The Politics of ACA Rate Hikes Will Be 2016 in Reverse April 4, 2018 Perspective Democrats are expected to turn the tables and attack Republicans for rising premiums and sabotaging the Affordable Care Act. In his Axios column, Drew Altman discusses a balancing act they face which has not received attention: score political points, but run the risk of a new debate scaring the broader public and undermining the ACA by focusing on its continuing problems.
Why Health Care Probably Didn’t Decide the Pennsylvania Election March 21, 2018 Perspective In this Axios column, Drew Altman examines the polling data on whether or not health care was a factor in Conor Lamb’s win in Pennsylvania.
JAMA Forum: Single-Payer Health Care: Opportunities and Vulnerabilities March 14, 2018 Perspective In this March 2018 post for The JAMA Forum, Larry Levitt unpacks the elements of a single payer health plan to understand its policy aims and how they might be accomplished, as well its political opportunities and vulnerabilities.
Red-State Changes Could Strengthen ACA, Medicaid March 12, 2018 Perspective In an Axios column, Drew Altman discusses how, ironically, efforts by red states to move their ACA marketplaces and their Medicaid programs in more conservative directions could end up strengthening the ACA and Medicaid politically over the longer term.
Don’t Overhype the New Health Care Venture February 8, 2018 Perspective In an Axios column, Drew Altman dissects the many dimensions of the health cost problem and discusses why the Bezos-Buffett-Dimon initiative is unlikely to have much impact on the larger health cost problems the public and policymakers care about most.
Why Medicaid Work Requirements Aren’t the Same as Welfare Reform January 25, 2018 Perspective Drawing on his experience in state welfare reform, Drew Altman, in his Axios column, discusses how new state Medicaid work requirements differ fundamentally from welfare reform, which was built on the idea of a “reciprocal obligation” between both beneficiaries and government to do more.
The Trump Administration’s Hidden Attacks on the Affordable Care Act January 5, 2018 Perspective In a Washington Post op-ed, “The Trump administration’s hidden attacks on the Affordable Care Act,” Larry Levitt discusses the latest proposed regulations by the Trump administration to expand association health plans: changes that could wound the ACA insurance marketplace, but are unlikely to make it collapse.
Don’t Read Too Much Into Health Care’s High Poll Rankings January 4, 2018 Perspective This Drew Altman column for Axios discusses how health care being ranked as a high priority, and as the number one issue in a recent national poll, doesn’t mean it will be a major factor in this November’s elections.
Tax Cuts Could Make It Harder to Change Medicare, Medicaid December 20, 2017 Perspective In this Axios column, Drew Altman discusses how cutting Medicare and Medicaid has always been a challenge, but if the public comes to view “entitlement reform” as a means to pay for tax cuts, the GOP will have an even stiffer challenge, including with their base.
ACA Mandate Repeal May Be Less Popular Than GOP Thinks December 5, 2017 Perspective In this Axios column, Drew Altman discusses how public opinion seems to flip on eliminating the individual mandate as part of the tax legislation, from for it to against, when the public considers the consequences.