Medicaid is a joint federal-state program that provides medical care to more than 60 million low-income individuals and families. Medicaid rolls in many states have risen over the past several years as a result of the recession and continuing high unemployment. Indeed, in 2011 the average growth rate in Medicaid spending was about 6.1 percent.
Americans consume nearly $100 billion dollar’s worth of medical devices annually. Medical devices include simple things, such as cotton swabs, as well as complex instruments, such as pacemakers and artificial joints.
American hospitals and physicians are facing an unprecedented shortage of commonly used drugs. President Obama announced his support for legislation to address this problem by requiring drug makers to notify the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of possible shortages six months in advance.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) – the new health reform law – contains financial incentives for the states to establish health insurance exchanges where qualifying individuals and small businesses can purchase subsidized, individual health insurance, starting in 2014.
There is a looming physician shortage. Nonphysician primary care providers, or nurse practitioners, could help fill the gap. Nurse practitioners, also called advanced practice nurses in some states, have more advanced training than licensed vocational nurses or registered nurses, often earning a doctorate in their field before entering the workforce. This gives them the ability to diagnose and treat ailments much like a primary care physician.
One of the primary goals of the federal health reform law — the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) — is to ensure that all Americans have health insurance. In 2010, the number of uninsured rose to 49.9 million, or 16.3 percent of the population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The rise over the past decade in the proportion of the population that is uninsured is largely due to the recession, population growth, immigration and individual choice.
Medicaid is a health program for the poor and disabled funded by federal and state appropriations. It is the largest and fastest growing publicly funded health program in the United States.
This year Medicare will spend more than $530 billion. Beneficiaries will pay for about 20 percent of spending through premiums and income tax payments. Workers will pay the remaining 80 percent through payroll and income taxes. In return for transferring their income to retirees, workers expect to receive health care benefits when they retire or if they become disabled.
Medicaid is a joint federal-state health program, primarily for the poor. At the federal level, Medicaid is an entitlement. Each enrollee has a right to benefits. However, federal funds are not distributed equally. Each state determines its own Medicaid spending, but receives federal funds based on a matching formula.
Medicaid is a joint federal-state program that provides medical care to more than 60 million low-income individuals and families. Over the next few years, Medicaid enrollment is expected to swell and spending is set to explode.
New York City is one of the latest municipalities to propose a “crash tax” to fund emergency services. More aptly described as an emergency service user fee, motor vehicle collisions and vehicle fires would result in a charge ranging from $365 to $500. It is still not clear who will ultimately be liable for the fee.
Beginning in 2014, most U.S. residents will be required to have health insurance coverage. However, provisions of the new Affordable Care Act (ACA) will limit the choice of health plans offered. Health insurance that does not cover preventive care, plans with deductibles above the statutory limit and plans that cap benefits at predetermined levels will ultimately disappear.
There are 10 structural flaws in the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Each is so potentially damaging, Congress will have to resort to major corrective action even if the critics of the ACA are not involved. Further, each must be addressed in any new attempt to create workable health care reform.
The scope of emergency services local governments provide has expanded over the years from fire fighting and rescue to providing advanced medical care, transport and a point-of-access to the health system. As a result, emergency medical services (EMS) have become more costly.
Former Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Director Alice Rivlin and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) have offered a proposal to reduce projected Medicare and Medicaid spending. The provisions affecting Medicare are independent of last year's health reform bill, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). The ACA also cuts Medicare spending significantly in order to fund health insurance for the uninsured.
Prices for medical services have been rising faster than prices of other goods and services for as long as anyone can remember. But not all health care prices are rising. Although health care inflation is robust for those services paid by third-party insurance, prices are rising only moderately for services patients buy directly.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) is expected to add up to 16 million more Medicaid enrollees and will significantly expand eligibility for families with incomes up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level. The PPACA requires states to streamline their enrollment process – making it easier for eligible populations to enroll and retain Medicaid coverage.
On September 23, 2010, a wide array of provisions from the controversial new Obama health care law went into effect, creating new restrictions on existing health insurance plans and an even bigger set of restrictions on new health plans.
Most Americans are shielded from the full cost of health care and have little or no incentive to compare prices or choose lower cost providers.
One of the primary goals of the new federal health reform law – the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) – is to ensure that all Americans have health insurance. Yet it is generally overlooked that the proportion of Americans without health coverage has been relatively stable over time.
In order to prevent a one-fifth drop in the fees physicians receive under Medicare, Congress is proposing another in a series of temporary fixes. The American Medical Association (AMA) engaged in an expensive lobbying campaign to implement the so-called "doc fix" for Medicare Part B, but Congress is unlikely to permanently solve the problem.
More people are likely to turn to the emergency room for their health care and they are likely to do so more frequently under the new health reform legislation. This finding is surprising because an oft repeated argument for insuring the uninsured is that it will allow people to seek less costly and more accessible care elsewhere.
Among the provisions of the recently enacted health law is a new federal program for long-term care. A variation of a proposal the Urban Institute dubbed "Medicare Part E," proponents say it is a sound insurance program paid for by the premiums of voluntary participants – claims that were once also made about Medicare.
Under the new health care law, most U.S. residents will be required to have health insurance by 2014. About 32 million additional people are expected to enroll in some type of health plan. Evidence suggests that insured people consume twice as much medical care as uninsured people, other things being equal. This means that 32 million people will try to double their consumption of medical care. Yet, who will provide that care?
The landmark health reform law signed by President Obama will require small businesses to provide health insurance to their employees. This burden will be offset by a tax credit for each employee covered. However, the credit is arbitrarily reduced as firms grow, penalizing employers that hire more workers or increase their salaries. Thus, the credit may discourage firms from hiring more workers or higher-paid workers.