Flexible and nimble, these are the words chosen by one Obama Administration official as part of the announcement earlier this week that the application to apply for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) shiny new state exchanges would be trimmed to three pages. The presentation of the new form, meant to remind the … Continue reading
Figure 1. States position on Medicaid Expansion under the ACA. Via: The Advisory Board Company To expand, or not to expand Medicaid, that is the question. Why are some states skeptical about Medicaid expansion and making the assumption that the “plan is [too] costly?” If the states expand their Medicaid program, they would receive federal … Continue reading
Earlier last week, the American Action Forum released a survey analyzing the cost of individual premiums due to the ACA. The survey looks at the spectrum of rate changes across any geographic area rather than the average changes. The results are shocking and they paint a poor future outlook for the young and healthy individuals. … Continue reading
The big question in healthcare this week is what impact, if any, President Obama’s immigration proposal will have on the ACA. Will those immigrants benefit from the ACA if immigration reform is passed? And will they receive the same health coverage and benefits as the American people? It depends. Currently, under the ACA, naturalized citizens and … Continue reading
Now that we have an incumbent President Obama, the Affordable Care Act is here to stay. As the Washington Post reported yesterday, though, “We know a lot less…about how that happens.” The states now have a lot of responsibility to get things figured out. States now have about a week (until November 16) to officially decide … Continue reading
Accountable care organizations (ACOs) are federal programs under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) that incentivize health care providers to reduce costs and improve quality of care. Theoretically, under the ACO model, physicians coordinate with hospitals to create a large organization that provides streamlined, coordinated care to patients. The ACO model hopes to … Continue reading
An article in the Washington Post this week stated that only 13 states and the District of Columbia have formally stated that they intend to set up state-based health insurance exchanges. What about the other 37 states? The other states are either behind in their planning, or they have decided not to operate exchanges, the article continued. The … Continue reading
Policy Interns 