Health Policy News Roundup Curated by Jane M Orient, M.D.
Obamacare vs. Medicare
This 5 minute video on what Vermont’s federal delegation is up to is very instructive. The plan is for Vermont state government to take over the administration of Medicare benefits in Vermont. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5L9HUfM_il8
Democrat Senate candidates, like Jeanne Shaheen in New Hampshire, claim that “our passage of the Affordable Care Act has actually lengthened the life of Medicare by 13 years.” What it actually does is to cut Medicare spending by $716 billion over the period 2013–2022. http://www.forbes.com/sites/theapothecary/2014/10/22/jeanne-shaheens-dishonest-claim-that-obamacare-doesnt-cut-medicare/print/
ObamaCare vs. Insurance
A new study examines what happened to premiums in the entire non-group market, Exchange and non-Exchange. The bottom line? In 2014, premiums in the non-group market grew by 24.4% compared to what they would have been without Obamacare. Premiums were up in all but six states. http://www.forbes.com/sites/theapothecary/2014/10/23/now-there-can-be-no-doubt-obamacare-will-increase-non-group-premiums-in-nearly-all-states/
ACA-qualified insurance is causing people to forgo care they really need because of high cost, while encouraging overuse of overpriced optional but covered care. http://www.forbes.com/sites/johngoodman/2014/10/22/why-you-have-the-wrong-kind-of-health-insurance-obamacare/
In case the court decides that subsidies aren’t available under federal exchanges, insurers need a contingency plan. They rely heavily on the challenged subsidies. http://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelcannon/2014/10/21/insurers-demand-for-a-halbig-contingency-plan-demonstrates-need-for-immediate-scotus-review/print/
Another Type of Mutating Virus
Medical records aren’t the only things vulnerable to cyber attack. Hackable monitors and other devices could place the institution’s IT network at risk: http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20141022/NEWS/310229945?AllowView=VDl3UXk1SzVDUGFCbkJiYkY0M3hla09yalVVZER1TT0=&utm_source=link-20141022-NEWS-310229945&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=hits&utm_name=top
Social Media:
White House seeking to reverse New York, New Jersey's #Ebola quarantine orders: NYT http://t.co/1E1auc9meN
— C. Michael Gibson MD (@CMichaelGibson) October 27, 2014
A Biological Warfare Expert's Warning Against False Comfort in Ebola Messaging: http://t.co/dEXI5Vcc7Z via @razibkhan
— John Durant (@johndurant) October 27, 2014
