Obamacare
Commentary
Democrats Bet Their 2018 Hopes on Destroying Healthcare
As November’s midterm elections approach, Democrats, even the comparatively centrist members, are embracing government-run healthcare. Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, for instance, has officially endorsed a public insurance option, as have other Democrats running in swing districts in Kentucky and Illinois. Meanwhile, single-payer advocates have won Democratic congressional primaries in ...
Sally C. Pipes
June 28, 2018
Commentary
States Must Save Themselves from Medicaid Expansion
This month, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam signed a bill that will expand Medicaid coverage to roughly 400,000 low-income, able-bodied adults in the state. The governor praised the expansion as “the right thing for our people.” His heart may be in the right place. But Medicaid has a well-documented history of ...
Sally C. Pipes
June 22, 2018
Commentary
Health Care Premiums Will Soar Again In 2019 — Thanks, Obama
ObamaCare enrollees should brace themselves for another year of double-digit premium hikes. Average premiums for plans sold through the state and federal insurance exchanges will jump as much as 32% next year, according to a recent report from actuarial firm Milliman. Consumers in some markets could face 80% rate hikes, ...
Sally C. Pipes
June 8, 2018
Blog
When the Public Option Is the Only Option
Single-payer has failed abroad and at home. Yet the call for single-payer from progressives has never been louder. Vermont senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and his dedicated followers have been the loudest. In his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016, he promised “Medicare for All.” In September 2017, he ...
Sally C. Pipes
June 1, 2018
Commentary
Voters Want Cheap Healthcare, So Axe Obamacare’s Mandates
Healthcare affordability is a top concern for voters in this fall’s midterm elections, according to a new Kaiser Family Foundation poll. Republicans, Democrats, and independents alike say they would be more inclined to support candidates who want to reduce insurance costs. Midterm candidates can answer voters’ calls for cheaper coverage by eliminating ...
Sally C. Pipes
May 31, 2018
Commentary
Obamacare’s Partisans Complain about High Premiums but Oppose Solution
Exchange plan premiums will rise an average of 15 percent next year, according to a Congressional Budget Office analysis released this past Wednesday. Congressional Democrats blamed the president. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., tweeted that the rate hike is “largely due to Trump Administration sabotage of the health insurance market.” Senate ...
Sally C. Pipes
May 29, 2018
Commentary
The State’s Dangerous Flirtation with Drug Rationing
Massachusetts may soon stop paying for some of the lifesaving medicines its poorest residents count on. State officials recently requested permission from the federal government to restructure MassHealth, the state’s Medicaid program. If their waiver is approved, a small group of state bureaucrats will determine which drugs are off limits ...
Sally C. Pipes
May 22, 2018
Commentary
Liberals Sue Gov. Paul LePage For Protecting Them From Fiscal Disaster
Activist groups in Maine are suing Gov. Paul LePage, a Republican, for refusing to participate in Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion. The suit comes months after Maine became the first state in the nation to expand Medicaid via a ballot vote. Expansion advocates claim that growing the program would enable thousands of ...
Sally C. Pipes
May 17, 2018
Commentary
In Progressive America, All Roads Lead to Single-Payer
Sens. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., recently introduced the “Choose Medicare Act,” which would give every American the option to buy into Medicare. Their colleagues have already rolled out three other bills that would provide for a more limited Medicare buy-in, a Medicaid buy-in, and a full-fledged, government-run, ...
Sally C. Pipes
May 14, 2018
Commentary
Escape from Obamacare: Coming soon to a health insurance plan near you
Millions of Americans could soon enjoy lower health insurance premiums, thanks to a new Trump administration rule. The rule, which was proposed in January and will likely be finalized by early summer, would make it easier for self-employed individuals and small businesses to band together and purchase coverage through association ...
Sally C. Pipes
May 10, 2018
Democrats Bet Their 2018 Hopes on Destroying Healthcare
As November’s midterm elections approach, Democrats, even the comparatively centrist members, are embracing government-run healthcare. Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, for instance, has officially endorsed a public insurance option, as have other Democrats running in swing districts in Kentucky and Illinois. Meanwhile, single-payer advocates have won Democratic congressional primaries in ...
States Must Save Themselves from Medicaid Expansion
This month, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam signed a bill that will expand Medicaid coverage to roughly 400,000 low-income, able-bodied adults in the state. The governor praised the expansion as “the right thing for our people.” His heart may be in the right place. But Medicaid has a well-documented history of ...
Health Care Premiums Will Soar Again In 2019 — Thanks, Obama
ObamaCare enrollees should brace themselves for another year of double-digit premium hikes. Average premiums for plans sold through the state and federal insurance exchanges will jump as much as 32% next year, according to a recent report from actuarial firm Milliman. Consumers in some markets could face 80% rate hikes, ...
When the Public Option Is the Only Option
Single-payer has failed abroad and at home. Yet the call for single-payer from progressives has never been louder. Vermont senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and his dedicated followers have been the loudest. In his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016, he promised “Medicare for All.” In September 2017, he ...
Voters Want Cheap Healthcare, So Axe Obamacare’s Mandates
Healthcare affordability is a top concern for voters in this fall’s midterm elections, according to a new Kaiser Family Foundation poll. Republicans, Democrats, and independents alike say they would be more inclined to support candidates who want to reduce insurance costs. Midterm candidates can answer voters’ calls for cheaper coverage by eliminating ...
Obamacare’s Partisans Complain about High Premiums but Oppose Solution
Exchange plan premiums will rise an average of 15 percent next year, according to a Congressional Budget Office analysis released this past Wednesday. Congressional Democrats blamed the president. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., tweeted that the rate hike is “largely due to Trump Administration sabotage of the health insurance market.” Senate ...
The State’s Dangerous Flirtation with Drug Rationing
Massachusetts may soon stop paying for some of the lifesaving medicines its poorest residents count on. State officials recently requested permission from the federal government to restructure MassHealth, the state’s Medicaid program. If their waiver is approved, a small group of state bureaucrats will determine which drugs are off limits ...
Liberals Sue Gov. Paul LePage For Protecting Them From Fiscal Disaster
Activist groups in Maine are suing Gov. Paul LePage, a Republican, for refusing to participate in Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion. The suit comes months after Maine became the first state in the nation to expand Medicaid via a ballot vote. Expansion advocates claim that growing the program would enable thousands of ...
In Progressive America, All Roads Lead to Single-Payer
Sens. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., recently introduced the “Choose Medicare Act,” which would give every American the option to buy into Medicare. Their colleagues have already rolled out three other bills that would provide for a more limited Medicare buy-in, a Medicaid buy-in, and a full-fledged, government-run, ...
Escape from Obamacare: Coming soon to a health insurance plan near you
Millions of Americans could soon enjoy lower health insurance premiums, thanks to a new Trump administration rule. The rule, which was proposed in January and will likely be finalized by early summer, would make it easier for self-employed individuals and small businesses to band together and purchase coverage through association ...