Viewpoints: GOP’s Need For A Subsidy Strategy; Sick Pay Fight In Pa.
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
The Wall Street Journal:
The GOP’s Health-Care Reckoning
If the Supreme Court holds in King v. Burwell that the Affordable Care Act—also known as ObamaCare—does not allow subsidies for health coverage to flow through federal insurance exchanges, Republicans better be ready to say what to do next. Under such a decision, roughly eight million Americans in three dozen states would lose subsidies worth thousands of dollars. Many would suddenly find it impossible to pay for the insurance plan they’re on now. ... Fortunately, congressional Republicans have been thinking about the GOP’s response. The challenge will be to build consensus for one bill, choosing from the many ideas now being discussed. (Karl Rove, 5/6)
Bloomberg:
Life Under Obamacare
What will the market for individual insurance look like once Obamacare is in full effect? Policies for 2016 will be the first ones priced after insurers have a full year of claims data. The prices will increasingly also reflect the disappearance of a safety net: the reinsurance and risk corridor programs that were designed to protect insurers from unexpectedly high claims. ... Republicans complained that this amounted to a slush fund to pay off insurers for keeping premiums low (at taxpayer expense), the administration promised to make sure the risk corridors didn't pay out more than they took in .... A new report from Standard & Poor's shows just how much difference that could make: S&P expects there will be enough money to pay only 10 percent of claims. This suggests that at least a substantial minority of insurers are expecting to lose a lot of money on the policies they have already written. The typical response of insurers who lose money is to raise premiums in future years. (Megan McArdle, 5/6)
Huffington Post:
Pennsylvania's Fight Over Paid Sick Days Could Be The Presidential Campaign's Next Issue
You’ve got a nasty head cold, or maybe your kid is home with the flu. If you’re a waitress and you call in sick, should the law forbid your employer from withholding your day's wages? A big debate over that question is taking place in Pennsylvania, pitting conservative state lawmakers in Harrisburg against liberal city officials in Philadelphia. It's the latest in a series of such clashes that have taken place across the country. Underscoring the high stakes of the outcome, the battle is also drawing attention from high-profile Democrats, including Hillary Clinton, in what could be the early stages of an argument that will play out during the 2016 presidential campaign. (Jonathan Cohn, 5/6)
MedPage Today:
How To Rein In Out-Of-Control Health Care Costs
By now we have heard the stories about unconscionable medical bills causing financial harms for patients. ... We have accepted that healthcare costs are out of control and causing real constraints on every level from individuals to communities to businesses to states to our nation. OK, but now, what are we supposed to do about it? For starters, we can supply a pipeline for change by embedding the principles of value-based care into the apprenticeship of health professional education. (Chris Moriates, Vineet Arora and Neel Shah, 5/5)
The Washington Post:
‘Madmen Across The Water’
Sir Elton John, Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire, flew into Washington to testify Wednesday before members of the United States Senate — or, as they might more accurately be described, the Madmen Across the Water. He had been called before an Appropriations subcommittee to speak about the importance of foreign aid, and particularly international AIDS spending. But, as might be expected of a 68-year-old rocker who did a large quantity of banned substances in his day, the witness occasionally veered off message — as when he described his life before he took up the cause of AIDS. (Dana Milbank, 5/6)
The Chicago Sun Times:
Rauner, General Assembly Playing Chicken Over Mental Health Money
When elected officials play chicken, the state’s most vulnerable residents are at risk. For instance, although people like to blame Gov. Bruce Rauner for draconian cuts that would affect the disadvantaged, the General Assembly could ignore Rauner’s proposals and look elsewhere. But every year there’s a standoff and, as always, social service programs are targets. (Mary Mitchell, 5/6)
news@JAMA:
When Good Science Doesn't Sway Minds, It's Time To Move On
Just recently, a study published in JAMA once again confirmed that the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is not related to autism. The study’s findings, widely covered in the media, are considered robust and important. But it may be time to question how much good continued research in this area is doing. (Aaron Carroll, 5/6)