Must Read
In the five years since the United States began its slow climb out of the deepest recession since the 1930s, the job market has undergone a substantial makeover. The middle class has lost ground as the greatest gains have occurred at the top and bottom of the pay scale, leaving even many working Americans living in poverty. The housing industry, once the primary engine of growth and a fountain of jobs, has shrunk, while health care, technology and energy have led the recovery.
In an unusual, perhaps unprecedented move, leaders from across the health care industry [in Massachusetts] are calling for closer scrutiny of a deal that would cap prices for Partners HealthCare in the short term but would let the state’s largest hospital network add four more hospitals.
The deal that is fueling letters, analysis, statements and meetings is between Partners HealthCare and [Massachusetts] Attorney General Martha Coakley. She says it will limit Partners’ clout and the health care “Goliath’s” (her word) ability to drive up costs. That might be true. But no one has seen any details. The only thing made public is a press release…. Coakley has said that the details would be available when the agreement is filed in court.
Unless Congress appropriates new funds at some point in the next year, coverage for millions of children will lapse in September 2015. The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) covered 5.7 million children in 2009. It was enacted by President Clinton in 1997 and was temporarily reauthorized under President Obama during his first year in office. But funding for the program expires at the end of September 2015….
Due to a mistake in the way the Affordable Care Act was written, an estimated two million children will be without affordable coverage if Congress fails to continue CHIP’s funding. The mistake, known in health policy circles as the “family glitch,” prohibits families with incomes below 400 percent of the federal poverty line from receiving subsidies if one of the parents has health insurance through their employer – even when that coverage won’t cover dependent spouses or children.
Should Read/Listen
Economics Continue reading →
