Takeaways From Alaska’s Medicaid Expansion July 16, 2015 Perspective In this column for The Wall Street Journal’s Think Tank, Drew Altman discusses the implications of the governor of Alaska’s decision to move ahead unilaterally with Medicaid expansion.
JAMA Forum: Why the Ruckus Over the Cadillac Plan Tax? October 14, 2015 Perspective Larry Levitt’s October 2015 post explains the terms of the much-debated Cadillac plan tax, how it is designed to reduce health costs, and how it could end up shifting more costs to workers.
Covering the Remaining Uninsured: Not Just a Red-State Issue October 14, 2015 Perspective In this column for The Wall Street Journal’s Think Tank, Drew Altman explains why covering the nation’s remaining uninsured population is more than just a red state issue.
GOP Views of Medicaid Expansion Differ From Conventional Wisdom November 4, 2015 Perspective In this column for The Wall Street Journal’s Think Tank, Drew Altman examines Republican attitudes on Medicaid expansion in light of the election of Republican Matt Bevin as Kentucky’s next governor.
Health Care and the 2016 Debates November 11, 2015 Perspective In this column for The Wall Street Journal’s Think Tank, Drew Altman discusses the lack of attention to health in the primary debates and last week’s Democratic forum in South Carolina.
The News Media and “Entitlement Reform” November 26, 2012 Perspective In the coming debate about the deficit, policymakers will struggle to craft a package of spending reductions and new revenues that both Democrats and Republicans can agree on, totaling as much as four trillion dollars over ten years. Medicare, Medicaid and potentially the Affordable Care Act will have their turn…
Holiday Reminder December 14, 2010 Perspective Like you, the holidays always make me think about those who are less fortunate. Last year around this time, I wrote a”Holiday Reminder” column about the health reform debate and people’s economic difficulties. The drive to pass the health reform law was struggling, and it would struggle even more in the…
KFF Survey Finds that a Majority of Individuals Who Buy Their Own Insurance Report Facing a Premium Increase June 21, 2010 Perspective People who buy their own insurance report that their insurers most recently requested premium increases averaging 20 percent, according to a new Kaiser survey examining the experiences and views of people who buy health coverage in the non-group or individual market. Overall roughly three in four people (77 percent) with…
A Public Opinion Surprise, The Latest “Pulling It Together, From Drew Altman” April 5, 2011 Perspective With Medicaid being the focus of federal and state debate on deficits, the Kaiser Family Foundation’s President and CEO examines recent poll findings about the program’s popularity that may be a surprise considering the current discussion.
The Economy and Medical Care November 15, 2011 Perspective Various market watchers have reported that the use of health care services has not been growing recently as it had in the past, resulting in lower than expected health care claims for people with private insurance and higher than expected earnings for insurers. A look at physician office visits by…