SCOTUS Obamacare Ruling

The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) recently ruled that family owned and other closely held companies can opt out of the Affordable Care Act’s provisions for no-cost prescription contraception in most health insurance if they have religious objections.  Is this a blow to Obamacare?  Yes and No.  The practical implications may be small but…

ACA, Uninsurance and American Cities

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) increased the likelihood individuals have insurance by: (i) offering states money to expand Medicaid eligibility, and (ii) offering individuals subsidies to purchase insurance through newly created health insurance exchanges.  Did it work?  A Robert Wood Johnson report examines at the effect of the ACA on uninsurance rates in 14 large…

Long-Term Care Hospitals

What are Long-Term Care Hospitals (LTCH)?  These facilities are different from nursing homes.  The New York Times explains the type of care they provide: These are no ordinary hospitals: Critically ill patients, sometimes unresponsive or in comas, may live here for months, even years, sustained by respirators and feeding tubes. Some, especially those recovering from accidents,…

A new Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze

Currently, patients entering the health insurance exchanges can choose from platinum, gold, silver and bronze plans.  What is the difference between them?  As the names indicate, platinum has the highest premium and bronze the lowest.  However, bronze plans may be more expensive.  Why is this?  In essence, all the plans cover the same items.  The…

Friday Links: World Cup Edition

Get your Friday health care fix… How to fix the VA? Cost to fix Obamacare. Obamacare ‘sticker shock’ not shocking. Sanofi + Medtronic vs. Diabetes. Exchange premiums rise by 8%. Black box warning backfires? …and in the spirit of the World Cup, here are two sports-related posts… USMNT! Athletes = company-town employees? The U.S. plays…