In February 1994, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) said that the Clinton health plan would add $74 billion to the deficit over the following six years. And that spelled the beginning of the end of the Clinton plan to have the federal government supervise the financing and delivery of health care. Yesterday, CBO – an officially nonpartisan office whose director is appointed by the Democratic Congressional leadership – released its “preliminary” score of the Kennedy-Dodd bill. If enacted, the proposal would increase the federal budget deficit by $1 trillion over …
Today The Washington Post reported that President Obama’s budget proposal to “tax the rich” to pay for health care, including reduced deductions for charitable donations, is “facing deep skepticism on Capitol Hill”. According to the Post, as an alternative, top lawmakers are pondering a change to the federal tax treatment of health insurance—a relic of the WWII era—as an alternative way to financing health reform. If there is one item where there is a powerful consensus among serious health policy analysts, conservative and liberal alike, it is the need to …
It’s widely known that while there is some variation, in most states Medicaid reimburses physicians at significantly lower rates than private insurers. As we’ve previously highlighted, research indicates that these low rates of payment affect physicians’ decisions to treat Medicaid patients. While low reimbursement is a serious problem in Medicaid that ultimately compromises access and thus quality of care for those receiving public assistance, a new study published yesterday by Health Affairs finds that administrative burdens—in particular payment delays— can also have a significant effect on physicians decisions to accept …
Is the Bush Administration supporting yet another bailout? After seven delays and months of negotiations between Massachusetts and federal officials over the renewal of the state’s Medicaid demonstration waiver which supports its landmark health reform, State House News Service has just reported that a deal has been struck. While the details of the waiver renewal are so far being withheld by both state and federal officials, there was a press conference today at 2pm where Gov. Patrick announced the deal. As my colleague Ed Haislmaier and I wrote in our …
While the Massachusetts health reform has generated a significant amount of attention, few have focused on the critical Medicaid demonstration “waiver,” which enabled the reform and was set to expire on June 30. Absent an agreement on the terms and conditions of the waiver’s renewal, last Friday the feds granted the state its fifth two-week extension in order to continue negotiations. While the feds and the state aren’t willing to make public the details of their ongoing talks, the local media have reported that the Bush administration is standing firm …
Today the U.S. Census Bureau released its annual estimate of the uninsured. For some, it came as a surprise that both the rate and number of people without health insurance actually declined, from 47 million, or 15.8% in 2006, to 45.7 million, or 15.3% in 2007. For those of us who follow the numbers closely, however, it’s no surprise. While the rate and number of uninsured has fallen, this year’s Census shows the beginning of a startling trend. The percent of Americans with private health insurance is on the decline, …
On Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal published an editorial on the Massachusetts health reform that, among other things, highlighted the roughly 150 million dollar cost overrun. Unfortunately, the Journal joined other media outlets in missing the real story. What was left out of the editorial, and other media coverage thus far, was an examination of the tension in shifting subsidies away from institutions to individuals in order to help them buy health insurance coverage. This is the key policy issue at hand as Massachusetts is now negotiating with federal officials …
First Bear Stearns, then Fannie and Freddie … and now the Commonwealth of Massachusetts? Last week Massachusetts received another short-term extension of its Medicaid waiver—which in part funds the state’s health care reform — until next Monday (July 28th) because the terms and conditions of its renewal are still pending. State and federal officials have mostly been silent on the details of their talks but there is no apparent sign that negotiations will come to an end by the next deadline. In a recent memo I authored with my colleague …
Officials in Boston and Washington are currently negotiating the renewal of Massachusetts’ Medicaid waiver, which funds a large portion of the state’s landmark health reform law. After a short-term extension was granted two weeks ago, talks are scheduled to end on Monday. In a recent memo, Ed Haislmaier and I note that the outcome of the negotiations will be significant beyond the state of Massachusetts. The policy precedent set by the Massachusetts experiment is particularly important, and the terms of any waiver renewal will either confirm or undermine an important …
Sen. John McCain issued a call to action on health care reform today. Despite what some political pundits and liberal critics in the media claim, McCain has it exactly right with his policy proposal. The McCain plan would expand personal, portable private health insurance, not through government mandates or regulations handed down by Washington but by harnessing patient choice and private competition. McCain would establish an alternative beyond employer-based coverage by making it easier for individuals and families to own and keep their health insurance policies without a tax or …
