The Detail That Could Make Medicare for All Generous — and Expensive January 9, 2019 Perspective In this Axios column, Drew Altman wades in to the Medicare for All discussion focusing on the pros and cons of a critical but under-discussed feature of the proposals-they have no cost sharing.
The Quiet, Steady Rise of Employer Health Coverage January 31, 2019 Perspective This Drew Altman column in Axios reveals an uptick in the number of Americans with employer coverage, and discusses the implications for policy and politics.
Coverage at Work: The Share of Nonelderly Americans with Employer-Based Insurance Rose Modestly in Recent Years, but Has Declined Markedly Over the Long Term February 1, 2019 News Release An improving economy and the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate may be behind a modest increase in the share of Americans with job-based health insurance in recent years, but the long-term trend remains a downward one, according to a new KFF analysis. Data from the federal National Health Interview Survey…
Health Care Spending is More Than Just the Parts You See February 28, 2019 Perspective In this Axios column, Drew Altman looks at total family spending for health including taxes and health benefits, and why people need to understand it to assess proposals like Medicare-for-All.
The Winning Health Care Message Will Be About Out of Pocket Costs April 1, 2019 Perspective Drew Altman analyzes health care messaging, concluding that its aimed mainly at activists in the base on both sides, and that the “The winning health care message will be about out of pocket costs,” in this Axios column.
Medicare-for-All Would Eliminate Most or All of Medicaid, But No One Is Talking About It July 18, 2019 Perspective In this Axios column, Drew Altman explores the large implications of eliminating Medicaid in a Medicare-for-all system—an issue that has not received much attention in the current debate.
The Democratic Debates Suffer from a Nasty Case of Plan-itis August 1, 2019 Perspective In The Washington Post op-ed “The Democratic Debates Suffer from a Nasty Case of Plan-itis,” Drew Altman says the primary debates are not serving voters well by focusing on details of candidates’ health care plans rather than the fundamental differences between them.
Workers Aren’t So Sure “Medicare for All” Would Raise Their Wages September 18, 2019 Perspective Drew Altman’s latest Axios column dives into an issue raised in a Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders exchange. In a Medicare-for-all system employers could reap large savings from not having to provide workers health care coverage, but do workers trust that those savings will be passed to them in higher wages?
Employer-based Coverage is Unaffordable for Low-wage Workers September 26, 2019 Perspective In this Axios column, Drew Altman digs into 2019 data on employer-provided health coverage and explains why employer coverage is often unaffordable for lower wage workers.
Voters Aren’t Buying Trump’s Promises of a Health Care Plan October 14, 2019 Perspective Drew Altman showcases new KFF polling on the public’s views of President Trump’s promise that he will have a “phenomenal” health care plan and protect Medicare, and analyzes what it means for health care politics.