ACA Slows Growth in Health Costs

ACA Slows Growth in Health Costs
Maddow Blog | November 20, 2013

The ACA Summarized

A nice summary of what the Affordable Care Act is . . . and isn’t.

ObamaCare In Plain English: What It Means for You
AddictingInfo.org | March 23, 2013

As a Life-Long UT Fan, It’s Hard to Type “Go Kentucky”

“The open-enrollment period for the Affordable Care Act has gone better in some areas than others. The state that’s leading the way, oddly enough, is Kentucky. Gov. Steve Beshear (D) has committed himself to leading on this issue, and the follow-through has produced impressive results.”

For Uninsured, Clearing a Way to Enrollment
New York Times | November 4, 2013

Are the Good Facts Starting To Be Heard through the Loud Lies?

“Millions of people could qualify for federal subsidies that will pay the entire monthly cost of some health care plans being offered in the online marketplaces set up under President Obama’s health care law, a surprising figure that has not garnered much attention, in part because the zero-premium plans come with serious trade-offs.”

Under Health Care Act, Millions Eligible for Free Policies
The New York Times | November 3, 2013

HealthCare.gov’s New Marketing Campaign

Deborah Lielasus (Portsmouth, N.H.) and Daniel McNaughton (Orlando, FL) are the first two people who have agreed—quite happily—to share their images and stories on the HealthCare.gov web site. Both had positive experiences and want others to hear their stories as part of the Obama administration’s new marketing outreach.

Thanks to Lielasus and McNaughton for being the first to advertise their experiences with HealthCare.gov. As McNaughton said, “It might make it easier for people to relate to what’s going on with the exchange.”

New Faces of Health Overhaul: Still All Smiles
Yahoo | November 1, 2013

Charts Are Wonderful Things!

Nice summary in easy-to-understand terms with no false anecdotes like we’ve been hearing the last two weeks or so.

Winners and Losers from Obamacare
TPM LiveWire | October 31, 2013

Some Common-Sense Ideas on Moving Forward

This article discusses some of the current problems with the Affordable Care Act and how we might move forward. My top two priorities would be to (1) cover those individuals who were “missed” when many Republican governors refused to expand Medicaid in their states; and (2) fix the out-of-network charges that patients incur through no fault of their own (and often without knowledge of the situation until it’s too late).

Driving a New Bargain on Health Care
New York Times | October 19, 2013

A companion piece explains with problems with out-of-network charges in more detail.

Out of Network, Not By Choice, and Facing Huge Health Bills
New York Times | October 18, 2013

Just *Who* Do House Republicans Think They’re Hurting?

In another sign that House Republicans don’t understand the the Affordable Care Act or the Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) decision to allow members of Congress to receive a benefit to which they’re entitled, House Republicans have crafted a bill to end the government shutdown but deny themselves $5,000-$11,000 in the process.

A little background: Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) sponsored the original amendment requiring lawmakers and staffers to enter the health benefit exchanges, but he said he didn’t intend for them to lose the employer subsidy paid by the federal government. [What he was really trying to do was get the Democrats to vote against the ACA.] The government contributes $5,000 towards an individual’s health insurance coverage and $11,000 towards family coverage for a married employee. According to Grassley, he just wanted Congress and its staffers to “go through the same red tape” as Americans enrolled in the exchanges. Yeah, right!

The Grassley Amendment did a great disservice to Congressional staffers, who don’t get paid very well. So OPM stepped in and arranged to pay the employer contribution to members of Congress and their staffers. [Unlike any other group of people covered by an employer health plan, Congress excluded itself from its employer subsidies.]

In the House’s latest effort to end the shutdown, they’ve added language to deny themselves the employee subsidy while allowing their staffers to receive it. I say MORE POWER TO THEM. They don’t need the money, so let’s save the government some money . . . at the expense of these stubborn people who don’t understand the ACA nor do they want to understand it.

House Outlines Alternative to Senate Leaders’ Fiscal Deal
New York Times | October 15, 2013

What, Exactly, Is the Affordable Care Act Supposed To Do for Us?

There’s more to the Affordable Care Act than just the individual mandate and the uninsured.

Obamacare—The Rest of the the Story
New York Times Op-Ed | October 13, 2013

People Don‘t Believe Me, But I’ve Seen This in My Practice for Years

I’ve been telling folks this particular tidbit for the last two years. I see it in my consulting practice a lot. I don’t think many believe me. Now maybe they will . . .

