Last week, amid uncertainty about the future of the ACA, Washington State’s Health Benefit Exchange Board certified health and dental plans for 2018. Over 180,000 individuals who purchase coverage through the Exchange will see an average 24 percent increase over this year’s rates, though many will qualify for federally-provided tax credits that help lower the cost...Continue reading→

Atul Gawande asks people in his hometown of Athens, GA – is health care a right? A public health status link to last November’s election results “What the Health?” Podcast: Repeal and Replace is Dead. What Now?

Recently 18,000 Medicaid recipients were terminated for not having Washington State residency after an address  database check through LexisNexis. Some people terminated actually may be residents but did not respond adequately to notices. People who are homeless are most likely to be in this situation. The linked information explains the problem, how clients can address...Continue reading→

Congress returned to DC last week and are once again tackling health care. The Senate Health Committee started hearings about stabilizing the health insurance market. Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Patty Murray seek to craft bipartisan legislation, but Murray acknowledges that “threading the needle will not be easy.” The committee heard from insurance commissioners, including...Continue reading→

Yesterday, two contrasting health care reform proposals were released. The Graham-Cassidy-Heller-Johnson plan appears to have similar effects to the recent Republican ACA repeal proposals and would  strip coverage from millions, gut the Medicaid program, and undermine the ACA’s most popular consumer protections. Meanwhile, Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) released a Medicare for All proposal that would...Continue reading→