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.
The Biggest Health Issue We Aren’t Debating November 22, 2017 Perspective In an Axios column, Drew Altman raises a health care issue that isn’t being debated, a large share of the public don’t have the assets to cover the cost sharing in their health plan if they get sick.
JAMA Forum: The Health Care Law that Continues to Escape Death November 20, 2017 Perspective In this November 2017 post for The JAMA Forum, Larry Levitt reviews the status of the Affordable Care Act following actions by the Trump administration widely perceived as designed to undermine the marketplaces. Despite assertions to the contrary, Levitt finds, “at least for now, the ACA seems very much alive.”
How the Elections Could Put the Brakes on Anti-ACA Plans November 10, 2017 Perspective In this Axios column, Drew Altman examines the role of health care in Virginia’s elections and the referendum on Medicaid expansion in Maine. His assessment: the elections and the referendum will have a bigger impact on upcoming policy debates about cutting Medicaid to pay for tax cuts, and state interest in Medicaid expansion, than on upcoming elections.
One Big Thing People Don’t Know About Single Payer November 2, 2017 Perspective In this Axios column, Drew Altman discusses a challenge for single payer which has not received much attention – a large share of the American people do not think they would have to change their current health insurance arrangements if there were a Medicare-for-all style single payer plan.
Keeping the Alexander-Murray Health Care Bill in Context October 23, 2017 Perspective This Drew Altman Axios column describes the scale of the problems in the ACA marketplaces and the public’s confusion about whether they are impacted. He says that the news media, experts and policy makers can do more to put the marketplace problems and fixes in context as debate evolves.
The Medical Bill Score: How the Public Judges Health Care October 3, 2017 Perspective In an Axios column, Drew Altman discusses how the public “scores” major health proposals like Graham-Cassidy or single payer, and proposes a “Medical Bills Score” for health.
How Single Payer Helps Republicans Change the Subject September 14, 2017 Perspective In this Axios column, Drew Altman analyzes the political pros and cons of single payer for Democrats and whether it will shift the focus from the Republicans’ failed effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act to the Democrats new sweeping plan.
