Are Copper Plans the Solution for Affordability?
President Trump introduced the concept of a copper plan as a solution to healthcare affordability. But is it a solution? Yes, copper premiums will be lower than what is currently offered...
3rd Annual ACA Consumer Value State Rankings
The story of consumer value in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) individual marketplaces echoes one of the great epochs of our nation’s history where a sense of manifest destiny culminated in a quest to unite the coasts...
Impressions of the ACA: The 1st Year of the 2nd Decade
I cannot help myself. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) last year, I wrote about 30 influential voices in the ACA’s first decade. At the end, I surmised the article probably deserved a reprisal...
The ACA’s Silver Bulletin
What if I told you that two sentences in a rate filing guidance could potentially add $5 billion of federal subsidies to the individual market and bring substantial premium relief...
It Didn’t Cost a Pennie
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) provides states with multiple opportunities to improve their local markets. Most options involve a significant investment, both staff time and financial resources. Earlier this year...
2nd Annual ACA Consumer Value State Rankings
Last year I developed a ranking system for analyzing consumer value in ACA markets across all 50 states[1]. It was a fun and enlightening exercise. Please see the link below for last year’s rankings which will include the details of...
The ACA’s Changing Coverage Goals: From Obama/Biden to Trump
A recent summary of “Where Joe Biden Stands on 10 Important Issues” notes his defense of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in a Washington Post editorial. It was the “most people” reference in the quotation above that drew...
Obamacare Marketplaces Were in Trouble. What Did We Do?
Four years ago today, the New York Times acknowledged “Obamacare Marketplaces Are in Trouble” and asked, “What Can Be Done?”. It was not a surprising headline at the time as we were all aware of...
Actuaries versus Experts: Lost Sheep Astray on Route ACA
I spent most of Memorial Day weekend in my backyard, about an hour from the San Diego coastline. More time was dedicated to writing rather than grilling, and I wrapped up a four-part series...
Impressions of the ACA: 10 Years, 30 Voices
I’m a math guy. I always have been. While I did well in most subjects in school, I excelled at math. In high school, I completed an advanced calculus course in my junior year. I had to commute to the...