Many Docs Dissatisfied With EHRs, Job Pace, Regs: RAND Study
Medscape Medical News | October 9, 2013

Way To Go, New York

More than 40,000 New Yorkers signed up for insurance under the state‘s health exchange in its first week, the state Health Department said today.

40,000 NYers Have Signed Up for Health Exchanges
Democrat & Chronicle | October 9, 2013

Twelve Charts That Explain A Lot

Why U.S. Health Care is Obscenely Expensive, in 12 Charts
The Huffington Post | October 3, 2013

Thank You, Mr. Matthews, for Doing Your Research

You’re welcome, Mr. Matthews, from all those who brought you the Affordable Care Act. And thank you for putting aside your skepticism to learn the facts.

I’m So Happy This Came Along
The Maddow Blog | October 3, 2013

Smoke Gets In Your Eyes

So, now, the House Republicans want to delay the individual mandate of the Affordable Care Act for one year in exchange for avoiding a government shutdown. What, exactly, do they think will be different in a year?

Will they find a “nice” way to strip health-insurance coverage from almost 24 million previously uninsured people (mostly children and young adults)? Will they develop a plan to replace the ACA since the situation prior to the legislation was simply unsustainable? Mind you, we have yet to see a plan--or even any ideas--for an alternative after three and a half years. How will they deal with the increasing budget deficits because of out-of-control healthcare costs and the extra $29 billion lost in taxes on medical devices over the coming years?

And where do they get the insane idea that they‘re representing the “will of the American people?” Poll after poll shows that Americans like the provisions of the ACA (under whatever name you want to use). And even more people want Congress to stop messing around with a government shutdown and a debt-ceiling crisis. The people spoke in the last election; one tiny fraction of neo-conservatives doesn‘t get to hold the government or the American citizens hostage while they have a temper tantrum because they lost the election.

Maybe they are under the delusion that they‘re somehow going to win such large majorities in Congress in the 2014 elections that they can override the president‘s veto of their defunding of the ACA. <shrug>

Whatever they‘re smoking, I don‘t want to inhale the second-hand smoke.

What an Ill-Informed Moron

Ted Cruz has a bad habit of only hearing the part of a story he wants to hear.

Student Cited by Ted Cruz Cruz As Proof of Obama's Failure Is Actually Grateful For Obamacare
The Huffington Post | September 27, 2013

All This Would Be Funny If It Wasn't So Crazy

Just maybe I had a little something to do with this blog post and the on-air segment on The Rachel Maddow Show later that night. Ya never know . . .

'All this would be funny if it wasn't so crazy'
The Maddow Blog | September 26, 2013

GOP Fears American Appreciation of Obamacare
The Rachel Maddow Show | September 26, 2013

Large Companies Innovate with Health-Benefit Programs

I love reading how large employers are taking charge of improving their employee health-benefit programs. Kudos to General Electric!

As Some Companies Turn to Health Exchanges, G.E. Seeks a New Path
The New York Times | September 26, 2013

Would Ya Stop it Already?

You’re not going to “defund” the ACA nor will a government shutdown affect the implementation of the health exchanges. Now can we please stop all the budget and debt-ceiling bluster and GET BACK TO WORK!

Government Shutdown Won't Stop Obamacare
Yahoo News | September 26, 2013

Barack and Bill, Together Again . . . for Healthcare

The last two Democratic presidents got together for a little healthcare discussion.

Obama, Clinton promote healthcare reform ahead of October 1 start
Reuters | September 24, 2013

It‘s About Time Someone Acknowledged It

What every intelligent political or ACA observer has realized for a long time: 

GOP Desperate to Defund ObamaCare Now Because They Know Its Popularity Is About to Skyrocket
Huffington Post | September 20, 2013

ACA Isn’t Actually Affecting Hiring As Much as Claimed

Despite “conventional wisdom,” the Affordable Care Act isn’t affecting job creation as much as some folks would like us to believe.

Employers Actually Plan to Hire More Full-Time Workers As Obamacare Rolls Out

ThinkProgress | September 11, 2013

‘Chief of Explaining Things’ at It Again, Thankfully

Thanks to his obvious skill at explaining ideas clearly, the White House asked former president Bill Clinton to talk about the Affordable Care Act (ACA)  in an attempt to get the message out to the general public. So Clinton made the economic case for implementing and improving the ACA on Wednesday morning at the Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Personally, I'd love to see Clinton do a series of one- or two-minute public-service announcements on the most important aspects of the ACA. Actually, it would be great if other celebrities joined in.


