ‘pave Paradise’ - Americans should get acquainted with existing Medicare program now. The trusted safety net could be very different in ten years.

Linda Bergthold — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 20:32:47 +0000

It's not particularly helpful to either demonize or lionize Paul Ryan. Medicare needs to change and he has certainly made it a major point of debate. But it's important for people of all ages to understand just what they have with Medicare now, and what it would mean in a very practical way for them if it were to change significantly.

Health reform, Medicare and Romney’s running mate - The August 15 edition of Health Wonk Review is live

Steve Anderson — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 15:28:23 +0000

The latest edition of Health Wonk Review is hosted by the kind folks over at the Disease Management Care Blog t's chock full of health reform blog posts, from "obscure legal theorizing over the constitutional legitimacy of the Affordable Care Act" to an Olympic tribute to universal health care and look at what insurance brokers think about the law.

A clarifying choice - Selection of Paul Ryan brings into focus Mitt Romney's willingness to weaken government's core commitments to elderly, disabled, seniors

Harold Pollack — Sun, 12 Aug 2012 13:35:31 +0000

Mitt Romney's selection of Paul Ryan as his running mate brings into focus Romney's willingness to weaken the government’s core commitments to the elderly and disabled, and to senior citizens.

Massachusetts still leads way on healthcare reform - Law could save family of four $40,000 over 15 years

Chuck Smith-Dewey — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 14:06:31 +0000

In colonial times, Massachusetts was considered the "Cradle of Liberty" as the center of the fight for American Independence. That spirit thrives today as the Bay State strikes a blow for freedom from the fee-for-service healthcare model that threatens bankrupt the nation.

Student celebrates s’Tweet’ healthcare victory - Lively Twitter battle with insurance CEO leads to paid bills

Chuck Smith-Dewey — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 19:11:43 +0000

Aetna CEO Mark T. Bertolini obviously heard Arijit Guha's Tweets – and felt the resulting heat – ultimately deciding that Aetna would cover an Arizona graduate student's mounting medical expenses and give the student a new policy with no lifetime cap.

Aurora tragedy highlights value of health reform - Harold Pollack: Medical needs of recovering shooting victims underscore the need for universal health coverage that actually works

Harold Pollack — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 21:04:25 +0000

The tragic July 20 movie theater attack in Aurora, Colorado, serves a grim reminder of the importance of universal coverage for even young and healthy Americans – and a reminder that the nation can not afford to undo the health coverage protections promised by the Affordable Care Act.

Why should you care whether or not your state decides to expand Medicaid coverage? - States that reject expansion turn backs on millions in federal funding; residents can expect to see higher health costs, insurance premiums

Maggie Mahar — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 04:35:52 +0000

We have been told that in some red states conservatives "hate poor people." But my guess is that they'll hate higher premiums more. If premiums go up, governors who turned down federal Medicaid dollars will have to answer to voters.

How much can states gain by expanding Medicaid? - States with many uninsured have most to gain by expanding coverage

Maggie Mahar — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 04:33:59 +0000

In states where governors have vowed not to expand Medicaid, health insurance premiums are likely to go up as hospitals struggling to care for millions of uninsured patients pass the cost on to private sector insurers, who will, in turn, pass the bill on to their customers.

Give free stuff to this single mom - Working mothers are among the millions who have much at stake in state decisions to oppose Medicaid expansion, other reform measures

Harold Pollack — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 23:54:46 +0000

Harold Pollack explains that America's working single moms have much to lose if states refuse to expand Medicaid under health reform.

The latest edition of Health Wonk Review: - Maggie Mahar examines the latest 'tempest in a teapot' over reform; Harold Pollack says GOP rhetoric will alienate minority communities

Steve Anderson — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 00:09:57 +0000

The July 19 edition of Health Wonk Review is up over at Worker's Comp Insider, and this week's reviewer, Julie Ferguson, says it's a sizzler.

Could a missing word really kill the ACA? No. - Health reform legal expert Timothy Jost says latest perceived threat to survival of health reform law is just another costly distraction

Maggie Mahar — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 20:09:05 +0000

Inevitably, opponents of the Affordable Care Act will continue to hunt for ways to undermine reform, says Washington & Lee law professor Timothy Jost, though "they may be shooting themselves in the foot."

The Supreme Court’s decision buys time - Thanks to media hype over controversy-filled Supreme Court decision, more Americans are learning what ACA will actually mean for them

Maggie Mahar — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 20:52:16 +0000

Thanks to the publicity, some learned that the Affordable Care Act's mandate will apply only to Americans who don't have employer-based insurance, Medicaid or Medicare. And while that relatively small group will be subject to a penalty if they don't buy insurance, they also will be eligible for a subsidy if they do.

NAACP boos for Romney only the beginning - Rhetoric against 'ObamaCare' sure to alienate minority communities

Harold Pollack — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 16:10:17 +0000

Presidential candidate Mitt Romney appears amused during 15 seconds of booing that followed his comment that he would "eliminate every non-essential expensive program I can find ... that includes ObamaCare ..." Romney made the comment Wednesday during his speech at the NAACP National Convention.

Self-fulfilling media narratives - How one man wound up deciding the fate of healthcare reform

Maggie Mahar — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 20:45:52 +0000

The media picked up the story, repeated the heated rhetoric, and “fanned the flames … Before long, what constitutional experts thought was a non-story became a Supreme Court case.”

