Recent Articles

Escalating premiums, higher plan deductibles, higher out-of-pocket maximums, and narrowing provider networks are all manifestations of the basic flaws in Obamacare’s public policy architecture. One effect is that Obamacare’s maximum out-of-pocket limits are higher than those for HSA-compatible plans. As a result, over half of all plan designs offered on Healthcare.gov in 2018 have out-of-pocket…

The Trump administration is not sabotaging the nation’s insurance system — it’s trying to make health plans more affordable. That’s the intent behind the administration’s recent proposal to expand access to short-term plans. “These plans aren’t subject to many of the regulations that have sent exchange premiums soaring. As a result, they’re significantly cheaper. The…

New numbers on healthcare costs highlight, yet again, how much of a dereliction of duty it will be if congressional Republicans don’t take another crack this year at replacing Obamacare. The Congressional Budget Office reported on Wednesday that premiums for the basic Obamacare plan will rise 15 percent next year, despite overall price inflation in…

Gov. Phil Murphy on Wednesday signed a law preserving a critical yet controversial part of the Affordable Care Act that President Donald Trump‘s administration repealed last year. One of the laws creates a statewide individual mandate, which will require all New Jerseyans who don’t have health coverage through a government program like Medicare or their jobs to buy a policy, or pay…

In recent elections, Democrats have faced attacks related to health-care costs, with the party being blamed for premium increases on Affordable Care Act exchanges during the Obama years. Now, as many health insurers are seeking to impose double-digit rate increases on those marketplaces, a number of recent surveys suggest Republicans may take the lion’s share…

Utah voters will decide on ballot measures to expand Medicaid and to legalize medical marijuana this fall. Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox released Tuesday what measures will be on the ballot in the 2018 elections this November. A measure to expand Medicaid under Obamacare got enough signatures to make it onto the ballot. Activists behind the measure are…

The Obama administration said Tuesday that 11.7 million Americans now have private health insurance through federal and state marketplaces, with 86 percent of them receiving financial assistance from the federal government to help pay premiums. About three-fourths of people with marketplace coverage — 8.8 million consumers — live in the 37 states served by HealthCare.gov,…

Virginia is on the cusp of expanding Medicaid after the Senate on Wednesday narrowly approved a budget that would allow the state to cover as many as 400,000 low-income people. The House, which already voted in favor of expansion earlier this year, will have to vote again before the bill can go to Gov. Ralph…

People with ACA plans drop their plans at a much higher rate than in the pre-Obamacare era.  The average monthly attrition rate under Obamacare in 2015 (3.6%) was nearly two-thirds higher than the average monthly attrition rate in the non-group market in 2006 (2.2%). This occurred even though 86% of Obamacare enrollees were receiving subsidized coverage. We…

Alex Azar will soon make his most consequential decision as health and human services secretary. President Trump has asked HHS to expand health-insurance protections in a way that could make coverage more affordable and improve the outlook for Obama Care’s risk pools. Whether Mr. Azar will oblige is uncertain. Some officials don’t understand that Mr.…