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Can We Learn From ACA Implementation and Improve the Law?
Senator Baucus made headlines recently when he predicted a “train wreck” for Obamacare. David Brooks predicted “chaos” in a recent column. In a news conference, the President offered a different perspective. “There’ll still be, you know, glitches and bumps…. That’s pretty much true of every government program that’s ever been…
Policy Insights Read PostWe Still Have a Health-Care Spending Problem
Drew Altman, President and CEO of the Foundation, and Larry Levitt, Senior Vice President, co-authored a Washington Post op-ed that examined how the economy affects the nation’s health spending. It concludes that the record slow growth rate of recent years stems largely from economic factors beyond the health system, with the…
Column Read PostQuestions for 2014
Today’s discussion of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is focused on immediate implementation milestones leading up to 2014 when the law’s major provisions are set to kick in. This is a critical period when the foundation for the ACA is being established and key building blocks such as the state…
Policy Insights Read PostThe Flip Side of Higher Premiums: Better Coverage
Time Magazine’s recent cover story on health care – “Bitter Pill” by Steven Brill – has focused attention on hospital prices, especially for people paying out of their own pockets. This is not a new issue, but certainly one that deserves attention. However, what has been lost in the ensuing…
Policy Insights Read PostJAMA Forum: Great Expectations and the Affordable Care Act
“Great Expectations and the Affordable Care Act,” Larry Levitt’s February 2013 post for The JAMA Forum, is now available online.
Column Read PostWhy Premiums Will Change for People Who Now Have Nongroup Insurance
The federal government recently released draft regulations that address the benefits, market rules, and rating practices for nongroup coverage. Before reform, the nongroup market was widely acknowledged to be broken, with restricted access, limited benefits, high administrative costs, and frequent and large premium increases subject to inadequate oversight. Recent requests for…
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