Overview As the cost of healthcare rises, the government is pouring money into the current health insurance system to find a way to counteract this rise, and lower costs for patients. Progressive Democrats propose expanding upon the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and implementing a single payer system. The key issue with a single payer system … Continue reading
Category Archives: Affordable Care Act
ACA Made Easy: Individual Shared Responsibility
Since the Individual Mandate statute of the Affordable Care Act was enacted in January 2014, every American is accountable for an Individual Shared Responsibility* payment every year. Meaning, if you do not have health insurance, you will face penalties. While you may not see an actual summons, or pay a fine, the federal government enforces … Continue reading
Why the Founding Fathers Would Dislike “Obamacare”
Among the many popular topics of the 2016 presidential campaigns, healthcare remains a timeless defining issue sparking vivid debate on both sides of the political spectrum. In the 2016 presidential campaign, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) – commonly referred to as “Obamacare” – has become the privileged scapegoat. However, beyond the political contention, an aspect … Continue reading
The ACA Era of Mergers and Acquisitions
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) of March 2010 spurred many changes in the U.S. health care marketplace. The regulation intended to encourage optimization of care, increased access, and reduced costs. Interestingly, the private market has had its own economic response to increased regulation – mergers and acquisitions. Evidently, the shifts in the … Continue reading
Special Needs Families and the Affordable Care Act
The Federal Government’s role as a safety net for the vulnerable has been growing steadily since the passage of the New Deal in the wake of the Great Depression, when President Roosevelt introduced such novel concepts as Social Security. Follow-up legislation in the 1960s established Medicare, which continues to help senior citizens remain independent as … Continue reading
Issues in 340B
What is it? The 340B Drug Pricing Program requires drug manufacturers to provide outpatient drugs to eligible health care organizations at substantially discounted prices ranging from 25 to 50 percent off a drug’s average wholesale price. Who’s eligible? In order to be eligible for 340B, a provider must either be a nonprofit with particular federal … Continue reading
Employer Wellness Programs: ADA and ACA
The rising cost of health benefits and prevalence of chronic diseases has increased the significance of employer wellness programs. These programs encourage healthier lifestyles and may help reduce health care costs, with numerous large firms suggesting that the programs save the average employer $3.27 for every dollar spent on them. The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions … Continue reading
America’s Employment Status: Where are the Hours Going?
When asked about how an industry is recovering from a recession, you would probably point to wages or the number of newly hired employees. Would you think to look at the number of hours employees are working? The average weekly hours across industries has varied widely since the Great Recession. Let’s first look at the … Continue reading
Is Telemedicine Going to Help Curb Health Care Costs?
Since the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), everyone has been holding their breath in anticipation of seeing its effects. In an attempt to curb health care costs by diluting the risk pool, the ACA has mandated that individuals get insurance or pay a fine. It is true that millions are more insured due … Continue reading
Smooth Sailing from Here On Out, Right?
This past Saturday (November 15, 2014) marked the beginning of the open enrollment period for 2015 Affordable Care Act plans. All indications are that this year’s enrollment period is functioning much smoother than last year’s, which is good for the administration. The national website has functioned much better than last year and a majority of … Continue reading
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