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The Individual Mandate: How Sweeping? March 21, 2012 Perspective

The so-called “individual mandate” – the provision under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that requires most individuals to carry a minimum level of insurance coverage and is now being considered by the Supreme Court – has emerged as the least popular element of the reform law and the prime target for…

July Kaiser Health Tracking Poll: A Focus On The Mandate and the Medicaid Expansion in the Aftermath of the Supreme Court Decision July 31, 2012 Perspective

This second July poll reports in further depth on public opinion about the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in the wake of the Supreme Court decision. The Supreme Court’s decision that the individual mandate was constitutional as a tax appears to have had little impact on opinion about the already largely…

Is a Death Spiral Inevitable If There is No Mandate? June 19, 2012 Perspective

If the Supreme Court acts within the next couple of weeks to overturn the individual mandate in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) while leaving the rest of the law intact, expect to hear a lot about how the individual insurance market will be destined for a “death spiral.” When compared…

KFF Health Security Watch Delaying Health Care to Avoid Cost Common June 11, 2012 Perspective

While economic challenges facing the country continue and the Supreme Court is deciding the fate of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), May’s Health Tracking Poll finds that the problems and concerns related to health care costs and access are wide-spread. A quarter report they have had problems paying medical bills in…

How Small Business Owners Get Health Insurance September 28, 2012 Perspective

As with any economic policy issue, there has been much discussion of how the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will affect small businesses. But, there’s been very little focus on how the health reform law will affect the owners of those businesses as people. As our recently released Employer Health Benefits…

Why Premiums Will Change for People Who Now Have Nongroup Insurance February 6, 2013 Perspective

The federal government recently released draft regulations that address the benefits, market rules, and rating practices for nongroup coverage. Before reform, the nongroup market was widely acknowledged to be broken, with restricted access, limited benefits, high administrative costs, and frequent and large premium increases subject to inadequate oversight. Recent requests for…

The Flip Side of Higher Premiums: Better Coverage March 21, 2013 Perspective

Time Magazine’s recent cover story on health care – “Bitter Pill” by Steven Brill – has focused attention on hospital prices, especially for people paying out of their own pockets. This is not a new issue, but certainly one that deserves attention. However, what has been lost in the ensuing…

Questions for 2014 March 22, 2013 Perspective

Today’s discussion of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is focused on immediate implementation milestones leading up to 2014 when the law’s major provisions are set to kick in. This is a critical period when the foundation for the ACA is being established and key building blocks such as the state…

Window of Opportunity? January 7, 2009 Perspective

Beginning this Spring, between expected approval of an economic stimulus package and the start of campaigning for the midterm election, there will be a rare window of opportunity for passage of major health reform legislation. History suggests that momentum can be lost if policymakers do not move quickly to seize…

On Health Care, Conservatives Protest Too Much January 21, 2013 Perspective

Lately conservatives have been feeling like losers in health care and complaining loudly about it. They don’t like Obamacare or the increase in the government’s role in health care or the federal spending it brings with it, even if those things result in coverage for more than 30 million uninsured…

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