Lessons Learned from Health Reform: Then and Now - Failures of Clinton Administration's attempt at health reform helped Obama Administration craft successful game plan for ACA

Linda Bergthold — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 07:50:07 +0000

What the Clinton Administration tried to do with health reform may not have succeeded legislatively, but it taught us a lot of lessons that informed the Obama Administration's efforts 25 years later.

How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is to have a thankless … red state after health reform - Blogger Harold Pollack wonders whether parched red-state horses led to water may use Supreme Court decision as excuse to refuse to drink

Harold Pollack — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 05:48:49 +0000

Supporters of the Affordable Care Act breathed a sigh of relief after Thursday's Supreme Court ruling. Yet many remain worried about the decision's Medicaid section. Although the court upheld the constitutionality of expanding Medicaid, it also ruled that the federal government may not withhold all of a state's Medicaid funding to induce a state's participation in ACA's Medicaid expansion.

We dodged a bullet: 4 reactions to today’s decision - Harold Pollack: President, Supreme Court, governmental bodies, millions of uninsured should breathe sigh of relief over decision

Harold Pollack — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 00:55:24 +0000

The nation dodged a bullet Thursday when the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that the Affordable Care Act is constitutional, upholding the law's individual mandate.

Today, the Supremes sang.

Maggie Mahar — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 17:55:29 +0000

I was not entirely surprised by the Court's decision. Indeed, on March 26, the day that the Supreme Court began to hear oral arguments, I wrote about why I felt the law would not be overturned by the Court.

Supreme Court upholds individual mandate - 5-4 decision affirms constitutionality of Affordable Care Act

Steve Anderson — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 16:13:26 +0000

We celebrate this decision was a huge win for millions of Americans who have so much at stake. We've said it again and again ... that the law's reforms are a huge victory for women, for Baby Boomers, and especially for so many families who have faced denial of coverage because of pre-existing conditions. At the same time, we sincerely expect this will be a win for all of us who hope reforms will actually reduce costs in the long run.

What if the Court rules that insurers don’t have to cover people suffering from pre-existing conditions?

Maggie Mahar — Sun, 24 Jun 2012 16:18:59 +0000

If the Supreme Court overturns the individual mandate that would require most Americans to buy insurance, it may rule that if everyone doesn't have to buy insurance, insurance companies shouldn't have to insure everyone.

The facts behind the controversy over breastfeeding - Why insurers should – and will – be required to cover breast pumps

Maggie Mahar — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 01:51:49 +0000

Since when did breast pumps become an "essential benefit?" Answer? Since we realized that if 90 percent of women nursed their babies for six months, giving them breast milk only, we could save 900 lives per year, and reduce health care spending by $13 billion annually.

In this week’s Health Wonk Review: - Maggie Mahar, Harold Pollack, Henry Aaron on pending SCOTUS decision, 2012 elections and what both mean to health reform law

Steve Anderson — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 00:51:18 +0000

This week's Health Wonk Review features columns from healthinsurance.org bloggers Maggie Mahar, Harold Pollack, and Henry Aaron. They discuss the pending SCOTUS decision, the 2012 elections and what both will mean to the health reform law.

If the individual mandate’s struck down, what next? - Without health reform's so-called 'stick,' government will need major focus on law's 'carrots' to encourage enrollment of young, healthy

Maggie Mahar — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 17:45:32 +0000

The goal of the mandate is to draw more healthy people into the insurance pool, so that the cost of care when we become sick can be spread over a larger group. But the mandate is only one of many provisions in the PPACA that makes health insurance more attractive and more affordable.

2012 elections aren’t just about health reform - New majority wouldn't likely stop with assault on health reform; authors predict 75 years of social welfare legislation would be in peril

Harold Pollack and Henry Aaron — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 21:32:35 +0000

This legislative program is why the 2012 elections are the most important in living memory. Conservatives could achieve goals long in gestation and fervently sought. Liberals could see seventy-five years of social welfare legislation undone.

Health Wonk Review - 'Voices from the Blogosphere' talk about individual rights, upcoming SCOTUS decision, cell tower safety, ban on sugary drinks, and more

Maggie Mahar — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 20:00:57 +0000

This week, Maggie Mahar edits the Health Wonk Review, a biweekly compendium of the best of the health policy blogs.

Can states thwart Affordable Care Act by refusing to build state health insurance exchanges? - Majority with individual health plans are eager to use exchanges; federal government ready to step in to make sure exchanges happen

Maggie Mahar — Wed, 30 May 2012 17:34:47 +0000

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) calls on the states to create health insurance exchanges – marketplaces where individuals and small businesses can shop for and compare health insurance plans. Beginning in 2014, insurers peddling policies on an exchange will have to meet the ACA’s standards by covering “essential benefits,” capping out-of-pocket expenses for individuals, and [...]

The waiting game: anticipating the SCOTUS ruling - As nation awaits Supreme Court decision on health reform legislation, it's worth reviewing again what's at stake if ACA is struck down

Linda Bergthold — Fri, 25 May 2012 19:35:57 +0000

While America waits for the U.S. Supreme Court to make its decision about health reform, is the health care system standing still? Quite the contrary.