Clinton’s Simple Case For Obamacare: ‘It’s Better Than The Current System’
The National Memo | September 4, 2013

ACA to Reduce Heart Disease Deaths?

Between 25-33% of all deaths from heart attacks and stroke could be avoided with better preventive measures, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) researchers predict. More people will have access to healthcare coverage and preventive care through the Affordable Care Act. Healthcare providers should talk with their patients about healthy habits at every visit and follow patients‘s progress.


CDC Predicts Obamacare May Help Reduce The Number Of Americans Dying From Heart Disease
Think Progress | September 3, 2013

CDC Vital Signs: Preventable Deaths from Heart Disease and Stroke
CDC | September 2013

Military Same-Sex Spouses Eligible for Benefits Today (UPDATED)

Today the same-sex spouses of military service members become eligible to receive a range of federal benefits including military I.D. cards, healthcare coverage, housing allowances, and survivor benefits.

Military Same-Sex Spouses Eligible for Benefits Today
Human Rights Campaign | September 3, 2013

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UPDATE: Unless you‘re a member of the National Guard in Texas or Mississippi, who are denying benefits—or making them hard to get—because of their states‘ gay-marriage bans.

Texas, Miss. National Guards Won't Give Same-Sex Benefits at Some Sites, Cite Gay-Marriage Ban
Washington Post | September 3. 2013

Go Ravens! Go Maryland!

The Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens will help Maryland promote new insurance options under the Affordable Care Act, state officials announced Tuesday. It‘s the first official partnership formed with a sports franchise to encourage participation in President Obama‘s signature healthcare law.

Maryland is among the states working hardest to make the new healthcare law a success. The state also launched a new advertising campaign Tuesday to raise awareness of new coverage options through the state‘s insurance exchange, Maryland Health Connection.

I‘m proud to be a Marylander!

Super Bowl Champion Ravens to Promote ObamaCare in MD
The Hill | September 3, 2013

Aetna‘s “Our Healthy” Campaign

Aetna, one of the largest health insurance companies in the U.S., launched a new marketing campaign—“Our Healthy”—today, which highlights the company’s goal of cutting billions of dollars of expenditures through so-called Big Data, electronic health records, and other technologies as well as encouraging better coordination among healthcare providers.

According to the Institute of Medicine‘s The Healthcare Imperative: Lowering Costs and Improving Outcomes (2011), the healthcare system wastes $760 billion dollars a year as a result of consumer fraud, unnecessary procedures, and excessive administrative costs. Aetna‘s goal is to bring human resources professionals, health care providers, policy maker, and even consumers together to try to reduce these wasteful expenses.

With Change Coming, Aetna Targets Employers
The New York Times | September 3, 2013

Better Late Than Never, Michigan

Michigan's Senate passed the Medicaid expansion bill at the last minute. The expansion covers those who fall within 133% of the federal poverty line, or up to $15,281 a year for a single person without children. The current income eligibility standard is 37% of the poverty level for jobless parents and 64% for working parents. That equates to $7,226 and $12,500, respectively, for a single parent with two children.

Michigan's Medicaid Expansion a Relief for Hospitals Giving Unpaid Care
The Detroit Free Press | September 2, 2013

Fanning the Flames of Anti-LGBT Fire in Russia

Since Putin‘s already pissed at the U.S. for considering military action in Syria, what better way to irritate him even more than by meeting with representatives of the LGBT community in St. Petersburg during the G20 summit? And in return . . . Putin wants to send a Russian delegation to lobby Congress during the debate on military action in Syria.

Boys will be boys.

Obama to Meet Gay Activists in Russia
The Hill | September 2, 2013

Obama to Meet with LGBT Activists While in Russia
BuzzFeed | September 2, 2013

Obama to Meet with Russian Gay Rights Activists During G20 Summit
Huffington Post | September 3, 2013

Helpful Resources from WebMD

The folks at WebMD have some really good information about the Affordable Care Act on their web site. Check it out:
 

• Health Care Insurance Quick Start Guide
• Quiz: Health Care Reform Myth or Fact
• Health Marketplaces in the United States

Ohio Joins the Club with 20+% Savings on Healthcare under the ACA

The latest state to contribute data: “Ohioans who buy their own health insurance should see an average out-of-pocket savings on premiums of 21 percent because of taxpayer subsidies under the Affordable Care Act, according to a new study by the Rand Corp., a widely respected think tank.”

