44 Million Could Lose Health Coverage Under Republican Budget
The House Republican budget plan would throw as many as 44 million low-income adults and children out of Medicaid over the next 10 years and likely leave them with no health care coverage, according to a new study by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF).
Under the House Republican budget plan developed by Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, Medicaid would be converted to a block grant program and the new health care reform law—the Affordable Care Act—would be repealed. That, says the study,
would trigger major reductions in program spending and enrollment compared to current projections, a shift with big implications for states, hospitals and tens of millions of low-income Americans who likely would become uninsured. Read the rest of this entry »
Drop in Health Coverage During Recession Continues Decade-Long Trend
Between 2007 and 2009, with increasing unemployment and workers losing their employer-provided health coverage, along with declining incomes, the number of uninsured non-elderly Americans increased from 45 million to 50 million, according to a new report.
The report, in the journal Health Affairs, also examines changes in health insurance coverage over the past decade and found that even in years of economic growth, the number of uninsured climbed as more and more employers dropped health coverage for their workers.
The study, by John Holahan of The Urban Institute for Kaiser Family Foundation’s Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured (KCMU) also found that while the number of children with health coverage grew, even as employer-provided insurance declined, most of that was due to increased coverage by Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
Throughout the past decade, even in good economic times, the number of Americans with employer-sponsored insurance has fallen, and the number of uninsured Americans has increased. This finding underscores the importance of planned coverage expansions under the Affordable Care Act.
Most Oppose Health Reform Repeal. Two Guides Navigate the Law
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The Republican “pledge” to repeal health care reform if that party wins a congressional majority may play well with their tilt-to-the-right base. But according to a new poll from the Associated Press, Americans who think the law should actually have done more outnumber those who think the government should stay out of health care by 2-to-1.
Some 40 percent of those polled said the new law should have gone even further to change the health care system, while just 20 percent say the government should keep its hands off health care. Click here for more on the poll.
Just what does the new health care law do and not do? A new consumer guide from Consumers Union and a Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) “YouToon” offer a family handbook in good old-fashion, straight-forward language that helps us all naviagate the health care reform law.
Health Insurance Premiums Soar as New Polls Show Americans Want Reform
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Recent polls show a majority of Americans want Congress to pass comprehensive health care reform now. And for good reason: There’s more news out this week about the enormous increases in health insurance premiums, according to a new report.
A survey from Economist/YouGov released this week shows 53 percent of respondents support changes proposed by the Obama administration. A second poll by Ipsos/McClutchey shows that 53 percent of Americans either support the current reform option or hope for an even stronger reform package. More than a third of those who oppose current reform proposals actually favor stronger reforms.
Workers Paying More for Health Coverage; Docs Back Public Option and Other Health Care News
As the battle for comprehensive health care reform picks up, here’s a roundup on the latest, including a survey that finds workers are paying more for job-based health care coverage; another survey showing physicians support a public option as part of a health care reform package; and well-reasoned arguments showing why the U.S. House health care reform package is the better bill.
The average family health insurance premium has jumped by 131 percent during the past decade while wages have increased by just 38 percent and inflation by 28 percent, finds the Kaiser Family Foundation’s (KKF‘s) annual health benefits survey released this week.
Today, the annual premium for employer-provided health insurance is $13,375, with the employer paying $9,860 and workers footing $3,515 of the premium costs.
As a result, many employers say they plan to cut back health care benefits even more than they already have with higher co-pays and deductibles for workers.
Two Polls Show Public Doesn’t Buy Insurance Industry’s Spin on Health Care
Our continuing series examining health care reform proposals, issues, opinions and surveys today takes a look at what the public thinks about the private insurance industry.
And it’s not good news for the big for-profit corporations that are doing their darndest to roadblock meaningful reform. Two recent polls show the public is not buying what the private insurance industry is peddling.
The AFL-CIO has not endorsed a specific plan but has established certain principles around which any plan should be built (click here for more details). One of the key elements must be a public health insurance plan option—such as the one President Obama is proposing as an alternative to private insurance. The insurance companies and right-wingers have teamed up to try to kill such a plan and convince the public it would drive up their costs, limit coverage and leave millions uninsured.
