At Tax Time, No Public Backlash Over Obamacare’s Individual Mandate April 21, 2015 Perspective This was published as a Wall Street Journal Think Tank column on April 21, 2015. Tax season has come and gone with no great outbreak of protest about the Affordable Care Act’s least popular provision: the individual mandate. This central element of the ACA was included to help ensure that the individual…
Public vs. Private Health Insurance on Controlling Spending April 16, 2015 Perspective In this column for The Wall Street Journal’s Think Tank, Drew Altman analyzes whether public or private health insurance does a better job of controlling costs.
Why Low Growth in Health Costs Still Stings April 8, 2015 Perspective This was published as a Wall Street Journal Think Tank column on April 8, 2015. In my last Think Tank piece, I reported that just 3% of Americans felt health costs had been rising more slowly than usual, even though they have been growing at record low rates in recent years. The…
Americans Don’t Feel the Slowdown in Health Costs March 31, 2015 Perspective In this column for The Wall Street Journal’s Think Tank, Drew Altman discusses why the health policy agenda may shift to focus more on affordability of coverage, consumer protection and consumer information in coming years.
After Five Years, Public Opinion on Health Law Remains Divided March 19, 2015 Perspective On the Affordable Care Act’s fifth anniversary, Drew Altman’s column for The Wall Street Journal’s Think Tank discusses two views of public opinion on the law.
How Much (More) Will Seniors Pay for a Doc Fix? March 12, 2015 Perspective In this Policy Insight, the Foundation’s Cristina Boccuti and Tricia Neuman examine how Congress’ effort to permanently stave off scheduled cuts in Medicare’s physician payments could affect what Medicare beneficiaries pay for their care — both in premiums and in other potential changes — to offset the cost of the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) “doc fix.”
JAMA Forum: Of SCOTUS and Chicken March 11, 2015 Perspective Larry Levitt’s March 2015 post explores what could happen if the U.S. Supreme Court rules for the plaintiffs in the King v. Burwell case, the lawsuit that challenges the federal government’s authority to provide financial assistance to people who buy insurance in federally-operated marketplaces created by the Affordable Care Act.
Health-Care Deductibles Climbing Out of Reach March 11, 2015 Perspective In this column for The Wall Street Journal’s Think Tank, Drew Altman explores the trend of higher deductibles in health plans and discusses a new analysis showing that many people with private insurance don’t have sufficient financial resources to pay a mid- or high-range deductible.
If Health Insurance Subsidies Are Struck Down, States Will Need Time March 4, 2015 Perspective In this column for The Wall Street Journal’s Think Tank, Drew Altman explores a practical timetable for state action if the Supreme Court rules in favor of the plaintiffs in King V. Burwell and ponders what Republicans in Congress might do.
The Diseases We Spend Our Health Dollars On March 3, 2015 Perspective In this column for The Wall Street Journal’s Think Tank, Drew Altman explains how a recent Bureau of Economic Analysis report makes the nation’s health care spending more tangible by breaking it down by disease.