New Study on Obamacare Says Ohioans Who Enroll Will See Savings, Thanks to Subsidies

The Plain Dealer | August 30, 2013

Treasury and IRS Announce That All Legal Same-Sex Marriages Will Be Recognized For Federal Tax Purposes;

The U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) today ruled that same-sex couples, legally married in jurisdictions that recognize their marriages, will be treated as married for federal tax purposes. The ruling applies regardless of whether the couple lives in a jurisdiction that recognizes same-sex marriage or a jurisdiction that does not recognize same-sex marriage.

This ruling is goes A LOT further than most people expected. However, it would be an administrative nightmare for the IRS to maintain different rules for different jurisdictions, so the rationale makes perfect sense from an efficiency viewpoint. The other surprising development was the ability for same-sex couples to file amended returns for the past three years (or the typical statute of limitations for such claims).

I don‘t know about most folks, but the amended returns came as quite a pleasant surprise to me. My wife and I will be completing our amended return over the Labor Day weekend so we‘re ready when the September 16th filing window opens.

Thanks once again, Edie Windsor!

Revenue Ruling IR-2013-17
FAQs for Same-Sex Couples

Dialysis Center Profits vs. Universal Healthcare

Let me see if I‘ve got this straight: we can overpay dialysis centers for drugs patients don‘t need—and actually harm them in many instances—because their lobby is super powerful, but we shouldn‘t have healthcare for all? <scratching head>
 

House Bid to Undo Dialysis Cuts Show Lobbyists‘ Muscle

The New York Times | August 28, 2013

Do You Feel Safer Now?

Does relieving the unit commander of his duties make you feel any better about the safety of our nuclear missile situation? Maybe I'm just jaded after reading Drift, but I see the problem as a systemic issue and replacing the unit commander isn‘t going to change much, IMHO.

 

Military Removes Commander of Malmstrom Nuclear Weapons Unit
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch | August 26, 2013

Say What???

I hate to break it to the GOP, but “Obamacare” = Insurance Exchanges, Dudes!

Will GOP Lawmakes Get Coverage Through Obamacare?
The Maddow Blog | August 26, 2013

Good for Intuit!

I was pleased to see that Intuit (the tax preparation software giant) is pushing the Affordable Care Act on its home page. And there's no tax-related slant to the information. The company appears to be making it available as a public service. Good for them!

TurboTax Web Site
viewed on August 25, 2013

Cuccinelli on Uninsured Going without Healthcare: “Human Beings Will Adjust”

How many times have you heard this argument: the United States doesn‘t need health insurance for all Americans because if the uninsured get sick, they can just go to the emergency room? Short-sighted at best; heartless at worst.

But Virginia gubernatorial hopeful Ken Cuccinelli (R) has an especially “interesting” take on the issue. Cuccinelli offers quite a strange vision in this video clip. Struggling American families shouldn‘t have access to subsidized insurance; they shouldn‘t be able to rely on emergency rooms in a crisis; and, if they do show up at an ER, they should make sure bill collectors can hound them later for getting sick in the first place. But don‘t worry, Cuccinelli assures us, “Human beings will adjust.”

This has to be one of the more ridiculous things I‘ve heard regarding the poor and the ER.

New York Residents to Win Big with State Health Exchange

New York joins California, Maryland, Washington, Oregon, Rhode Island, et al. with significantly reduced benefit premiums under the Affordable Care Act‘s state health insurance benefit exchanges. It‘s getting hard to ignore the very real economic advantages of the health exchanges.

Health Plan Cost for New Yorkers Set to Fall 50%

The New York Times | July 16, 2013

Medscape's ACA‘s Timeline

The good folks at Medscape provide a handy timeline of events under the Affordable Care Act.
 

ACA Timeline: Key Dates for Providers and Patients

Medscape | August 23, 2013

On No, Not Another Blog

I‘m not quite sure why I decided to start this blog . . . except maybe to spare all my Facebook friends from my multitude of rants on the Affordable Healthcare Act (ACA) and social-equity issues and the stupidity with which they‘re being received by legislators and religious conservatives alike—often because of outright lies or lack of knowledge.

So I‘m going to post the stories that intrigue, anger, or baffle me in some way along with my commentary,  reactions, or questions. If nothing else, maybe I‘ll feel better and my Facebook friends can go back to the business of sharing first-day-of-school pictures and recipes.

Quick Side Bar: I do know a fair amount about the subject matter having studied healthcare reform for my PhD and followed it closely in the policy arena. And I‘ve been living with social-equity issues most of my adult life.