By Aaron E. Carroll; The New York Times ~ Sep 05, 2017
The basic structure of the American health care system, in which most people have private insurance through their jobs, might seem historically inevitable, consistent with the capitalistic, individualist ethos of the nation.
In truth, it was hardly preordained.
From Joanna Shepherd; Morning Consult ~ Sep 05, 2017
In recent months, the public outcry over drug prices has been somewhat drowned out by the controversy surrounding efforts to reform the Affordable Care Act. Although the administration is still expected to issue an executive order targeting drug pricing soon, the current lull presents an opportunity to evaluate recent efforts to constrain drug prices.
By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar; The Associated Press ~ Sep 04, 2017
WASHINGTON (AP) — Millions of people who buy individual health insurance policies and get no financial help from the Affordable Care Act are bracing for another year of double-digit premium increases, and their frustration is boiling over.
Some are expecting premiums for 2018 to rival a mortgage payment.
By The Editorial Board; Newsday ~ Sep 02, 2017
While the arguing over the Affordable Care Act has died down, let’s talk about the more complex problem regarding health care and the social safety net we all depend on already, or someday will.
Without some significant changes, Social Security and Medicare will go broke. And the longer repairs to the looming shortfalls are put off, the harsher the fixes will need to be.
By Terence P. Jeffrey; Cybercast News Service ~ Aug 30, 2017
(CNSNews.com) – Americans on average spent more on taxes in 2016 than they did on food and clothing combined, according to data released this week by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The same data also shows that in three years—from 2013 to 2016—the average tax bill for Americans increased 41.13 percent.
From Danielle Kunkle; Forbes ~ Aug 30, 2017
Every week, my agency gets dozens of callers asking us about Medigap Plan F versus Plan G. People new to Medicare want to know why anyone would buy a Plan G when they could enroll in a Plan F that would pay for everything.
The easy answer is that Plan G offers lower premiums for a little bit of cost-sharing on your end. However, Plan G has been around for years, so why are we just now seeing so much interest in it?
By Yuval Rosenberg; The Fiscal Times ~ Aug 29, 2017
The U.S. spends more per capita on prescription drugs than any other high-income country — and that spending has grown much faster than in comparable countries over the last two decades, lifting the annual cost per person to between 30 percent and 190 percent higher than in countries such as Canada, France, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland and the U.K.
By Hazel Bradford; Pensions & Investments ~ Aug 29, 2017
The Department of Labor’s proposal to extend the Jan. 1 applicability date for the remaining portions of the fiduciary rule until July 1, 2019, was approved Monday, according to a notice on the Office of Management and Budget website.
By Carla K. Johnson; The Associated Press ~ Aug 29, 2017
CHICAGO (AP) — Three times a week, Rita Driscoll steps onto a treadmill at a Minnesota hospital under the eye of a rehab therapist. She walks until it hurts – pushing her limits, walking faster and adding steeper inclines.
The retired school aide has leg pain caused by clogged blood vessels. Until recently, monitored walking wasn’t an option for people with peripheral artery disease, or PAD, because most insurance doesn’t cover it.
From Austin Frakt; The New York Times ~ Aug 28, 2017
In recent days, Democrats have stepped into the health policy vacuum created by the Republicans’ failure to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. Proposals making the rounds include allowing Americans to buy into Medicare at age 55 or to buy into Medicaid.
Both Medicare and Medicaid pay lower prices to health care providers compared with private market plans offered by employers and in the Affordable Care Act marketplaces.
