A source of frustration for policy makers is that effective policy and feasible policy do not always neatly intersect. Of course the political climate determines the reforms that receive serious attention, but some proposals fail even without ideological opposition. One roadblock for evidence-backed proposals that policy makers must navigate is the “wrong pocket problem”. The … Continue reading
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
It’s graduation season! And according to sources from both the White House and the Fed, the current unemployment rate of only 5.5 percent signals a wealth of opportunity for grads. Furthermore, the unemployment rate has been consistently declining. This means that all of us in Class of 2015 should breathe easy; the time has come … Continue reading
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
John Snow is viewed by many as a pioneer in disease mapping. He was a founding member of the London Epidemiological Society, one of the first professional organizations devoted to the field of epidemiology. For the 1854 cholera outbreak in London’s Broad Street region, he presented a map of disease outbreaks around the Broad Street Pump to … Continue reading
With the influx of insured patients skyrocketing due to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) as well as our growing and aging population, the demand for primary care physicians is at an all-time high. By 2020, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has predicted that we will be in need of 20,400 more primary care … Continue reading
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
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
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
Last Friday, the Supreme Court granted certiorari in King v. Burwell. Although it was a relist from last week’s conference—increasing the odds of granting certiorari to 49%–the quickness of the announcement caught many by surprise. Following the Court’s announcement, legal experts have expressed disagreement over the merits of the case: both proponents and detractors of … Continue reading
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