On an hourly basis, employers contribute towards health care more than three times on average for managerial and professional jobs what they do for service jobs.
www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-collec...
The proof here will be in whether the Trump administration pushes policies to make health care affordability better or worse. But, having an official at HHS focused on affordability is important.
www.axios.com/newsletters/...
The new Wakely consulting firm analysis also finds large numbers of ACA enrollees have switched to lower premium bronze plans as expanded premium subsidies expired. Deductibles in bronze plans average over $7,000 per person.
A new analysis from the Wakely consulting firm finds 14% of people who signed up for or were automatically renewed into ACA marketplace coverage did not pay their premiums to start coverage in January, as expanded premium subsidies expired. That's millions of people.
www.wakely.com/blog/who-pai...
For the first time since 2019, the number of uninsured increased in 2024 to 26.7 million. Looking ahead, the number of people who are uninsured is expected to continue to increase due to changes to Medicaid and the ACA Marketplace. See must read update: www.kff.org/uninsured/ke...
This is a stunning new statistic from IQVIA: 70% of new prescriptions are initially rejected by private insurers. Many of those prescriptions are eventually approved, but it can take up to a year, and about one-quarter are still ultimately denied.
www.iqvia.com/locations/un...
I'm glad she got some financial relief to help with her husband's cancer care. Now we should maybe also talk about high deductibles, out-of-network charges, the complexity of navigating our health care system, and lost income during a serious illness.
As premiums and deductibles rise, the benefits of Medicare for all become more apparent. But, with increased health care costs, the financing challenges -- replacing premiums and cost-sharing with taxes -- also become clearer.
www.cnn.com/2026/04/12/p...
Katie Porter supports a single payer health care system, but also emphasizes defending against federal health care cuts.
Xavier Becerra also endorses a universal, single payer healthy system, but in addition emphasizes incremental steps to make health care more affordable and accessible. Given his background, it's likely health care would be a priority for him.
Tom Steyer, by the way, has endorsed a single payer, Medicare for all type universal health care system for California.
I was thinking of doing a, "here are the things the Pitt doesn't get right about healthcare policy" blog but it's hard stuff and they are obviously trying so maybe that would come across as meanspirited.
When we were watching this episode we immediately said: "Oh, they are doing administrative burdens." What impressed us was the attention to getting the details right. Not surprisingly, they had talked to some experts:
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/what-the-p...
bsky.app/profile/larr...
I have some suggestions for The Pitt writers for more health policy storylines.
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
This post is so on point. I oversee a Patient Financial Services department for a Level 1 Trauma, County Safety Net Hospital system and I can tell you there is no way they could possibly get all the details right. That is the issue, and it is by design.
obsessed with the pitt taking on the complexity of medicaid redeterminations as a plot point
We consulted with the writers of The Pitt on this storyline. The scripts don’t always get all the insurance and health policy details right, but I can vouch for the fact that they definitely work hard to understand the nuances. It has to work as a compelling story, too.
@robinr.bsky.social
I...worked on this issue for years..and...they just...televised it
The latest episode of The Pitt shows how people fall through the cracks. A mom works as a hair stylist with unpredictable income and misses the Medicaid renewal notice when they changed apartments. Her teenaged son ends up in the ER because they couldn't afford his asthma drug.
We went through a brainstorming process of changing our name. Kaiser Family Foundation made no sense since we have no connection to Kaiser Permanente and are not a foundation. But, the names that emerged sounded like made up names for drugs. That's how we ended up with KFF.
An underappreciated byproduct of new work requirements for Medicaid enrollees is how much money it'll take to verify work status, even though the vast majority of enrollees are already working or qualify for an exemption.
If healthy people take government subsidies to buy health care directly rather than purchase insurance, what happens to sick people? What happens to those healthy people if they get sick?
In response to higher out-of-pocket premiums with enhanced ACA subsidies expiring, enrollees are switching to higher deductible plans. 40% of consumers are now in bronze plans -- with deductibles averaging over $7,000 per person -- up from 30% last year.
New federal data shows that the expiration of enhanced ACA premium subsidies has resulted in a 58% increase in out-of-pocket premiums among consumers. Monthly out-of-pocket premiums are up $65 per month, or $780 on an annual basis.
www.cms.gov/files/docume...
🚨🚨🚨 EXCLUSIVE! FINAL 2026 ACA Open Enrollment Report published! (Part 1)
--23.1M total QHP selections
--25.0M w/BHPs included
--Plan selections down 1.2M y/y
Tons of data, much more to come soon...
charlesgaba.substack.com/p/exclusive-...
There is growing concern on Capitol Hill about hospitals and their role escalating health care costs. This will undoubtedly be cited.
A big reason hospital prices are so high: New
@kff.org analysis shows 97% of metropolitan areas have highly concentrated markets for inpatient hospital care based on thresholds used in current antitrust guidelines.
www.kff.org/health-costs...
That previous reconciliation bill with substantial Medicaid cuts was last fiscal year.
Reconciliation can be done every year. But there is a specific process that has to be followed, including first passing a budget resolution that lays out the parameters.
There’s lots of focus on what a reconciliation bill could do — parts of the SAVE Act, fund ICE, and pay for the Iran war. There’s less focus on how all of that would get paid for, which would likely mean more health care cuts.