Affordable Care Act

Graham-Cassidy’s Pre-Existing Conditions Rule Is A Very Big Deal

The still-evolving Senate Republican replacement for the Affordable Care Act could make health insurance unaffordable for more than 50 million middle-aged Americans by allowing insurers to raise premiums for those with pre-existing conditions. Other provisions would allow carriers to boost insurance costs for even health people aged 50-64. The bill would give states federal dollars to help subsidize those rate [...]

By |2018-02-14T12:43:53-05:00September 25th, 2017|Health reform|1 Comment

What This Week’s Congressional Action On Health Care And Social Services Will Mean For Seniors

Congress took two big steps this week that could have a major impact on seniors and younger people with disabilities. The one that got the most attention, of course, was the Senate’s failure to pass a replacement for the Affordable Care Act. The second, which was barely noticed, was a series of key decisions by House Republicans on how much [...]

Middle-Age Adults and Frail Seniors Would Pay More For Medical and Long-Term Care Under The Senate Health Plan

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s health care plan would substantially increase costs for people age 50-64 who buy insurance in the individual market and for the frail elderly and younger people with disabilities who receive Medicaid long-term care benefits.  In some ways, the Senate plan would be marginally better than the House-passed health bill. In others, it would be much [...]

By |2017-06-28T16:21:40-04:00June 28th, 2017|Health reform|2 Comments

The House Health Bill: Bad For Seniors, Bad For Long-Term Care Insurance

The House-passed health bill could further batter the already-beaten down market for long-term care insurance. And drive even more middle income seniors into impoverishment and onto Medicaid long-term care. Here’s why:  The House bill, called the American Health Care Act (AHCA) would significantly raise health insurance premiums and out-of-pocket medical costs for buyers aged 50-64. And that is exactly the [...]

Seniors Had A Terrible Week In Washington. It Could Get Worse

Congress and President Trump took dead aim at seniors and younger people with disabilities this week. First, Congress voted to cut or freeze funding for key federal senior service programs. Then the House passed its bill to replace the Affordable Care Act—a measure that would make health insurance unaffordable for many people aged 50-64, allow insurance companies to sell policies [...]

Fix The Affordable Care Act By Letting People 55-64 Buy Into Medicare

Congressional Republicans seem once again stymied in their efforts to “repeal and replace Obamacare.” So here is a partial solution that can be a winner for both political parties, the insurance industry, and consumers: Allow people 55-64 to buy into Medicare. And enhance the deal by letting Medicare Advantage plans offer some long-term supports and services, such as personal care, [...]

By |2017-04-28T14:55:11-04:00April 28th, 2017|long term care reform, Medicare|0 Comments

A Closer Look At The House GOP Health Bill And Seniors: It Isn’t Getting Better

From the perspective of older adults, there is little good to say about the House Republican health care bill. The American Health Care Act (AHCA) would significantly raise insurance costs for people in their 50s and 60s, reduce important Medicaid benefits for the frail elderly, and put more financial pressure on Medicare. Last week, I took a first look at [...]

By |2017-03-14T14:01:15-04:00March 14th, 2017|Health Care|3 Comments

The House GOP Health Plan Would Be The Biggest Change For Seniors In A  Half-Century

House Republicans have proposed a major rewrite of the Affordable Care Act that would increase the cost of health insurance for older workers and profoundly change the Medicaid support system for the most vulnerable. It would be the biggest change in government assistance for long-term care since the creation of Medicaid a half century ago. The proposal would retain the [...]

By |2017-03-07T18:22:48-05:00March 7th, 2017|Health Care, Medicaid|0 Comments

Congress Should Not Kill End-Of-Life Talks Just As Physicians And Patients Are Having Them

We may be about to have a new debate over “death panels.” If we do, it would be a tragedy for tens of millions of Americans and their families. You may remember this small piece of the Affordable Care Act that garnered outsized attention back in 2010. It allowed Medicare to pay physicians for having end-of-life conversations with their patients. [...]

By |2017-03-02T09:33:41-05:00March 2nd, 2017|End of life, Medicare|0 Comments

Stop Talking About Obamacare. It is Bad For Our Health

As the debate over remaking the US health system heats up, I’d like to make a modest request: Let’s stop talking about Obamacare.  Drop the partisan, misleading, counterproductive, and increasingly irrelevant hot button label. Instead let’s talk about the pros and cons of what are likely to be some complex and far-reaching changes to the way Americans get their medical [...]

By |2017-02-17T15:04:48-05:00February 17th, 2017|Health Care|0 Comments