Posts by year
2016

Seriously: Is the Public Option really an option?
July 12, 2016 – The Public Option doesn’t have a snowball’s chance of being enacted, even at the state level, as long as the insurance industry and its…

A healthcare plan that even Bernie could love?
July 11, 2016 – "[Hillary Clinton's healthcare proposal] is about as close to what I could realistically hope would come out of the Hillary/Bernie primary:…

Millennials do want – and need – health insurance
July 8, 2016 – Ignore the Obamacare naysayers. Millennials do want health insurance. In fact, the percentage of uninsured millennials has declined to 11…

About that health insurance you’ve been subsidizing
June 23, 2016 – As tax payers, we've been subsidizing health insurance benefits for high-net-worth Americans for decades. In fact, since 1954,…

Obamacare’s SHOP: Takin’ care of small business
June 22, 2016 – The SHOP Marketplace helps small businesses put together a competitive benefits package, the kind that attracts and retains talented…

Will ‘Simple Choice’ plans live up to their name?
June 9, 2016 – Last month, HealthCare.gov CEO Kevin Counihan announced that "Simple Choice" plans will be available through ACA's marketplaces when open…

Hillary’s plans to sweeten the Obamacare pot
May 17, 2016 – Hillary Clinton's wish list has something for people at all points in the income distribution, very much including those at the top of…

Obamacare’s anti-discrimination protections fortified
May 17, 2016 – With the issuance of a final rule on Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, one more roadblock to full equality for the LGBT community…

Paul Ryan pulls back the curtain
May 9, 2016 – Ryan’s outlandish proposal is wrong on the facts and ignores recent history. But it does give us a peek at what a Republican replacement…

Why insurers thrive (or dive) in ACA marketplaces
April 28, 2016 – Centene is happy with its marketplace profits. UHC is losing millions. Can the Iowa marketplace offer clues as to why carriers succeed or…

Suicide rates – and how Medicaid can help
April 24, 2016 – Obamacare's Medicaid expansion probably wouldn't dramatically reduce the incidence of suicide in the United States. But it would…

Minnesota considers a ‘public option on steroids’
April 21, 2016 – If MinnesotaCare really is offered at a Silver-range price to all comers, its effective discount would be so huge that it's hard to…