Kevin Counihan and Michael Cannon look at the Affordable Care Act and see very different things. Cannon is part of the brain trust behind a Supreme Court case that could result in the repeal of a part of the exchanges he says is illegal. Counihan‘s job is to make the exchanges work. Millions of people...
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Joe Paduda’s Monday Morning Catch-up
After eight days away, time to catch up on the goings on. Lots happened, beginning with the non-renewal of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act, aka TRIA. Mark Walls’ solid summary of the non-event that is a big event is here; Peter Rousmaniere penned a piece in WorkCompWire on the issue as well. Peter sees this as...
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Impact of Healthcare Reform on Workers’ Compensation
The Patient Protection and Affordable Healthcare Act (a/k/a Obamacare, or ACA) was signed into law on March 23, 2010. This piece of legislation has changed the way we think about healthcare in the United States. Among those changes is the “individual mandate,” which as of January 1, 2014, requires every person to obtain health insurance...
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Making The Human Condition Computable
For centuries, the central challenge in health care was ignorance. There simply wasn’t enough information to know what was making a person sick, or what to do to cure them. Now, health care is being flooded with information. Advances in computing technology mean that gathering, storing and analyzing health information is relatively cheap, and it’s...
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Joe Paduda’s Pre-Vacation Catch-up
Leaving tomorrow for eight days away, so today’s a quick catch-up. First up, the news that there’s been a dramatic increase in investor interest in addiction rehab. The market for services will increase to $35 billion this year, up more than 50% over the last decade. In a deal emblematic of the industry transition, Acadia will buy Bain...
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Joe Paduda Looks at PPACA
Let’s stipulate that the US health care “system” was and is a mess. Our costs are about twice as high as other industrialized countries’, outcomes are not as good, and for consumers and purchasers, it is confusing as hell. The question is, is PPACA making it better? There’s no question the PPACA has a lot...
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‘Obamacare’ Expert Apologizes For Remarks On Law’s Creation
The man described as an architect of the Affordable Care Act who said the “stupidity of the American voter” was critical in getting the law to pass apologized during a congressional hearing today for his remarks. “I would like to begin by apologizing sincerely for the offending comments that I made,” Jonathan Gruber, a health...
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The Advantages of Online Benefit Administration
Over the last several years even smaller companies have been taking benefit communications and decision-support systems online. With a voluntary benefit program, your benefit vendor will handle all administration, including employee enrollments, questions and claims problems. Selecting a benefit vendor with a robust online support system can enhance satisfaction with your voluntary benefit programs. Some...
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Turning 21? Here’s How To Avoid A Big Hike In Health Premiums
For young people, turning 21 is generally a reason to celebrate. If they’re insured through the federal health insurance marketplace that operates in about three dozen states, however, their birthday could mean a whopping 58 percent jump in their health insurance premium in 2015, according to an analysis by researchers at the Center on Budget...
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Health Law Adjustments By Congress Possible If High Court Strikes Federal Exchange Subsidies
Exactly what would happen to the Affordable Care Act if the Supreme Court invalidates tax credits in three dozen states where the federal government runs the program? Legal scholars say a decision like that would deal a potentially lethal blow to the law because it would undermine the government-run insurance marketplaces that are its backbone,...
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