The Medicare Facts
Medicare is a sensitive political topic. Today’s seniors are understandably protective of their benefits, and future seniors are worried those benefits won’t be there when they become eligible (whether the eligibility age is increased or not). But for all the political sensitivity, there isn’t much understanding of the actual value of Medicare as a benefit to those who have it—or …
Read more >Michigan Radio: More Affordable Care Act policies to be phased in beginning in January
Michigan Radio looks ahead to 2013 with CHRT Director Marianne Udow-Phillips, discussing Affordable Care Act provisions that will be implemented in the coming year.
Read more >A Balanced Approach to Wellness Benefits
On November 20, 2012, the U.S. Department of Human Services issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on incentives for non-discriminatory wellness programs in group health plans. These proposed rules take a fair approach to a complicated issue: how to encourage health promotion programs while at the same time protecting individuals from potential health insurance discrimination. Here’s the concern: incentives can …
Read more >It Was Too Much to Hope For: The Fight Goes On
In an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal on November 18, James Capreta and Yuval Levin argue that states can effectively “repeal” the Affordable Care Act by refusing to go along with key provisions. They conclude: President Obama won re-election and Democrats maintained control of the Senate this month, but the states hold the future of ObamaCare in their …
Read more >Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin unlikely to create health care exchange
CHRT Director Marianne Udow-Phillips explains the importance of the first health insurance exchanges enrollment process, following the Wisconsin governor’s announcement that the state would not move forward with creating its own exchanges.
Read more >Forward!
One thing was certain in the 2012 Presidential election: the stakes were high for health care reform. Governor Romney started his campaign with standard rhetoric about repealing the Affordable Care Act (ACA), but by the end of the campaign, most pundits had concluded that repeal was highly unlikely, regardless of the outcome of the election. Governor Romney himself had started …
Read more >Crain's Detroit Business: Obama victory means health care reform moves forward, execs say
CHRT’s analysis of a Michigan Medicaid expansion is highlighed by this Crain’s article that examines what President Barack Obama’s re-election means for the Affordable Care Act, including the optional Medicaid expansion.
Read more >Contraception Coverage and the Constitution
In the midst of all the election coverage—the daily hoopla and scoring of who is up and who is down—it would be very possible to miss an extremely important court decision on the Affordable Care Act, regarding the contraceptive coverage mandate included in the law’s implementation rules. On September 28, 2012, in a case brought by a Missouri mining company, …
Read more >The Plain Dealer: Ohio’s high Medicaid cost estimates questioned by some experts
The Cleveland Plain Dealer speaks with CHRT Director Marianne Udow-Phillips about CHRT’s analysis of a Michigan Medicaid expansion amid high Medicaid cost estimates from the Ohio governor’s administration.
Read more >Crain's Detroit Business: Analysis: Medicaid expansion could save state nearly $1B over decade
Crain’s reports on a CHRT analysis, conducted in partnership with two University of Michigan economists, that shows the State of Michigan could save nearly $1 billion over 10 years if the state opts to expand Medicaid.
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