Health Benefits

Limited Posts

July 15, 2012 Uncategorized

Obviously I haven’t posted much the past couple weeks. I won’t the next week either as I’ll be offshore and (mostly) offline. In the meantime, yes take the Supreme Court’s Medicaid decision seriously. It’ll keep people busy for a while. But ultimately states will come around because they’d be foolish not to and because their […]

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Final Thoughts on the ACA Before the Supreme Court Decision is Announced

June 27, 2012 Democrat

Like most, I’ve done my tea-leaf reading. If we were sitting around over coffee or beer, I’d speculate with you on what the Supreme Court will announce tomorrow as its decision on the Affordable Care Act, health care reform. I won’t here. It’s pointless and there are thousands who’ve already covered that ground. I will […]

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The “Unfunded Mandate” Gig. What Would Real Government Reform in NY Look Like?

June 7, 2012 Administration

As they do from time-to-time, all over New York, county officials are screaming about “unfunded mandates.” Candidates for the State Legislature are touting reforming “unfunded mandates” as an essential part of their platform. Even aside from the funded unmandates (read that carefully) of county nursing homes that so many still wish to maintain and some […]

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The Health Care System in the US is Consuming its Consumers

May 31, 2012 Economics

The Health Care Cost Institute has released a new report, but which is still another reminder of why we cannot afford the US healthcare system. Last week, we pointed to a study that showed increasing dissatisfaction and increasing prices. The 2010 HCCI Health Care Cost and Utilization Report is the first report of its kind […]

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Significant Decline in Employment Based Health Benefits Resulted from the Great Recession

March 21, 2012 Economics

Employment based health benefits have been declining steadily, but significantly for a long time. But the recent “Great Recession” accelerated that decline much more than my pessimistic self anticipated. From the National Institute for Health Care Reform (a non-profit established by the International Union, UAW; Chrysler Group LLC; Ford Motor Company; and General Motors): Between […]

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New Health Plan Deliberately Excludes High Cost Hospitals & Other Providers

March 21, 2012 Economics

By Robert Weisman from the Boston Globe: Harvard Pilgrim Health Care is teaming up with more than 50 hospitals and 16,500 doctors across the state to offer Massachusetts employers and their workers a 10 percent savings on health insurance by forming what they call a “focused network’’ of medical care groups that excludes Partners HealthCare […]

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Sales Tax Increase Flops for Saratoga; They Go for Property Tax Increase and Cuts

November 19, 2011 Budget

As expected, key members of the State Senate, told Saratoga County officials not to plan on a local sales tax increase (which requires permission from the State Legislature and Governor), to balance the County budget. It was unlikely from the beginning. The State approved extensions of existing taxes during the current year, but approved no […]

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