I have a post up at healthinsurance.org that looks at an apparent slip from Bill Clinton's political id regarding Obamacare. No, not that "craziest thing in the world" slip -- the one about allowing those who earn too much to qualify for subsidies in the ACA marketplace to buy into Medicaid.
To buy into what? Who suggested that? Certainly not Hillary. But it -- or something very like it -- might not be such a bad idea. Please take a look.
My last several posts at healthinsurance.org explore outside-the-box ideas for strengthening and/or amending the ACA. They include a Medicare buy-in that Republicans might like and a way to get public option pricing into the ACA marketplace without the 'public' part. Also pointing possible alternate paths: a close look at the Basic Health Programs and proposals to expand them in Minnesota and New York.
Also promising from a policy point of view, and very much mainstream: capping premiums as a percentage of income at all income levels.
Let's face, none of these options are going to happen next year, or any time very soon. But one or more may be part of our healthcare future. The BHP-related proposals could be initiated and executed on a state level, and it's possible a blue state might try something like a BHP buy-in if its individual market is in crisis. It's a less radical solution than single-state single payer.
To buy into what? Who suggested that? Certainly not Hillary. But it -- or something very like it -- might not be such a bad idea. Please take a look.
My last several posts at healthinsurance.org explore outside-the-box ideas for strengthening and/or amending the ACA. They include a Medicare buy-in that Republicans might like and a way to get public option pricing into the ACA marketplace without the 'public' part. Also pointing possible alternate paths: a close look at the Basic Health Programs and proposals to expand them in Minnesota and New York.
Also promising from a policy point of view, and very much mainstream: capping premiums as a percentage of income at all income levels.
Let's face, none of these options are going to happen next year, or any time very soon. But one or more may be part of our healthcare future. The BHP-related proposals could be initiated and executed on a state level, and it's possible a blue state might try something like a BHP buy-in if its individual market is in crisis. It's a less radical solution than single-state single payer.
Capping premiums as a percent of income is so logical that it jumps out at us. I assume there would be the usual details to solve about when income is measured, is the premium set with an estimated income, and what government agency pays the difference between premium and max per cent of income.
ReplyDeleteNothing that cannot be overcome.
Of course many of the beneficiaries of such a rule would be Republican entrepreneurs in the $70-$100K of earnings range.
But then , we must never underestimate the willingness of Congressional Repug-nicans to throw their own people under the bus if that is what it takes to hurt the Democrats.