Obamacare costs less than expected
Posted by Staff (04/14/2014 @ 5:31 pm)
Obamacare will cost $104 billion less over the next ten years according to the Congressional Budget Office. This is the latest in a string of good news for the Affordable Care Act, which now has signed up over 7.5 million Americans.
The launch was disastrous, but now we’re seeing important progress.
Disappointing launch for HealthCare.gov
Posted by Staff (10/20/2013 @ 2:47 pm)

Calling the rollout of the website for the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare, is probably an understatement. It’s incredibly disappointing to hear the stories of problems with the website, as it’s so important to so many to have this access to affordable health insurance. Also, regardless of your political opinions, the law is here and for many people having this access will be critical. Don’t let the political hype dissuade you from trying it out.
Still, it’s now likely that many people won’t try it, at not for a while, with all of the much-publicized problems with the website. Hopefully this update from HHS is a sign that they are serious about fixing the problems. They need to fix the problems, and then be diligent in letting people know as the site improves. Fortunately, the media is all over this, so if they finally get it right people should hear about it.
Pleasant surprises in store for Obamacare?
Posted by Staff (05/28/2013 @ 1:08 pm)
Here’s some welcomed good news from of all places California:
Predictions of an Obamacare apocalypse seem a little less credible today, thanks to California.
On Thursday, officials in that state offered the first detailed glimpse of what consumers buying health benefits on their own can expect to pay next year. And from the looks of things, these consumers will be getting a pretty good deal.
Based on the premiums that insurers have submitted for final regulatory approval, the majority of Californians buying coverage on the state’s new insurance exchange will be paying less—in many cases, far less—than they would pay for equivalent coverage today. And while a minority will still end up writing bigger premium checks than they do now, even they won’t be paying outrageous amounts. Meanwhile, all of these consumers will have access to the kind of comprehensive benefits that are frequently unavaiable today, at any price, because of the way insurers try to avoid the old and the sick.
Guys like Paul Krugman are heralding these new numbers.
If these numbers play out in other states as well, we could see a surge of people getting more affordable health insurance coverage.
Posted in: General Health, Health Care Policy, Health Insurance
Tags: Affordable Care Act, affordable health insurance coverage, buying health benefits, California Obamacare premiums, health care premiums, insurance exchange, Obamacare, Obamacare apocalypse, Obamacare apocalypse not
Are health care costs starting to stabilize?
Posted by Staff (05/07/2013 @ 11:59 am)
Health care costs are the biggest contributor to our long term deficits, and so this issue gets a ton of attention in Washington. President Obama has argued for years that simply bending the long term cost curve on health care will result in huge savings regarding government spending helping to reduce deficits. The trend may have already started.
Health care spending growth has famously slowed over the past five years, significantly enough that the Congressional Budget Office recently revised its projections of Medicare and Medicaid spending over the coming decade downward by hundreds of billions of dollars.
Now, research papers suggests the recent slowdown doesn’t just reflect temporary economic weakness, but also structural shifts in how health care is delivered and financed — possibly attributable to the Affordable Care Act — and thus might be a harbinger of a longer-term trend.
If they’re right, and the trend continues, it means workers can expect higher wages and the country’s projected medium term deficits are significantly overstated, which in turn suggests lawmakers’ continuing obsession with the current budget deficit, and deficits over the coming decade, are misguided.
One of the keys to Obamacare is to move our health care system away from fee for service care to health care delivery that takes a holistic approach where doctors and hospitals are paid for overall care and outcomes as opposed to more tests and procedures. It makes sense that this shift has started to decrease overall costs.
Millions Of American Women Lack Sufficient Health Care Coverage
Posted by Staff (07/14/2012 @ 8:04 pm)

Insured American women are more likely to go without needed healthcare because of the cost and difficulty paying medical bills.
“We are on the cusp of a remarkable feat: providing comprehensive, affordable health insurance to almost all American women,” Karen Davis, president of the Commonwealth Fund, explained. “It is crucial that state and federal policy makers and other key stakeholders actively work together to implement the reform law and take full advantage of all the benefits the Affordable Care Act offers so that all American families are able to benefit from the law’s potential.”
Women of childbearing age are at particular risk and often cannot afford the high out of pocket cost of health care even when they are insured.
Lower wages, higher premiums and time away from work to raise families puts women at unique risk in comparison to men.