…included in the new law. The latter victory created a new opening. Though the effective date for the Exchange waiver was pushed back to 2017 by the Congressional Budget Office…
Employers considering defined contribution for health care
…desire of companies to reduce their exposure to health care costs by shifting the risk of unpredictable expenses to their workers. Few employers, particularly large companies, are eager to discuss…
In Health Care Reform Debate, Single-Payer System is Labor’s Only Clear Choice
…health coverage, guaranteed. * Comprehensive, uniform benefits: No Cadillac plans for the wealthy, no tricycle plans–with high deductibles, limited services, and caps on coverage–for everyone else. * Choice of physician,…
Let’s Change Medicare into a Plan for the Ages
…is worth considering. Write to Saul Friedman, Newsday, 235 Pinelawn Rd., Melville, NY, 11747-4250, or by e-mail at saulfriedman@comcast.net. Copyright (c) 2004, Newsday, Inc. This article originally appeared at: http://www.newsday.com/news/health/ny-saul3991259oct02,0,6607503.column?coll=ny-health-headlines…
More on small businesses and self-insured plans
…post-2014. Employers have always had reasons to self-insure. Plans that are self-insured escape state regulation, including state mandates, and can be less expensive than commercial insurance for low-risk groups. The…
Concepts from yesterday’s message
…premiums. That’s the essence of insurance. It’s also why insurance does not work in health care. We use the word, but we mean social insurance, community rating. Community rating is…
Krugman’s solution for employment-based health insurance
…health insurance. http://select.nytimes.com/2005/11/07/opinion/07krugman.html?hp Comment: Although most are familiar with Paul Krugman’s column in The New York Times, some may not be aware that he is a Professor of Economics at…
Labor’s Lost Story
…argued, that guaranteed new consumer goods, new methods of production and new forms of organization. A different story is told left of center, though it will come as no shock…
Bush administration rejects citizens’ health care recommendations
…meet their needs,” Leavitt said. The group “chose an approach based on mandates and government intervention rather than an approach emphasizing consumer choice and options,” Leavitt said. http://www.heraldsun.com/nationworld/14-829396.cfm Comment: By…
The Obama administration supports closed enrollment
…new FAQ document notes that insurance companies may establish an open enrollment period for children with pre-existing conditions. http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/07/28/giving-our-kids-care-they-need And… Questions and Answers on Enrollment of Children Under 19 Under…
Ezekiel Emanuel: “Reinventing American Health Care”
…judged with increasing respect over time. http://www.publicaffairsbooks.com/book/hardcover/reinventing-american-he… Ezekiel J. Emanuel, speaking about his book, “Reinventing American Health Care: How the Affordable Care Act Will Improve Our Terribly Complex, Blatantly Unjust,…
Only 2% of individual plans meet "essential health benefit" requirements
Almost No Existing Health Plans Meet New ACA Essential Health Benefit Standards By Kev Coleman HealthPocket, March 7, 2013 Given that health insurance plans will have to meet new minimum…