It May Be Time To Waive Patients’ Costs for Coronavirus Treatment March 19, 2020 Perspective Drew Altman looks at the numbers for COVID-19 treatment, and why it may soon be necessary for Congress to waive out-of-pocket costs for treatment.
Even Supporters May Not Understand Medicare-for-All March 2, 2020 Perspective In this Axios column, Drew Altman shows that the majority of supporters don’t know how Medicare-for-all works, with both positive and negative implications for support if they knew more.
Tracking the Role of Health Care in the 2020 Election: What Do The Polls Tell Us February 28, 2020 Perspective In this February 2020 post for The JAMA Health Forum, Mollyann Brodie and Ashley Kirzinger examine the role health care has played in the primary election to date, what the polling data says about the issue, including Medicare-for-all and a public option, and what to expect from the issue during the rest of the 2020 election campaign.
Republican Voters Have Moved On from Hating the ACA February 24, 2020 Perspective In this Axios column, Drew Altman analyzes KFF’s tracking poll and shows that the ACA is now yesterday’s issue for Republicans. They have shifted their sights to Medicare-for-all…at least for this election season.
What Iowa and New Hampshire tell us about Medicare-for-All February 14, 2020 Perspective In this Axios column, Drew Altman analyzes data from the New Hampshire exit poll showing that support for Medicare-for-all played a role in the primary while broader support for a more moderate plan may be a signal about the general election.
JAMA Forum: Don’t Be Surprised if the Next Big Health Care Debate Is About Drug Prices February 6, 2020 Perspective In this post for The JAMA Forum, Larry Levitt examines both the Democratic candidates’ proposals and the Trump administration’s record on lowering drug prices, which remains a top issue for the public with bi-partisan support.
Self-insured Companies Do No Better on Cost Control January 27, 2020 Perspective A data surprise? Drew Altman, in his latest Axios column, shows there is no difference between large self-insured and fully insured companies when it comes to controlling health care costs, bucking conventional wisdom.
The ACA is Doing Fine Without a Mandate Penalty January 14, 2020 Perspective In an Axios column, Drew Altman explains that the elimination of the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate penalty has had little impact on how the ACA’s insurance markets are working, showing that “the marketplaces continue to function, even when ‘severed’ from the mandate penalty,” and undercutting a central argument in the lawsuit seeking to strike down the entire law.
Health Policy in 2020 Will Be Made in the States January 6, 2020 Perspective With a questionable outlook for 2020 passage of legislation on prescription drug pricing and surprise medical bills, Drew Altman says the real action to watch in health policy is likely to be in the states.
Private Insurance’s Costs are Skyrocketing December 16, 2019 Perspective In this Axios column, Drew Altman takes a long-term view of the recently released federal data on health spending showing that spending for private insurance is rising much faster than for Medicare and Medicaid, and predicts rising pressure in the health care industry as a result.
